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Sports

A Date to Skate: Hyattsville About to Open New Skateboarding Haunt

Area skaters are up for the challenge.

With excitement and anticipation from the local four-wheeled community, Hyattsville is on the cusp of whisking the veil off its newest hot spot—the Melrose Skate Park.

Prince George’s County is following the national trend of building these sorts of parks where people from the Hyattsville community can shred, carve and pop shove-it—skateboard—according to Craig Kellstrom, media relations manager for the county’s department of parks and recreation.

The park, located on Rhode Island Avenue at Charles Armentrout Drive, will feature artwork and design elements from area artists in order to coincide with the

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“The Melrose Skate Park will have a custom mural designed and created by local artist Valerie Theberge of Mount Rainier, and will have numerous artistic design features, some of which are being donated by the contractor, American Ramp Company,” Kellstrom said.

The Maryland-National Capital Parks and Planning Commission asked for artwork to be infused into the skate park’s design to create a unique park that is funky and functional, with artistic design elements—ARC donated boulders, stone veneer, colored concrete, and solar powered LED lights—that will be incorporated into concrete elements throughout the design.

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Local skateboarders say the Hyattsville park will be a great addition to the skate scene.

“A new skate park in the area is always a welcome addition to a community,” said Charlie Mrusko, a skateboarder who frequents the nearby Mount Rainer Skate Park. “Just as any town needs a playground and a baseball diamond, the youth need to have a skate park to use.

“Skateboarding is one of the fastest growing sports in the country, and it will only get bigger with all of the recent corporate sponsorship and endorsement.”

Mrusko said that skaters in the community should be involved with the planning and design of the park.

And having a safe place to “nosegrind” could stem unsafe skateboarding at the or plaza.

“I think it is generous of the city to build the community a skate park,” said local skateboarder Sam Gogan. “I think the local skate scene will benefit from the park by having a positive and safe place to skate and work up their skills.”

M-NCPPC has not yet listed the park's opening date but a worker on site previously told Patch that he expected work to be complete soon after Thanksgiving.

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