THE owners of a skate park in Ayr have outlined their vision for getting local young people back in and skating and riding again after Covid.

Shred started off with a dream between friends Dave Hunter and Craig Maxwell, who were riding BMX in the streets and thinking about owning their own skatepark. 

Shred has been running for six years now after the duo acquiring the unit on Boundary Road in Ayr - and while the skate park was a success they realised it could be intimidating for younger and newer kids to the sport. 

Dave said: "For anyone that was younger than 10, at beginner level, it was intimidating for them to come in and see the more experienced guys flying about, so we started to offer lessons."

"It provided a safe place for the kids and the parents to see that they had an instructor with them at all times, although we found that the majority would only come to the lessons and not use the park outwith that."

Meeting the challenge of getting younger children to enjoy BMX, skateboarding and stunt scooter riding, the duo started a new class aimed at that younger age group - Mini-Shredders - which had been running on Sundays for around a year before the pandemic struck.

Dave and Craig tried to move their operation online and make everything contactless, but were soon left with no option but to close until restrictions were lifted.

"We got some relief from the government," Dave continued, "but after that everything we had saved was needed to keep the place going. It was tough but we battled through.

"Just before the pandemic we had a lot of 13-14-year-olds coming in religiously but because of the pandemic having it taken away from them for so long they have found other interests. 

"Some of the locals have started to come back again and we have seen the young ones coming back so the mini-shredders is going to prove to be a massive thing."

BMX and skateboarding are now part of the Olympics, bringing more publicity to the sports than ever before - but Dave says that while it's great getting eyes on the sport, it's all about getting the younger generation involved and showing them it's fun above all else. 

"It's a lifestyle, it's universal. We feel extremely strongly about the mini-shredders because getting the younger people involved, and providing a safe space for them. Also getting them involved in that community feel is very important. 

"I still do this because I enjoy it and have fun and that's a massive part of it showing the kids how fun these sports can be." 

Mini-Shredders classes for under-12s take place at Shred every Sunday from 11am to 12 noon.