The sign for Harrison Park Skate Park and Hockey Complex. It said on the board, "Closed for maintenance." In another word, "Sorry we are closed." It was their way of saying they are closed. You want the way Wallyworld in that Chevy Chase movie where the Griswolds took a family vacation to the theme park in California after leaving Chicago. When the Griswolds arrived, the mechanical sound says, "Hey folks, sorry we are closed!" out of a statue of a moose not unlike the one from Rocky and the Bullwinkle. Hey Clark, Did you know about a Six Flag theme park near Chicago? Save you a lot of money instead of all that trouble traveling out there in your truckster. Haha.
This was the property where the Skate Park was. It was not really fully a skate park per se. It had roller rink inside and outside. This building appeared to be 1980s look. This is one of two main buildings. Photo courtesy of WLOX.
This was the property where the Skate Park was. It was not really fully a skate park per se. It had roller rink inside and outside. In this photo, you can see outdoor skating rink. This is one of two main buildings. The brick building is in the rear the same one you see in next photo. Photo courtesy of WLOX.
This is the main entrance to the whole complex. You can see the name on this one above the front door. Uh oh, someone is ignoring what the sign says. Please read the sign and then look at the skateboarder near the front door. Yes, the two guys by the trash bin were about to get their drone take off.
Harrison County Skate Park* 269 Debuys Rd, Gulfport, MS
Fun Time Skate Park 269 Debuys Rd, Gulfport, MS
Fun Time Skate Park 269 Debuys Rd, Gulfport, MS
*Fun Time Skate Park which later became Harrison County Skate Park was not what you thought it was. The word, "Park" for skating usually end up as "skateboard park" but in this case, it was roller skating rink. Yes, the county owned this park that it truly did appear as a skateboard park. I know the confusion with the words, "Skate Park" that many thought it is tailored for skateboard but they had a roller rink. I know of a privately owned that has BOTH roller skating rink AND Skateboard park (ie- Black Mamba Park).
This one apparently was a short lived because of what you see on Facebook. There is a banner saying Coming soon and the post was dated most recently in 2018. This is written in 2021 in the midst of Covid era. The post was on October 2, 2018. Local Gyms & Fitness confirmed that.
They first opened on May 5, 2018. But 5 months later, they disappeared. That has to be the shortest for Fun Time Skate Park which was owned by Shaheed Ali with A&A Entertainment. Now what about the county owned?
Ok, originally it was Harrison County Skate Park which had to close because of that owner, Coast Athletic Club. The club was owned by Kevin Mattina. The lease contract was terminated in November 2017 because of his club/Kevin Mattina failed to make lease payment and utilities bills. They also discovered the equipment disappeared from there that should belong in there. It was a privately owned rink, not the county clearly as said in WLOX article.
That place has seen it all. It was a failed indoors football (you call it soccer), they also had the place as a movie studio which later a sheriff investigation into the building because of the owner of the Coast Athletic Club stole the beachers but he said he returned them. Uh oh, crimes.. looks like this one gets an asterisk for that skate park, not the Fun Time which was owned by a different man.
Is the place cursed? I know I brought it up that question. Sorry but not mean to say that but seemly everything failed quickly. Uh oh, I am hearing in my head the theme for that mysterious show that starred the Late Robert Stack and later, the Late Dennis Farnia and Virginia Madison.
They even found gambling equipment there but it has nothing to do with the rink. Gambling is illegal but they found they were once belonged to a movie studio that went out of business.
Ok, So, the mystery remains about this place. The Fun Time Skate Park was the shortest I ever heard for a rink to be operated. Only 5 months!
So, a football (soccer) club, roller rink, roller rink again, a movie studio, and I am sure a few more things were all at that location. They came and went fast as I wrote this profile.
They had both indoors and outdoors skating.
The Interior.
The interior appeared very much like a ice hockey arena. But it was not ice and it may have been a roller court flooring in a hockey rink setting because of the layout with lines and the so called, "Ice Rink Wall". But without plexiglass though.
The Exterior.
It is a Gable roof Free-Span Steel Truss Cinderblock-Walled Warehouse - like Building. It is in Medium Cold Gray and Light Blue stripe banded around the building.
The Stats:
Indoors-
Rink Size: 85' x 200'. Floor: White RollerCourt. Floor Layout: NHL stylized Roller Hockey.
Outdoors-
Rink Size: Appx. 85' x 200'. Floor: Concrete. Floor Layout: Plain standard.
Building Size: N/A. Built: N/A. Demolished: Still standing.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Truss Cinderblock-Walled Warehouse - like Building with a Brick Building and outdoors.
