In his youth, skateboarding in the winter meant lots of time on the road for Jeff Conyers.
“I used to drive as a kid over 156 miles each way because there were no other indoor skateparks,” he said. “That’s what we used to do. We’d get a whole group of us together, and we’d make a weekend trip out of it.”
These days, he doesn’t have to go very far.
As owner of The Asylum Skatepark in Lake Bluff, he solved the problem many skaters face when the weather just doesn’t cooperate.
“There was just really no place to go, so this was kind of the missing element in this area,” the Gurnee resident said.
Skateboarding since he was 10, Conyers developed his passion for the sport while skating in Florida as a child.
“It always inspired me to have one of my own one day because we never had skateparks growing up,” he said. “And when I moved here from Florida, there was really no place to go during the wintertime, other than having to drive.”
For 18 years he dreamed of opening his own park.
“And it was always just figuring out a way to do it,” he said. “It just so happened to come to fruition in 2010, which is a blessing. It’s awesome. It’s a way to give back to the kids and kind of relive my youth.
“Our main focus is skateboarding, but we allow BMX, scooters and Rollerbladers in here as well, any day of the week,” Conyers said. “We get a mix of everybody.”
People come from nearby and from out of state. There are kids as young as 3 years old and “dudes that come in as old as 60 years old,” he said. “Everybody’s a kid at heart.”
Visitors to the heated skatepark can choose to purchase a season pass for unlimited admission or select a membership for discounted daily admission rates.
On weekends, there are two sessions per day to help control the crowd flow at the park.
More Top Picks Air Fryer Oven
Various specials are offered, including free admission for members on Mondays, discounted rates during the week for female skateboarders — who skate free on Wednesdays.
For the older crowd, The Asylum also holds a weekly Old Man Skate Jam on Wednesdays.
“The older guys don’t want to skate with the younger kids because they’re a little more aggressive, and the old guys kind of want to have a little bit of a crowd to themselves,” Conyers said. “So we open that night up and discount it for the older guys. It’s all the dudes that come in that are pretty much 30 and above.”
For those looking to learn the sport or further their skills, The Asylum offers a variety of lessons, summer and school break camps, weekend clinics and parties throughout the year.
“We teach the proper skate park etiquette, how to fall and how to safely ride a skateboard or a scooter or BMX. The clinics are worth every penny because we have great instructors,” Conyers said. “We’ve got some of the only certified instructors in the United States.”
The skatepark hosts a lock-in the last Friday of the month with pizza and drinks, dodge ball, contests and giveaways.
“They come in as early as 8 o’clock and leave at 7 in the morning,” Conyers said. “It’s extremely safe. We don’t allow drugs or alcohol. We keep them entertained and focused and give them free food and drinks and prizes, and they don’t want to go anywhere.”
Among the regulars at The Asylum are Josiah Jones, Jr. and his sons, Josiah Jones, III (known professionally as JoJo) and Julian. In the 1990s, Jones competed nationally and had sponsors.
When he heard of Conyers’ plan to build the skatepark, he knew he wanted to get involved.
“I met Jeff because somebody told me they were building an indoor skatepark, which was 15 minutes down the road from my house, so of course I have to be a part of this,” said Jones, who lives in Waukegan.
An electrical contractor, he was so excited to hear there would be an indoor skate facility available, he offered to do the electrical work for free upon meeting Conyers.
“I literally brought a ladder in and started repairing lights,” Jones said.
He wanted the skatepark because he knows how not having a place to skate all year affects a skater’s skill development.
“Without Asylum, these kids would’ve been like me. You spend six months out of the year to get all these tricks, then you go hibernate for six months, then it take you about half the next season to get all your tricks back you had the season before,” Jones said. “That’s kind of how it is when you don’t have California weather.”
The Jones family visits The Asylum at least four times a week. Ten-year-old JoJo, who quit scooter about four years ago and picked up skating, has progressed to the point of winning many of the competitions he travels to and getting sponsors.
“The nucleus of that is Asylum, because that’s JoJo’s home park,” Jones said. “For his progression of what he’s accomplished in the last almost four years is unbelievable.”
JoJo’s younger brother, Julian, just started skateboarding six months ago. Jones said since then, Julian has learned to overcome his fears and practice discipline. And they’ve all experienced the support and community their fellow skaters offer.
“All those people that are around the wooden bowl that are watching (Julian) trying countlessly time and time again, from one month when he’s trying to get this trick and then when he gets it, there’s nothing but love because everybody’s hootin’ and hollerin’ celebrating,” Jones said. “That’s the beauty of skateboarding. That’s the magic.”
It’s something you can’t put an age on, he said.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a skinny little runt or how old you are, it’s all about the tricks. And I think it’s more gratifying helping the kids coming up than even for my own progression,” said Jones, who often coaches some of younger skaters. “I think it’s neat my kids are able to learn that at an early age.”
Jones said he has seen kids transform from beginner level to the point they are about to go pro.
According to Conyers, it’s not unusual to see professional skateboarders walk in the door, either.
“You never know who’s going to walk in the door here. At any moment it could be a pro BMX guy or a pro scooter rider. Any pro skateboarder can just walk in,” Conyers said. “That’s the beauty of the business. You never know what’s going to happen the next day. It’s always an adventure.”
Kathy Cichon is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
The Asylum Skatepark
Activity: Skateboarding, BMX, Scooter and Inline Skates
Where: 29850 N. Skokie Highway, Lake Bluff
Hours: Winter season runs Oct. 1-May 1: noon-10 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; camps offered Saturdays and Sundays
Price: $14 general admission; $20 weekend all day or $14 per session; other promotions offered online
More Top Picks Best Fondue Sets For Entertaining
Information: 847-578-5103 or www.asylumskatepark.com