The grand opening of a massive new skate park close to downtown Madison last Thursday gives skateboarders, in-line skaters and bike riders in the Madison area something to celebrate.

Before the opening of Four Seasons, an indoor, year-round facility designed by professional skateboarders, only three choices were available for skaters: skating at the outdoor Milton park, reserving an hour session at The Flying Fish skate park, or enduring the two-hour trip to Milwaukee’s skate facility.

Madison’s new skate park, at 3226 Progress Drive, features 20,000 square feet of space, room for 150 participants at a time, a 44-foot-wide ramp and a 16-foot mini-ramp.

Another definitive characteristic of the new park is its 10,000-square-foot street course furnished with marble and concrete ledges, a rarity among skate facilities.

“What I like most about this facility is the unique street course,” said Trevor Berman, the park’s manager. “Most street courses have wood or steel railings, but before ours was constructed, concrete and marble ledges were put in, which is really quite rare.”

Tim Olson, a 29-year-old skateboard enthusiast, said the new skate park is better than other parks in the area because of its uniqueness.

“It’s built in a way so that it has a really unique street-skating course,” Olson said. “Milwaukee’s skate park is more traditional. It’s fun, but it’s nothing like the Four Seasons.”

Besides its unique street course, the park also features a large pro shop, which Berman claims is capable of quickly repairing almost any equipment that patrons may break.

This gives it a significant advantage over the Milwaukee facility, he said, which, due to size, cannot always accommodate its guests’ needs.

“We have a 1,500-square-foot pro shop, which is much bigger than the one in Milwaukee,” Berman said. “We carry anything anyone could want, which is a great convenience, because you don’t have to drive very far to get your equipment repaired.”

Although skateboarders designed Four Seasons, the facility is also compatible with BMXers and in-line skaters. As a result, attendance is expected to be high.

“People are coming from Iowa just to ride on the course,” Olson said. “And the atmosphere is good; everyone gets along, and there is no segregation between BMXers and skaters.”

Enthusiasts new to the sport are accommodated as well. The park features a small area designed specifically for beginning skaters, and lessons will be available within the next two to three weeks.

Lessons cost $25 per person, and the fee includes an all-day skate pass.

The park is open 2-11 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-11 p.m. on weekends.

For information or directions to Four Seasons, call 222-PARK.