WASHOUGAL, Wash. — A new indoor skatepark just opened in Washougal, called Lunchmoney Indoor Skatepark. The owner hoped it would fill a void he felt in the area.
“To have something for kids to do out here in Washougal, because there's nothing for teenagers,” said owner John Henriksen.
On Saturday, Henriksen and co-owner Rochelle Ramos celebrated the grand opening of Lunchmoney Indoor Skatepark, located at 421 C St. #5b in Washougal. A line of kids wrapped around the 2,700-square-foot building. On Monday, many kids and their parents dropped by for the first time.
“They're super excited,” said Melissa Kunz, who brought her 11-year-old son Logan and a friend. “They've been waiting for this place to open for, I don't know how long.”
A two-hour pass at the skatepark costs $10 or $8 for kids with Camas or Washougal school ID. All-day passes are $20.
“We were trying to make it cheap enough where they could use their lunch money, basically,” said Henriksen.
Even at those prices, Henriksen said he understands some kids will need help covering the cost. For that reason, Lunchmoney is a nonprofit organization which also accepts donations to help kids who apply for skating scholarships.
“They can come and skate for free,” said Henriksen, himself a life-long skater. His 14-year-old son Porter has also been skating since he was four.
“It's crazy,” said Porter, reflecting on the skatepark. “I didn't think my dad would actually do it.”
Others like Logan Kunz are just learning how to skate and reaping the benefits.
“It helps me be more confident in school and other stuff,” said Logan.
Henriksen said that's the beauty of Lunchmoney.
“You see a lot of other skateboarders rallying around [beginners] and saying, ‘This is how you do this,’ and ‘Try this, do that,’” said Hendriksen.
“As a parent, it’s nice to see,” said Logan’s mom Melissa.