History of Flounder

History of Flounder. Flounder and Friends Skatepark. , In 1997, Dug Ketterman was involved in an auto-accident, which resulted in the loss of one of his close friends, Ray "Flounder" Wampler. The months following the accident, Dug was able to help plan, fundraise and design the first Flounder Skatepark in memory of Ray. 24 years later, the City of Valparaiso was ready to rebuild a new and improved tribute to the original., Valpo Parks needed to partner with someone who both knew skateboarding and the City of Valparaiso. Dug Ketterman - founder of DugOut Design Studio, Valpo native, and lifetime skater - fit that bill perfectly. DugOut was hired to work closely with the city on community engagement in regards to skatepark design., Ketterman began collaborating with Valpo Parks to create Flounder and Friends Skatepark, a skatepark that would appeal both to absolute beginners and half-a-century veterans. The design is based on the original Flounder Skatepark, paying homage to a good friend of Ketterman's and Valparaiso, the late Ray Wampler., "It's a completely organic park; the entire design was originally based on the Fibonacci sequence," said Ketterman. "Everything started around the center, which is the Flounder Bowl, a take off of the original logo to pay homage to the original Flounder Skatepark.", Ultimately, Ketterman's design meets skaters wherever they are in terms of ability, keeping the sport alive and providing athletes with a safe space to practice and progress., [Captions:] , Dug Ketterman skating the original Flounder Skatepark at Rogers Lakewood Park., Dug Ketterman stands in front of the construction of Flounder bowl in his original Flounder Skatepark t-shirt.