Skaters looking forward to new park

By Jeff Pope

Monday, April 27, 2009 | 2 p.m.

Craig Ranch Regional Park in North Las Vegas is moving closer to having Southern Nevada’s largest skate park.

At nearly 60,000 square feet, the Craig Ranch skate park would be twice the size of those at Doc Romeo Park and Hollywood Park in Las Vegas.

North Las Vegas hired park designer Wally Hollyday to build a world-class skate park capable of satisfying the toughest critics in skating and BMX biking. The designs are not complete, but it’s unlikely the park dimensions will change much more, Hollyday said.

Hollyday will incorporate a few changes he gathered from a meeting with local riders on Thursday to design a skate park for any level of skater or biker.

“This park will have a lot of different personalities,” he said. “Even beginners become experts in a short period of time. We can address younger, beginner skaters who we know will progress, and better skaters will skate if you do something interesting.”

The park will have street and bowl courses and a separate course for bikes.

Las Vegas skater Paul Stanley, 35, said the valley desperately needs a skate park designed and built by a skater. Many well-designed parks are ruined in the finish work, such as edges that don’t allow for the best grinding tricks, he said.

“It’s not like pouring a sidewalk. I’m sure they’re good at what they do, but if you don’t ride, you don’t know,” Stanley said.

North Las Vegas biker Sean McAlpine, 41, said it’s just as important to have a well-built bike course. He’s also looking forward to having a park close to home.

“Right now, you have to travel all the way out to Anthem or Doc Romeo,” McAlpine said. “This is definitely needed here.”

The skate park will be located near the Craig Road entrance, at Revere Street, in the southwest corner of the park. It will be part of the second phase, which is scheduled to begin construction in the summer of 2010 and open a year later.

Groundbreaking for the first phase of the regional park is planned for May 1. The first phase is scheduled to open next summer with a 3.5-acre playground with water features, covered picnic areas, trails and a 3-acre dog park.