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Owner gives Austintown skate park to son
AUSTINTOWN
Video
Russell Kaye Jr. knows at least one gift he is getting this month. The 17-year-old will soon be the owner of one of the few skate parks in Northeast Ohio.
That accomplishment was a huge leap from five years ago.
When his mother died in September 2009 due to a staph infection while recovering from a stroke five years before that, Kaye Jr. was 13 years old.
Moving forward, his father, Russell Kaye Sr., asked him what he wanted to do. The answer was crystal clear as Kaye Jr. had a passion and interest in skating since he was 9. Kaye Sr. decided to build an indoor skate park.
By December of that year, Wedgewood Ramps, 1739 S. Raccoon Road, was open for business at the southeast corner of Wedgewood Plaza in Austintown.
“That was overwhelming for a 13-year-old,” Kaye Jr. said.
The 22,000-square-foot facility complete with wall ramps, jumps and a bowl will be handed over to Kaye Jr. when he turns 18 this month. Kaye Jr., who is home-schooled, will finish his senior year of high school through the ECOT program.
“It was always my dream,” Kaye Jr. said.
Business operations have not always been smooth, however. The park was closed in spring 2011 due to fire-code violations, Kaye Jr. said.
The building lacked sprinklers and fire alarms. The park also lacked a spectators’ deck for friends and families to watch their loved ones skate. Kaye Sr. spent more than $103,000 to make the park operational again, which took nearly three years to nearly pay it off.
“It’s been a mess,” Kaye Jr. said.
During that time, Kaye Jr. lost some of his passion for skating. He started playing instruments such as piano, drums and acoustic guitar.
When the park reopened Dec. 23, 2013, Kaye Jr. had two competing interests. Earlier this spring, he attended Medusa Recording Institute, 2403 South Ave., where he underwent six weeks of 179 hours of instruction in audio recording and production. Kaye Jr. said he was the youngest among his class but completed the program with the highest grades.
“That astonished me,” he said.
A month ago, he started his entertainment and recording business, which he works in conjunction with the skate park.
The cost is $10 for an all-day session at the park, which is open from 2 to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
After closing, Kaye Jr. usually works with clients who are interested in getting their music recorded. Sessions usually take two to three hours for an hourly fee.
Although Kaye Jr. will be taking over the business, he still has plans to move forward with his passion for music. He said he hopes to attend Dubspot, a school for electronic-music production, deejaying and performance, which is based in New York.
Kaye Jr. said he would be commuting back and forth to maintain the business. On staff is his father and another full-time employee.
Additionally, there will be some changes at the skate park, he added.
“It needs to be a little more professional,” he said.
That includes creating more of a “skate zone vibe” and attracting a younger crowd to the park, Kaye Jr. said.
One possible addition to the skate park is open mic nights Fridays after the skate park closes. Aspiring artists, musicians and singers can participate in these segments, he said.
Kaye Jr. said he looks forward to whatever life can throw at him.
“I don’t want it to stop,” Kaye Jr. said. “I just want it to keep coming.”