Roof: Gable.
Acres: N/A.
Operated: (Overall)-- N/A to October 2018.
Harrison County Skate Park*: N/A to mid year 2017.
Fun Time Skate Park: May 31, 2018 to Oct 2018.
Reason for Closure: N/A.
Harrison County Skate Park*: Failure to pay rent and behind in utilities.
Fun Time Skate Park: N/A.
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink, rink materials. Also photos. Anyone knows or have photos, please let me know by emailing at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources: Facebook - Fun Times Skate Park; Park Chaser - Fun Times Skate Park; Local Gyms & Fitness;
Four Square - Harrison County Skate Park; Facebook - Save the Harrison County Skate Park;
WLOX - New plans for a revival of rink; WLOX - trouble by owner;
Date of issue: 02 May 2021.
Note- Asterisk due to the owner/operator of Harrison County Skate Park for failure to pay rent and utilities, was arrested for non-payment.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3, 16.
This one apparently was a short lived because of what you see on Facebook. There is a banner saying Coming soon and the post was dated most recently in 2018. This is written in 2021 in the midst of Covid era. The post was on October 2, 2018. Local Gyms & Fitness confirmed that.
They first opened on May 5, 2018. But 5 months later, they disappeared. That has to be the shortest for Fun Time Skate Park which was owned by Shaheed Ali with A&A Entertainment. Now what about the county owned?
Ok, originally it was Harrison County Skate Park which had to close because of that owner, Coast Athletic Club. The club was owned by Kevin Mattina. The lease contract was terminated in November 2017 because of his club/Kevin Mattina failed to make lease payment and utilities bills. They also discovered the equipment disappeared from there that should belong in there. It was a privately owned rink, not the county clearly as said in WLOX article.
That place has seen it all. It was a failed indoors football (you call it soccer), they also had the place as a movie studio which later a sheriff investigation into the building because of the owner of the Coast Athletic Club stole the beachers but he said he returned them. Uh oh, crimes.. looks like this one gets an asterisk for that skate park, not the Fun Time which was owned by a different man.
Is the place cursed? I know I brought it up that question. Sorry but not mean to say that but seemly everything failed quickly. Uh oh, I am hearing in my head the theme for that mysterious show that starred the Late Robert Stack and later, the Late Dennis Farnia and Virginia Madison.
They even found gambling equipment there but it has nothing to do with the rink. Gambling is illegal but they found they were once belonged to a movie studio that went out of business.
Ok, So, the mystery remains about this place. The Fun Time Skate Park was the shortest I ever heard for a rink to be operated. Only 5 months!
So, a football (soccer) club, roller rink, roller rink again, a movie studio, and I am sure a few more things were all at that location. They came and went fast as I wrote this profile.
They had both indoors and outdoors skating.
The Interior.
The interior appeared very much like a ice hockey arena. But it was not ice and it may have been a roller court flooring in a hockey rink setting because of the layout with lines and the so called, "Ice Rink Wall". But without plexiglass though.
The Exterior.
It is a Gable roof Free-Span Steel Truss Cinderblock-Walled Warehouse - like Building. It is in Medium Cold Gray and Light Blue stripe banded around the building.
The Stats:
Indoors-
Rink Size: 85' x 200'. Floor: White RollerCourt. Floor Layout: NHL stylized Roller Hockey.
Outdoors-
Rink Size: Appx. 85' x 200'. Floor: Concrete. Floor Layout: Plain standard.
Building Size: N/A. Built: N/A. Demolished: Still standing.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Truss Cinderblock-Walled Warehouse - like Building with a Brick Building and outdoors.
Roof: Gable.
Acres: N/A.
Operated: (Overall)-- N/A to October 2018.
Harrison County Skate Park*: N/A to mid year 2017.
Fun Time Skate Park: May 31, 2018 to Oct 2018.
Reason for Closure: N/A.
Harrison County Skate Park*: Failure to pay rent and behind in utilities.
Fun Time Skate Park: N/A.
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink, rink materials. Also photos. Anyone knows or have photos, please let me know by emailing at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources: Facebook - Fun Times Skate Park; Park Chaser - Fun Times Skate Park; Local Gyms & Fitness;
Four Square - Harrison County Skate Park; Facebook - Save the Harrison County Skate Park;
WLOX - New plans for a revival of rink; WLOX - trouble by owner;
Date of issue: 02 May 2021.
Note- Asterisk due to the owner/operator of Harrison County Skate Park for failure to pay rent and utilities, was arrested for non-payment.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3, 16.