About Us

"Those who govern, having much business on their hands, do not generally like to take the trouble of considering and carrying into execution new projects. The best public measures are therefore seldom adopted from previous wisdom, but forced by the occasion."

-Benjamin Franklin

When the skateboarding community was faced with the loss of Love Park as a worldwide skateboarding destination, and one of Philadelphia's cultural claims-to-fame, we learned that Ben Franklin was right.

It was not necessarily the City's job to provide us with an adequate substitute. We were "forced by the occasion" to press on and create our own alternative. The legendary history and much-anticipated future of Philadelphia's skateboard culture was riding on it. With equal parts fresh thinking and pioneering spirit, a movement was born.

In 2001, a well-balanced mix of motivated skateboarders and seasoned business professionals established Franklin's Paine Skatepark Fund (FPSF) as a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. Serving as the largest skateboarding advocacy group in the metropolitan region, Franklin's Paine was formed to act as a conduit to the skateboarding community at large and to educate cities and municipalities on the changing market demands within the sport. As a voice for skaters in the region, Franklin's Paine began to bridge the divide between the City of Philadelphia and the increasing needs of a rapidly growing skateboarding population.

Since our inception, FPSF has prided itself in forming a new framework for cities and its citizens to work together to develop safe public spaces for skateboarding and general pedestrian use.

Despite strong roots in skatepark development, Franklin's Paine has evolved its purpose to include the funding and development of a variety of programs and initiatives. Our goal is to help the region's skateboard community to grow while at the same time provide an outlet for a healthy athletic lifestyle, and the life lessons that come with the sport.

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