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The transformation of an empty industrial unit into a brand new indoor skate park is set to begin today (Monday).
The Drop is the brainchild of Glen Walker who told Isle of Wight Radio he was inspired to create an indoor park by his young family who're fed up of having nowhere to skate in poor weather. "We looked around the Island and noticed that the sporting scene was getting larger and larger and we decided we needed somewhere for the children to use all year round.
"Finding the place was very difficult because we needed an urban style warehouse which would be close to the cycle tracks and be accessible for the children"
Today Glen picks up the keys to the unit on the Riverway Industrial Estate with the hope that the The Drop will be open to the public by the 30th June.
He's drafted in the help of Isle of Wight pro-skater John Cattle to design an indoor park with a ramps of varying difficulty, a foam pit for practicing jumps, and a real car to jump over. "It's a completely unique park, we didn't borrow any ideas from any other parks, we've come up with something brand new"
It's hoped the facility will give young people a place to go all year round where they can be encouraged to take the sport seriously, as James Spalding who's also on board the planning team explains. "I think it's very important that you have a structured and managed area for people to be performing extreme sports. It's potentially can be quite painful on occasions, we've all taken a few knocks, but to have the support and the staff in place to make sure people are in a secure environment, I think it's very important."
The Drop 3
The Drop 1
The Drop 2
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