AUSTINTOWN SKATE PARK Extreme excitement

A new Austintown skate park is tapping into a growing local interest in extreme sports.
By CYNTHIA VINARSKY
VINDICATOR BUSINESS WRITER
AUSTINTOWN -- When Mike and Deb McKee decided to relocate from the West Coast to the Mahoning Valley, they were looking for a slower pace and a close-knit family atmosphere they hadn't found in Los Angeles.
But there was one thing about the California culture that the couple and their three children missed -- "extreme sport" skate parks -- so they've opened one here.
Halfpipe Mike's Xtreme Skatepark opened this month in the Wedgewood Plaza here. Since then, the McKees have seen a steady stream of skaters, skateboarders and trick-bike riders eager to try out the new indoor facility.
"The mothers are happy, too. They're so excited that their kids have a clean, supervised place to practice," Mike McKee said.
Busy place: With little more than word-of-mouth advertising, the new center attracted 300 enthusiasts, ranging in age from 6 to thirtysomething in its first week of operation. It's easy to keep track of the numbers because every new user must complete a liability waiver that's kept on file.
Brian Deuley, a 14-year-old skateboarder from Austintown, said his mother still worries "a little" about his skateboarding but feels better about the hobby now that he's practicing two to three times a week at Halfpipe Mike's.
Before it opened, he and his friends practiced wherever they could. "We were always getting in trouble, getting kicked out of places," the Fitch High School freshman said with a grin. "This is better."
The McKees said they lived in Tucson, Ariz., and LA before deciding to move back to Mrs. McKee's hometown of Howland. They wanted to start a business involving children and teens. Since both have worked in the health field, they wanted something involving fitness as well.
"We've seen what idle time can do to kids," Mrs. McKee said.
Their sons, Frank and Chris, both 13, and daughter Kaci, 8, came up with the skate park idea. All three enjoy skateboarding and trick-bike riding.
Career change: McKee, formerly a chief financial officer for two health-care companies, has switched careers to make the business his full-time occupation; Mrs. McKee is keeping her position with a Georgia-based health-care billing company, helping out at the park when she can.
Greg and Suzy Mikusevich of Niles, Mrs. McKee's brother- and sister-in-law, are also on staff.
Halfpipe Mike's is the second privately owned skate park in the Valley and one of three new local extreme sports parks opening this year.
Steve Luckett and Joe Cupp are owners of Section 8 Skate Park in Hubbard, which will celebrate its third year in business in March.
The city of Salem in Columbiana County opened a public outdoor park for extreme sports in Waterworth Memorial Park this summer, and Liberty Township has begun construction on the first phase of an outdoor public skate park.
The reason for all the interest, Luckett said, is that extreme sports are growing in popularity and acceptance across the country.
"It's definitely getting bigger and bigger," he said. "I think it's going to be as big as soccer eventually. It's what every kid wants to do."
He said Section 8 Skate Park has had 4,600 registered participants since it opened and regularly gets skaters and cyclists from the Cleveland and Pittsburgh areas.
Designer: Jay Brundege, a self-taught skate-park designer and owner of the Youngstown-based Vertical Skateparks, was the designer for Halfpipe Mike's, the Salem park and the Liberty park. He said he also designed a large municipal skate park that opened this year in Akron.
Brundege said professional extreme sport team members are getting six- and seven-figure endorsement contracts, and nationally televised sports events, known as the X-games, are also bringing trick skating, biking and skateboarding into the mainstream.
Halfpipe Mike's gets its name from a skating surface at the park that's shaped like a huge pipe cut in half.
Located in a 12,000-square-foot former warehouse across from The Mill nightclub in the plaza, the new park features walls, ramps, jumps, platforms and pipes. McKee said the design offers something for every age and experience level.
There's a viewing area where parents can stand, shielded by a chain link fence, to watch their sons and daughters practice.
What it costs: Participants pay $10 for a five- or six-hour "session," and the fee is prorated for those who come in mid-session. McKee said the owners haven't heard complaints about the price. "It's a lot better deal than a movie," he said.
Liability is always a concern for skate-park operators. The McKees require participants to wear helmets and parents of those under 18 must sign a waiver releasing the park of all liability. Parents must sign in person or have their signed form notarized.
The park, which is open seven days a week, also features a pro shop with skateboards, skates, accessories, T-shirts, decals and other paraphernalia. For more information, call (330) 779-0120.
vinarsky@vindy.com