donny smith, skatepark design and development
FAVORITE PARK: Alliance Skatepark – Grand Prairie, Texas
Donny has had a solid involvement with the skateboard community for almost 20 years. Donny helped open his first city park when he was 14 years old, ran a skate shop at 16 and currently owns the award winning Rhythm Skateshop. Donny’s talents lie in creating a solid network of anyone and everyone he has worked with, becoming integrated in the local skateboard scene by skating with the locals and working with local shop owners to create events and contest that benefit the community as a whole.
As owner of Rhythm Skateshop, Donny created a new aspect of retail that was based around his shop being like a home to the skaters in the area. Sponsoring some of the areas less than fortunate skaters with everything from boards and wheels to backpacks and food for the household Donny created an amazingly talented and motivated team that is still winning contests and travelling the US for a potential career in skateboarding.
Donny currently handles programming for APA’s 4 skateparks as well as manages the Alliance Skatepark of Grand Prairie, TX, where he has organized and planned the rebuild of both the shop and key aspects of the skatepark itself.
