Downtown Salisbury welcomes skate shop with Skate Park expansion underway

Bryan Whipple is skating his way into downtown Salisbury.

The avid skateboarder is leaving his mobile skate shop trailer behind for a downtown storefront. Following its soft opening in late October, Lurking Class Skate Shop aims to listen to its customer base by providing what local skateboarders want and not what's newest on the market. 

“That’s what sets me apart from the place at the mall. They just get what they say is cool. I actually listen to people, so they get what they want, and I think that’s what will keep me open," Whipple said. 

Lurking Class will hold its grand opening Friday, Nov. 17. The shop's name comes from the idea that skaters are always on the prowl for new spots to skate. Whipple said he originally saw the phrase in a magazine tattooed on a man's hand. 

The skate shop is located on the Downtown Plaza, taking up a small retail space facing W. Church Street. While the store is smaller, Whipple uses the space effectively, filling it with boards, apparel and accessories. Selling shoes is his next goal. 

The shop's opening comes at a time when the city is actively working on expanding Salisbury's only skate park. 

Whipple started skating in the late 1990s and has watched the Salisbury skateboarding community grow throughout the years. He said with the amount of skaters growing, it also feels like the local community is coming around to the sport. 

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In 2015, skaters were given a place to ride freely when the Salisbury Skate Park  located at 926 S. Park Drive. It's the only skate park in the city and is free to riders.

While it's difficult to gauge, Bobby Schaller, Salisbury Skate Park Committee president, said he thinks there are about 1,000 skaters and skating enthusiasts around Salisbury. On a weekend day at the skate park, he said there's about 100 people riding throughout the day.  

“We don’t have to go searching for a place to skate and not get harassed about it," Whipple said.

Now, the Salisbury Skate Park is looking toward phase two with construction to expand the park set to begin in late spring or early summer. 

"Skating has become an increasingly popular sport," said Deborah Stam, assistant director of the housing and community development department. 

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Through the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the city was awarded $180,000 from the Community Parks & Playgrounds Program. Another $5,000 was donated from the Salisbury Skatepark Committee, making the total project budget $185,000, Stam said. 

Once paperwork is completed, Stam said a public input session will be held for skateboarders to voice their input on design. While no major changes to the park can occur, Stam said the phase two construction will bring more skating elements to the park. 

"The focus is more on the street skating," said Schaller. 

He said these elements could include items like curbs, ledges, quarter pipes and a set of stairs to jump down. 

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Right now, the skate park is about 6,000 square feet, Schaller said. With the expansion, upwards of 4,200 square feet will be added, according to the agenda from Sept. 20's Maryland Board of Public Works meeting. 

"It almost doubles the park," Schaller said. 

Seeing the Salisbury Skatepark Committee, a nonprofit, donate its own contribution was important for Schaller as he sees the park as the place for the local skateboarding community, so it's an investment for themselves. 

He hopes the expansion will allow more skaters to enjoy the park at one time. With children of his own, he knows a packed skate park can be intimidating to the younger riders. 

Stam said next fall the process will begin for funding and planning phase three of the skate park. 

"We want to keep the ball rolling," she said. 

Whipple sees the positives of the expansion from a personal and business level. 

Almost every shopper is someone Whipple sees regularly at the skate park, he said. After years of skating himself, his fellow riders have become friends, allowing him to know what size skateboards they ride, what brands they buy and what apparel they're looking for. 

Whipple sees this focus on the customer as the key to grow his business to more than just Friday and Saturday business hours. 

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“I hope it grows enough that I can be here full time," he said. 

Schaller knows Whipple from riding together at the skate park. He said it's great to see a local skate shop where riders of all experience levels can go to purchase new gear and know who they're purchasing from is knowledgeable on the product. 

As for Whipple, he wants to keep people excited about skateboarding one sale at a time. 

“I’ve been skating around here for 20 years and I don’t plan on leaving," he said. 

If you go

What: Lurking Class Skate Shop 

Where: 213 W. Main St. 

When: Fridays from noon to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m.

Contact: Facebook

On Twitter: @The_MegRyan