By Greg Forester, Staff Writer
A crowd of 200 skateboarders, public officials and other revelers braved a deep winter chill and a biting wind to take part in the grand opening of Princeton’s Hilltop Skate Park on Saturday, the area’s newest skateboarding facility.
The opening of the $500,000 skate park — an assortment of ramps, rails, and other skateboarding features at a site in Hilltop Park off of Bunn Drive — brought skateboarding enthusiasts from near and far into Princeton Township to celebrate the opening of the facility.
The ceremony saw a skating demonstration by a team of local skateboarders representing Decked, a Princeton Borough skate store, followed by some brief remarks by local officials. Next, dozens of helmet-clad skateboarders of all ages streamed in through the park’s gate to get a chance to try out the concrete ramps and platforms.
Russell Floyd, a 17-year-old Princeton resident and skateboarder, was on hand with some of his friends trying out the ramps and rails. He said he and his friends sometimes traveled to other towns with skate parks or even to New York City. The opening of Hilltop Skate Park means more options for Princeton’s growing population of skaters, he said.
”Skateboarding here is getting real big right now,” said Russell. “It something that’s just fun to do.”
Trying out the ramps and handing out business cards during the festivities was Geno Chou, a representative of LittlePaw Skateboards, who made the trip to Hilltop Skate Park all the way from Queens.
”It’s good, minus the weather,” said Mr. Chou, with a shiver.
Mr. Chou said skateboarding in general was on the upswing, with younger and younger kids getting involved, as evidenced by the crowd at Hilltop Skate Park.
Kasty Peskosky, a skateboarder from Hightstown, came with a group of skaters who are hoping to get a similar facility built back in their town. They liked what they saw in Princeton.
”I am pleased with the size,” said Mr. Peskosky, although he said he would like something just a little bit bigger for Hightstown.
Dozens of other skaters were even using the park right up until closing on Sunday, according to Princeton Recreation Department Executive Director Jack Roberts.
”It’s the most popular place in town right now,” Mr. Roberts said.
The construction of Hilltop Skate Park, culminating in Saturday’s opening, was made possible through funding from a variety of sources.
In addition to Princeton recreation funds, the project received approximately $125,000 through community fundraising, along with a total of $125,000 from Princeton Township and Princeton Borough.
Mercer County provided very significant funding, with county executive and Princeton Township resident Brian Hughes providing assistance to local officials in securing $190,000 in Mercer at Play funds.
The Mercer at Play program provides funds for the construction and rehabilitation of active recreation facilities. County municipalities, when working on joint projects with other Mercer towns, can receive up to 50 percent of the total funding for a project through the program.
Mr. Hughes, who was present for Saturday’s opening, said this and similar facilities elsewhere in Mercer were part of a county effort to encourage youthful activities and combat the rise in childhood obesity.
”This is happening all over the county,” said Mr. Hughes. “Our commitment to youth activities is expanding tremendously with the Mercer at Play grants.”
Hilltop Skate Park is open seven days a week, from dawn until dusk. A gate in the fencing surrounding the park will be locked at closing time. People using skateboards, in-line skates, and scooters are permitted to use the facility. There will be no supervision at the park, according to recreation officials.
”The principle behind no supervision is that the skaters need to take responsibility for their skate park,” said Mr. Roberts, who called the park a “one-shot deal, with the best materials and best quality that the skaters need to take care of.”
Representatives from Decked have agreed to organize a team of skaters to keep an eye on the park and handle clean-up and other duties when necessary.

