Skaters petition for new indoor skatepark in Scarborough

Young skateboarders around the town have come up with the idea to provide skate enthusiasts with somewhere to go in poor weather and the winter.

The petition they have launched has so far attracted more than 800 signatures, and now they are considering fundraising ideas.

Jack Hitchens, one of those leading the project, said the outdoor skatepark on Marine Drive – Hairy Bob’s Skatepark – is a great facility in the summer but when it rains or the sea fret comes in, it gets wet.

“That makes it dangerous and isn’t good for your gear,” he said.

“We know it might take a long time to achieve but we’re trying to build something for people to do and if we do get it, it could possibly become a music venue too as there isn’t much of that around here.”

Ideally, an indoor skatepark would be designed to be easier for people starting to learn to skateboard, the 17-year-old Scarborough Sixth Form student added.

“Younger skateboarders are more at risk of hurting themselves as they are learning, due to the lack of skate-able spots and not having the experience of learning gradually,” he said.

They have started looking for potential locations and are starting to plan events to raise money for the project.

Jack’s dad, Carl Hitchens, said: “The response they have had to the petition is brilliant.

“There is a good skate scene in Scarborough and people do travel here to skate so it would be good for tourism as well.

“There is a need for more for young people in Scarborough to do in the winter.”

Comments from those that have signed the petition include: “We desperately need something for the kids to do whatever the weather.”

And: “My children would love to use a facility like this.”

For more information, check the Scarborough Skate Park Project on Instagram.