By Allen Brewer

news@oxfordeagle.com

Summer is ending, but reluctant students can still enjoy some fun at the Oxford Skate Park before going back to school.

The Oxford Skate Park, located on Bramlett Boulevard across the road from the Oxford and Lafayette County Public Library, offers free family fun for all ages. Opened in 2006, the skate park has served as the only skate park in Oxford for 10 years. Area teens have grown up with the park and have seen changes added over the years.

From sunrise to 11 p.m., the skate park offers children, teens and adults something to enjoy. There

is no admission fee for parking, and the park is open every day.

“I think it is important,” mother of three, Angela Freeman, said. “There are many resources there for the children. It is a place where everybody gets to do something they want.”

The park contains a concrete skating area, a kid’s playground and a shaded rest area with two bathrooms and a picnic table. The park is also within walking distance from other Oxford attractions like the library, the community pavilion and Avent Park.

“I learned a lot of new tricks here,” Gordon Whitwell, 13, said. “I learned to do an ‘ollie’ on the rails and a drop-in from the ramp.”

An “ollie” is where the skateboarder leaps into the air without using their hands to hold the skateboard and a drop-in is how the skater puts their weight on the back of the board and leans down into a ramp.

The large concrete jungle has many features for skate boarders to practice their skills like the 9-foot and 7-foot-deep bowls. BMX bikes and roller blades are also fun to try out on the ramps and on the sidewalk.

“I used to skate here every day, for five years,” said skater James Starr, 18. “I think it’s a great place — keeps kids out of trouble.”

While some go to play sports, others go to “chill” and hangout. Located near the Oxford Middle School, students use the skate park to meet after school.

“It’s a place to get away form stressful situations,” skater George Young, said. “It’s like a safe haven.”

Some of the locals’ favorite time to go to the park is between 3 to 7 p.m.

“Kids can come and be active,” father of one George Rams said. “I would like to see more places like this.”