By Anthony DeAngelis
Correspondent

It’s hard to believe that one of New England’s largest indoor skate parks was once used as an airport.

No need to expect any aircraft to be taking off from Rye Airfield these days, as the land was transformed into a skater’s paradise nearly seven years ago.

Fresh off a renovation within the last year, the park measures out to a whopping 50,000 square feet, giving skaters and bikers alike the chance to create their own form of aviation as they skate, grind and soar through its extensive BMX track and skate park.

The greatest benefit for many families is that the park provides a safe and fun environment to enjoy themselves at an affordable rate. At the same time, the park appeals to many hardcore skaters, as they have the chance to fine-tune their skills without giving up the feel of a professional skate park.
“In New England, bad skate parks are a dime a dozen, so when you get a park like this that actually flows and is maintained properly, you just have to give props to Rye Airfield and hope they’re around forever,” said Jason Lee, 19, of Danville, N.H., a frequent visitor. “You can’t compare it to anything else around.”

The park originally was designed and built by Jack Murphy Productions, the designers of The Gravity Games, Vans Skateparks and the Dew Tour. Over the course of the past seven years, the park has been remodeled several times, the most recent of which was a massive overhaul of nearly 20,000 square feet, giving it a whole new feel.

“The new renovations are sick, because they give more variety for skateboarders,” said Jake Lospennato, 15, of Newton, N.H. “They have a nasty street course which is wicked fun to skate, but my favorite part is the four block with the handrail, the step up and the ledges.”

“I think they hit the spot with the recent changes,” Lee said. “It’s huge, so you can’t skate the whole place in one session, and every time you go, you look at something from a different perspective because it was such a well-built park.”

Ranked as one of the top 10 skate parks in the country by National Geographic earlier this year, Rye Airfield also offers a variety of programs that appeal to all age groups.

The most notable is Ramp Camp, which teaches people how to skateboard, BMX and inline skate, no matter what age or experience level, for $79. The program is designed to help guests improve through one-on-one sessions with instructors, free skate time, video watching and a visit from a pro athlete every week of the summer. The camp also includes a best trick contest that rewards participants with T-shirts and prizes.

“It doesn’t matter if you skateboard or not — kicking or hitting a ball isn’t for everyone,” said Beau Lambert, general manager of Rye Airfield. “We can teach them to skateboard and ride around the park.”

But it isn’t all about learning how to skate at Rye Airfield, as the staff is also set on encouraging children in local schools to read more with its Read to Ride program. It allows children to pick a book out at their local public library and write a review or draw a picture relating to the book in order to collect bookmarks. If a child collects five bookmarks, he or she receives a free day pass for the skate park.

The park isn’t just for kids, either, it also offers special rates for adults. For instance, “Old Guys Night” offers member rates for all skaters 30 years of age and older on Wednesdays. There is even a “Ladies Night” on Tuesdays, from 3 to 8:45 p.m.

For the fall the park has a new program called “lock-ins,” keeping skaters in the park from 9 p.m. until 9 a.m. These all-nighters, which will also include a pancake breakfast, will typically run once a month, plus once a week during school vacations. Every “lock-in” will feature a specific theme. One theme the park plans to implement is Pirate Night, which encourages participants to dress or talk like a pirate to win prizes.

Rye Airfield also hosts several competitions that draw some of the best talent from all around the world. BMX racing takes place typically on Wednesday nights and some Saturdays.

The park hosts competitions from the Gatorade Free Flow Tour, an event aimed at bringing in some of the finest skaters around to compete against one another. From there, many of the contestants will have the chance to compete in the Dew Tour, which features more than 150 of the top-action sports athletes in the world.

The park also plans to host the Wake up Jam in December. This competition brings together some of the best BMX riders in the world to compete.
Many pros train in the park on a regular basis, especially in the offseason. This is another major draw for locals, as it doesn’t cost anything to sit in and watch, plus it may give them the chance to catch a glimpse of a star.

“Lots of people have come through here,” Lambert said. “That’s one of the coolest things; plus, you can come in and watch them for free.”

If you go
What: RYE AIRFIELD
Where: Route 1, Rye, N.H.
Hours: Mondays, closed; Tuesdays (Ladies Night), 3 to 8:45 p.m.; Wednesdays (Old Guys Night), 3 to 8:45 p.m.; Thursdays, 3 to 8:45 p.m.; Fridays, 3 to 8:45 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 8:45 p.m.; Sundays, 9 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.
For more information: Call 603-964-2800, or go to ryeairfield.com