New skateboarding park opens in Clover

Jody Isenhour wanted to offer a place where his teenage son and other skateboard enthusiasts could enjoy their passion.

It took nearly five years of planning, but Isenhour and his family saw his dream come true Saturday when they opened T.A.Z. Indoor Skate Park in a warehouse in Clover.

“It’s exciting. We’ve been waiting a long time for this,” said Tabatha Isenhour as she checked in customers lined up to enter the park at 101-A Industrial Park Lane.

Jody Isenhour, 39, said he has been a lifelong skateboard enthusiast, though he doesn’t do the daring jumps, flips and other showy moves perfected by his 15-year-old son, Zackery, and many of his customers.

But Isenhour said skateboard enthusiasts have few places to enjoy the sport. The closest indoor skate park is in Concord, N.C. Other local parks have closed, he said.

In preparation for the park’s opening, he said, he visited the Concord skate park and another in Aiken to meet the owners and learn about the ins and outs of running such a park.

He said researching the business, securing the proper permits and setting up the space for skaters has taken almost five years.

“I think it’s awesome,” said Terry Collier of Clover, who brought her 4-year-old granddaughter, Italy Collier, to practice on small ramps in an area set aside for beginners.

“I’m so proud of them; they made this happen for a lot of kids,” said Collier, Tabatha Isenhour’s aunt. “This has been a dream of Jody’s for years. It’s a dream come true.”

Isenhour said he’s taken steps to provide a safe, secure place for his customers.

Security cameras throughout the park allow employees in the entrance area to keep tabs on what’s happening everywhere, he said. Rules are posted prominently, and alcohol is not allowed for any age, he said.

Those who violate the rules will be asked to leave, he said. The park also offers places where parents and others can sit and watch.

He said the park offers skateboarding, BMX riding, inline skating and scooters. For safety purposes, he plans to schedule separate hours for BMX riders to use the park.

Josh Martinez, 19, made the 90-minute drive from Greenville for the Clover opening. He said some of the ramps came from a Greenville skate park he used to frequent.

“It’s a new skate park, and everything in Greenville has shut down,” he said.

Martinez said he’s been skateboarding for about eight years. “It’s freedom, technically,” he said of the sport. “You can do it by yourself, you can explore, travel.”

Nolan Harris, 13, from York, who also visited the park, agreed. “It’s great. There are no rules to it. It’s all freedom.”

Mindy Broadwell from York, who brought her 14-year-old son, Christian, said he has been looking forward to the park opening.

“It’s a place these kids can come and practice, and a place that’s going to keep them out of trouble,” Broadwell said. “There are not a lot of places like that close by.”

Tabatha Isenhour said she and husband both plan to work at the park. Their daughter, Alica, 19, may help on weekends.

Jody Isenhour said their son competes in skateboarding events and has a sponsor. He said the park plans to have a skateboarding team and contests.

Tabatha Isenhour said skateboarding was the only sport her son really enjoyed.

“We tried football, baseball,” she said. “He never really got into anything else but skateboarding.”

This story was originally published March 23, 2015 at 9:45 AM with the headline "New skateboarding park opens in Clover."