Newly upgraded skate park reopens

The newly renovated Wakefield Skate Park is already drawing a crowd of skateboarders and BMX bikers, although a grand opening won’t be held until sometime this spring.

Located next to the Audrey Moore Rec Center in Annandale, the skate park is open from dawn to 10 p.m. Admission is free.

The Wakefield Skate Park was completed in 2004 and needed a major renovation. “We didn’t just repair it though. We made it a regional draw by teaming up with some of the best skate park designers in the country to update the layout and design and add more challenging features, including a competition-style bowl,” said Fairfax County Park Authority Executive Director Jai Cole.

There’s a new multilevel jump line, hips, mini-ramp, spine, A-frame, and edges. The new layout was designed to create a better flow throughout the skate park.

On Saturday, the skate park drew young children on scooters and bicycles, as well as teens and adults on skateboards and BMX bikes. Christian, 25, who was trying out the new ramps, said he likes the fact that they’re metal. The old wooden ones were easier to break. A 14-year-old Woodson student named Jet said the new big ramps and half pipes are way better than the old ones.

Funding for the $1.2 million project came from park bonds.