Tucked away in Dripping Springs’ Founders Park sits a 10,000-square-foot concrete haven where kickflips soar, wheels grind, and young skaters drop in alongside seasoned shredders.
The Dorian Zev Kweller Memorial Skatepark (DZK Skatepark) has become more than just a place to land ollies. It’s a community where groms and veterans alike come together to push skateboarding forward.
What sets DZK apart from other skateparks isn't just its perfectly crafted ramps and rails. It's the culture of mentorship that skatepark advocate Dennis Baldwin has fostered since day one. “I see the older kids being accessible and approachable to little kids,” Baldwin explains. “It's how skateboarding is supposed to work—share what you've learned with others, and everyone progresses.”
Skate camp instructor Zain Khan, whose best trick is a kickflip frontside boardslide down a handrail, agrees.
“This is a place where kids feel comfortable enough to come up to you and ask for help," he says.
For 17-year-old skate camp instructor Margo Stewart, who can stomp a gnarly fakie 360 flip, the park’s kid-friendly atmosphere is what makes it special.
"Skateboarding is a super social sport,” Stewart says. “Whenever I come here, there’s always a friendly face and someone to talk to. That’s the best part.”
Khan believes skateboarding is a great sport for kids because it helps build character.
“It challenges you when you fall, over and over, to get up and try again. It requires a lot of willpower and teaches resilience,” he shares. “It helped me develop persistence and confidence.”
The park’s name honors the memory of Dorian Zev Kweller, a Dripping Springs High School student, musician, and passionate skateboarder who passed away in 2023. Fellow skaters remember Dorian as someone who encouraged others while creating a warm and friendly culture that continues to define the park today.
Open from sunrise to sunset, DZK Skatepark has become one of the most utilized parks in Dripping Springs. The facility offers skate camps during summer, winter, and spring breaks, plus monthly skate nights at Ranch Park.
Whether young novices are learning their first kickflip or advanced skaters are perfecting technical grinds, the park provides a schedule-free, fee-free space where shredders can develop both their skills and character.
"Skateboarding is super rewarding because you have to put a lot of work into what you do,” Stewart notes. “Landing a new trick feels so good!”
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Dennis Baldwin: The Visionary Behind the Board
Baldwin’s decade-long path to a skatepark in Dripping Springs wasn't just about building ramps and rails: “Skateboarding brings people together and creates a culture that’s very positive,” he says. “I wanted to create a place where kids could feel like they belonged.”
When he’s not running his business, DroneBlocks, Baldwin can be found at the skatepark, shredding alongside the kids and encouraging them on a variety of topics.
“Dennis has mentored me in more than skating,” says Khan. “I don’t think I would have learned the life lessons I’ve learned without Dennis.
Baldwin says his own childhood experiences fueled his dreams.
“Growing up, I never really felt like I fit in,” he explains. “Skateboarding saved me. It gave me an identity and helped me transition from a place of insecurity to one of belonging. I found my people at the skatepark.”
In 2014, Baldwin started running skate camps at Dripping Springs High School. In 2018, as the community’s appetite for skateboarding grew, he began hosting weekly skate nights at Ranch Park.
Years of setting up portable ramps and rails paid off in 2017 when the city agreed to donate land for the skatepark. Baldwin and his crew of skateboarders were tasked with raising the funds needed to build the park. After years of campaigning, the park opened in July 2024.
"It was truly a community initiative," Baldwin insists. “I’m just grateful for the opportunity to participate in creating a positive community and culture for future generations of skaters.”
“Whenever I come here, there’s always a friendly face and someone to talk to.” - Margo Stewart