WILKES-BARRE, Pa. —
Creating a safe haven for skaters, is rolling right along in Wilkes Barre. The city’s new skate park is a big change from where TK Kennedy grew up skateboarding-
“We’d find anything we could to skate- any parking lot- whether that was good or bad,” recalls TK.
And the momentum hasn’t slowed down since the Grand Opening of the skatepark weeks ago. While it’s taken years of planning to get the park up and running, the skaters say the hard work has paid off.
“I come here everyday at 7 am and I’m never the first one here,” he added.
The excitement is seen far beyond the small concrete city inside Hollenback Park. Just down the road at Plains Bike shop, owner Kevin Czekalski says he can’t keep products on the shelves.
“I’ve had two orders of BMX bikes already sell out,” said Czekalski. “You see all these new kids come in, younger kids, they’re at the park talking to their buddies, and the next day they’re here.”
And that’s exactly what Brought in Jake Chapuka and his brother Billy into the store on Thursday morning.
“Me and his friend, Cameron, just bought a bike from here, and it looked nice so I came in to get a new one, because mine just broke,” he explained.
The bike shop started as a BMX racing store 30 years ago. Czekalski says he’s seen the shop transform throughout that time. He’s had to add scooters and skateboards to his inventory, as they gained popularity in the 90’s. However, he says, he hasn’t seen a boost in business like this in years. He believes the skate park is bringing back nostalgia for some and is getting the younger generation away from the television.
“Video games took control of a lot of youth a lot of the years, and we’re starting to break out of that a little bit,”the owner explained.
Bringing together a passion for those on wheels, and teaching tricks to a new generation.
“There’s this little guy over here and I’ve been giving him pointers, whether he likes it or not. I just want to see the young guys progress and try something new,” added Kennedy.