NEBRASKA
‘It felt like a scene that never fully made a mark but has a rich history.’
Carter Paulsen
Founder
Nebraska Skateboarding Archive
October 2026
When did you start NSA and what triggered it?
August 14th, 2024. So, it’ll be almost two years old by the time you are reading this. I have always had a bunch of questions about the scene and history. But any time I would ask an old head they would give me some half ass answer. It felt like a scene that never fully made a mark but has a rich history.
How would you describe the skate community in Nebraska?
I would say it’s pretty calm and modest. No one is super crazy or in your face.
What is the earliest record on file around skateboarding in Nebraska?
The oldest skateboard related thing I’ve found is about a skate park that was around in the late 70s. It was called the concrete wave. City shut it down for not having the proper permits.
‘The beef with Steve is deep. Really deep.’
Any pros that started skating in Nebraska?
Steve Berra and Danny Mayer are from here. The old head hate Steve and don’t claim him. Shag from There skateboards moved back here. Jeff Fowler.
What is the beef with Steve? Scientology or fake spots?
The beef with Steve is deep. Really deep. You gotta listen to Kevins “Mostly Skateboarding” podcast episode for all the details. I’ll try to summarize it. The Berrics bought the skateboard Mag, then turned it into the Berrics magazine. That goes out of business. So now all the original founders aren’t getting paid out for what they were supposed to get. I’m probably forgetting something.
What are some of the main skate spots across the state? Omaha and Lincoln are the main two cities?
Omaha has a DIY or ZIY that has gotten pretty great the last couple of years. Lincoln has some good spots too but it’s more spread out. Downtown Omaha is full of spots if you skate around.
What is ZIY?
The Z in ZIY stands for Zach Smith. Zach passed away recently and he has a big helper in getting the DIY built. He was always there. Hungover or not, he would be skating. Hopefully the city will change the official name of the skate park here soon. Fingers crossed.
What is Nebraska’s contribution on skateboarding’s evolution?
I guess Kevin Wilkins and Joe Hammeke. They both did so much during the “golden years” of skateboarding.
What is Nebraska skate community most proud of?
Probably Jeff Fowler. He’s stupid good at skating. Check out his ATM pro part. I edited it.
Least proud?
Steve Berra. Steve if you read this, I want to talk.
What do you want to talk about?
I’d just like to ask Steve about growing up in the area. It fascinates me to think of a time before the internet. You actually had to read and have conversations with people to learn new things.
‘We need more filmmakers and photographers. That’s how you push a skate scene.’
Is there anything the local skate scene can improve on compared to its neighboring states?
We need more filmmakers and photographers. That’s how you push a skate scene. More videos the better.
How about indoor skate parks during the winter months?
Our indoor scene is pretty bad. We lost the Donut Hill Bowl recently. There’s an organization in town that has a skate park for kids but they don’t let anyone over 18 years old in anymore. They’re gonna be pissed and say they offer a two hour session once a week but we all know that is not good enough. Aspelly when all you do is preach “community”.
Who is the ultimate godfather of the Nebraska skate community and why?
Phil from Precision skateboards, Kevin Wilkins R.I.P. (Editor of the skateboard mag), Joe Hammeke R.I.P (Thrasher Photographer), Donny Diederich.
Who is Donny Diedrich?
He’s from here. He got Joe Hammeke his job at Thrasher. Steve Berra and him rode for Foundation in the late 80s. He’s somewhat of an urban legend. He was a part of a couple different companies. He’s sent me a bunch of old pics for the account. I don’t want to do too much namedropping.
Last question. If you could interview any person in the world?
Jake Phelps. He seemed like the ultimate fan of skateboarding.