Indoor skate park set to open in Doncaster with backing from former champion

So now they are planning to open their own facility on an industrial estate at Marshgate and hope to be up an running as soon as lockdown restrictions allow.

Kevin, aged 38, who runs a sales and recruitment consultancy, decided to open up the site, called Twisted, as an alternative to the borough’s outdoor sites. The plan is for Katie, aged 35, to run it.

Kevin said: “We were always driving to Sutton-in-Ashfield to use a park there, which used to take us an hour.

"My oldest is 12 and often goes to the skate park in Sprotbrough. Doncaster’s not really go an indoor one.

"Doncaster has lots of things to do, but I’m not sure it’s got that much for teenagers.

“We want to provide somewhere indoors, so we started talking to someone about taking a warehouse, and Katie’s going to run it.

"We’d like to get the council involved too, as somewhere they can send people.

"We’ve got half pipes, jumps, boxes for railings.

"We’re hoping to open April 12. We had half of it potentially ready in December, but we weren’t able to open it because of Covid.”

Dad of three Kevin used to skateboard himself when he was younger, but did it on the streets. The new site has already been visited by Steve Gratton, the former British skateboard champion from Doncaster.

In the longer term, there are plans for a café in the site and a pro-shop. The couple have invested around £100,000 in the project, which is in a building that has previously been used as a skate park, previously known as the Pits.

"We think Doncaster needs it,” said Kevin. “It is something different for teenagers.”

Former British skateboard champion Steve Gratton, now aged 60, said he agreed the facility was needed, and thought his 18-year-old son would be using it.

He said: “Skateboarding is going to be in the Olympics – it will be even more popular.

"I think this is going to be fantastic. Also, indoor facilities tend to be more forgiving, as they’re made of wood rather than concrete.”

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Liam Hoden, editor.