Tuesday, October 16

X Games Skatepark Preview

EXPN.com

The ESPN X Games has teamed up with Woodward Camp, Sun and Ski Sports and The Mills Corporation to bring you the first ever X Games skatepark. The park is scheduled to open on Friday, November 2nd in Lawrenceville, GA just outside of Atlanta. This is the first of seven X Games skateparks, with four scheduled to open by 2002. The facility will be run like many other of the nation's skateparks, but with many exciting differences and opportunities for an enriched experience.

Contents of the 40,000 square feet of rollable terrain include - halfpipes of all sizes, an over vert 3' extension on the 6' mini-ramp, a full street course. There is a special kids section with smaller and less intimidating ramps as well as a training area including a foam pit and resi-ramp, all available for public skating, BMX riding or in-line skating. Skateboarders and inliners will share the facility during session hours and there will be separate sessions exclusively for BMX available throughout the week.

Click on the 3D model for a full view.

The park will also include a skaters and riders lounge to watch TV and enjoy the arcade. Plus the park contains a pro shop stocked with such names as DC, Etnies, Globe, Birdhouse, World Industries, Powell, Element, Volcom and exclusive X Games merchandise.

The ramps included in the park range from beginner to pro and instructional Day Camps will be offered by Woodward starting in the winter holiday season. The General Manager of the new park, Mike Hathcote, brings with him 16 years of skateboarding experience and the knowledge of once owning and running his own skatepark. When asked what excites him about the new venture Mike could have gone on for ages.

"Well, where do I start? You've got Woodward building it so you're getting the cream of the crop in the ramp-building department. You're getting exclusive practice areas like the foam pit and resi-ramp… which are exclusive to this area if not most of the country. And then there's just the sheer size of it, 40,000 square feet is just monstrous, so it's going to be one of the biggest parks in the country. With ramps of all sizes, from beginner all the way up to pro and all the televised events that we're going to be running out of there, it's going to be head and shoulders above the rest."

Skatepark action coming your way.

Events that are targeted for the new skatepark include Tony Hawk's Gigantic Skatepark Tour, Dave Mirra's Super Tour and the EXPN Open - all of which are televised on ESPN and ESPN2.

Two hour session fees are between $7 and $9 for members and BMX specific sessions will be available. The park will run sessions between 10am and 11pm and safety gear is required for all who skate/ride the facility.

A multi-disciplined athlete demo is scheduled for 11/10/01 and will include the likes of Ryan Nyquist, Allan Cooke, Fabiola Da Silva, Jason Ellis, Colin McKay and Kerry Getz. After the demo an autograph session will take place at the new park.

For more information please check our Fact Sheet, download park Waivers, park Session Times and Fees, come back for updates on EXPN.com or call 678-847-5727.