kupchurch@heraldsun.com; 419-6612
DURHAM -- As the city prepares to open its first skateboard park Saturday, adrenaline is flowing among skaters who have waited for this day for years.
"I'm excited, man. We've been waiting on this for a long time,'' said Nik Spaulding, owner of Ujamaa Boardhouse at 719 N. Mangum St.
Spaulding opened his skateboard business after moving to Durham four years ago, expecting demand to grow as the park opening neared. He's already noticed business picking up, and expects it to double when the park opens.
"When I moved here, I heard about the skatepark in the making, so I scraped up as much money as I could,'' he said. "I wanted to beat everybody to the punch.''
Spaulding, who sells about 25 skateboards a month, said word of the park is drawing skaters from all over the state and beyond.
"Everybody knows about it,'' he said. "People from Asheville, Wilmington, Virginia -- they're all coming down to celebrate.''
He said Durham's "rich skateboard history'' has brought skaters here from different parts of the world for years.
"Even though we didn't have a skatepark, a lot of pros would come downtown on weekends. You see a lot of pros from all over the world who make it a point to stop in Durham to skate downtown. It's in multiple videos -- you'll see like the Durham Courthouse and Orange Street there."
On Wednesday, crews were still busy painting rails and landscaping at the park, but city officials say it will be ready to open Saturday.
The $485,000 park is at Durham Central Park, 502 Foster St. The grand opening celebration will be from noon to 4:30 p.m.
"So many people are coming in from out of town and we have two pro teams coming in for the opening,'' Spaulding said. "We'll have bands and DJs. It's going to be an extravaganza for sure.''
Spaulding's partner, Ervin Ballard, said he's excited about the park's opening too.
"It's something that's been long overdue,'' he said.
Ballard, 35, has skated since 1984.
"It's more fun for me now than it was then,'' he said. "It's a lot more fun the older you get.''
Spaulding, 36, agreed.
"I just love the freedom, man. And even though I'm an adult now, that's like the only thing that makes me feel youthful again. Once you start skating, you forget about everything. It's an excellent release.''
