mark laue, executive director
action park alliance
FAVORITE PARK: ALL OF THEM
A fixture in the action sports professional community for over fifteen years, Mark has become a vocal advocate for skateparks. Mark brings a plethora of management and marketing skills to the position. In 1998, Mark founded the first 30,000 sq. ft. Real Ride Skate Park in Salt Lake City, UT. Currently, he operates Real Ride Skate Park Lake Perris, CA: a 100,000 sq.ft. skating facility – the largest in North America – which includes a café, a full-service skate shop, an arcade, a paintball park, and the only public foam pit on the west coast. The park encompasses four separate courses and allows bikers, skateboarders, in-line skaters and even kids with scooters to ride and play together in the same sessions. Real Ride has hosted several major events, including Tony Hawk’s skate park tour (televised), the ASA amateur in-line skating competition, the ASA Pro Tour (on ESPN), the Dave Mirra Super Tour, the DK Pro dirt circuit (televised), and several BMX stunt shows.
As operator of Real Ride, Mark has managed daily operations, overseen accounting, balanced budgets, directed employees, supervised the opening and running of skate shops, and produced many special events, including concerts and competitions. Through Real Ride, Mark has shown a deep commitment to the community and youth programs. While still in Salt Lake, Mark developed skating schools and was a mentor in Mayor Deedee Corradini’s “Olympikids” program. In California, Mark has produced and announced for BMX stunt shows that were designed to motivate today’s youth to be goal-oriented, positive young adults.
