Build It And They Will Come – To The Beaver Creek Skate Board Park

Huntersville, Wv – If he builds it, he believes they will come. John Harold is building a skate board park on Beaver Creek Road, 1 mile south of Huntersville. He tells a bit of his history and why he’s building it.

“I’ve been skate boarding since I was 11 and I’m turning 40 in January” says Harold. “I’ve seen cities and small towns alike with lots of kids not having enough to do. Skate Boarding isn’t the only sport or the only activity, but it does keep a lot of kids with a good physical, adventurous, using their imagination, and keeps them busy and off the streets so they’re not just wandering around looking for something to get into trouble with. And I’ve found, like a lot of others, if you get into it and you fall in love with it, it’s a lifetime of fun.”

Harold says that Pocahontas Parks and Recreation did put a skate park in Frank but that there are no plans to put one in the Marlinton area. Besides Frank, the nearest park is in Lewisburg. With no parking lots or other suitable areas, he figures the kids need a place to skate.

“There’s quite a few skate boarders in this county” he says. “I decided, since I’ve been building ramps and skate boarding my whole life, and I built a 20,000 square foot indoor skate park down in Luray VA before, so I knew I could do it. Now that I have the property to do it, I figured I’d give the kids somewhere to skate.”

Harold says that like skiing, skate boarding is a sport that does have risks. And like skiing, you will have to sign a liability waiver and skate at your own risk. But local kids will skate free. He says the waiver form serves like a membership and once signed the local kids have unlimited access to the park. Later he intends to expand the scope of the park.

“Eventually we will be turning it into a part time week end skate camp” he says. “People will travel in from outer areas, other states to camp for the weekend and have the ability to skate with people who are better than them, intermediate to advance skaters, and learn stuff that way.”

Harold says some day he’ll have boards and accessories to rent or buy. But for right now, he just wants to get the area ready for winter weather and he could use some help.

“Yes, donations would be very helpful” says Harold. “And I’m in desperate need of 3/4″subfloor plywood at this point. I’m trying to get the 3/4″ plywood on before winter because if it starts snowing in between all those floor joists its gong to be the middle of spring before it all melts. So that’s what I really need some donations for, because my budget right now is slim and none.”

Harold sums up his attitude toward his park.

“I’m not looking at this for a profit, I love skate boarding” he says. “And I love to see kids go out and do something creative.”

If you’d like to help make this Skate Park a reality, stop by the Main Street Music Store and make a donation. The store will be having bake sale fundraisers during Pioneer Days or you can call John Harold at 304-799-6164.