CAMDEN – Starfire Skate Park, operated by the Teen Center as part of the Penobscot Bay YMCA, reopened for the season April 14 to the delight of the many kids that use it to perfect skate board skills, or just a fun way to spend a couple of hours in the afternoon. It is open from 2:30 to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at 10 Knowlton Street while school is in session, the park will expand its hours when summer rolls around. Starfire Skate Park is made possible through the generosity of the Starfire Foundation.

Andrea Penney, Teen Center coordinator, said the skate park became part of the YMCA approximately five years ago. The park closes between mid-October and April. You do not need to be a student to use the park and there is no an age limit on who can use the park. Though, if you are under the age of 10 you must have a parent or guardian with you. Under 18, you need a signed permission slip from a parent. Penney said the majority of users are middle school and high school students.

Coming up May 16, the Teen Center will host the Starfire Skate Jam.

“Last year we did a skate jam,” said Penney. “Some of the older skaters run the skate jam. You can come in and sign up  as a beginner, intermediate or advanced skater. The competition begins and the skaters get three minutes, and two tries to perform their tricks. The judges give a score for certain tricks and in the end there are three winners in each of the three categories.”

Penney said community partners are Underground Skate Board and Ambient Apparel. Last year, Underground donated three decks that said Starfire Skate Park on them. A deck is a board without wheels.

“It’s really a great community partnership,” she said. “It would be great if we could find a famous skate boarder to come spend some time with the kids, but it’s hard to get them to come to Maine. The kids pretty much run the jam, and we’re here to support them.We’ll have a barbeque with hamburgers and hot dogs and we provide all that. It’ll be fun.”

Penney said the park is run as an outreach program.

“I’ve worked for the Y for more than seven years and this is a perfect fit,” she said. “It’s all part of community partnerships. Right now, we’re seeing anywhere from 100 to 110 kids a day at the Teen Center. Most of them are from the middle school, but we do get students from the high school who drop in and skate. This is their skate park, they’ve been skating here forever, but it primarily serves fifth through eighth grade population.”

To enter the competition pick up a entry form at the Teen Center and return it by May 15. All proceeds will benefit the Teen Center Starfire Skate Park.