$20,000 donation made to help build new bowl at Myrtle Beach skate park

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) - A new look is in the works for the Matt Hughes Skate Park in Myrtle Beach.

Friends of the Skateboard Park Foundation recently presented blueprints to Myrtle Beach City Council at their last meeting.

Among improvements include a new bowl that is estimated to be about five feet deep, 50 feet long, and 30 feet wide.

Skateboarders like Price Hamilton are excited about the plan.

“I think it will be fun. I’m kind of stocked about it. I haven’t thought of anything I want to learn on it yet, but I think it will be a great opportunity to learn some new things and kind of get a new territory down,” he said.

The foundation gave the Myrtle Beach City Council a check for $20,000 to go toward the project, while the city will contribute another $50,000.

However, the foundation still needs $10,000 to complete its goal and start construction.

“We need better places for kids to ride, we need better obstacles, and we need more parks, and Terry is helping provide that, and we are doing that here,” said Jesse McKnight, a vice president of the Heart of Stoke Foundation.

The bowl will replace the metal half-pipe the park has, which has been a major safety concern for the community.

“The slickness of it is really a concern,” said Hamilton. “I mean, granted, most of skateboarding is kind of the same issue, but it really does show when you’re in the half-pipe because if you mess up a little bit, you are just going to be on the ground.”

The foundation will continue to raise money to make the park a better place for kids to enjoy being outside. They already have plans for upcoming fundraisers, including one at the Oyster Roast and Blood Mary Contest in Murrells Inlet in March.

Another event is planned for April 1 at New South Brewing in Myrtle Beach followed by the second-annual Myrtle Beach AM at Matt Hughes Skate Park later in the month.

Click here for more information.

Copyright 2023 WMBF. All rights reserved.