SKATE PARK: Hitting the Deck

A group of teenage boys walks through the doors, skateboards and skate gear in hand, engrossed in conversation.

Once inside, however, they stop short and their eyes widen.

The walls that greet them are covered with skateboard decks of all shapes, sizes and colors as well as posters of various skateboarding legends, movies and some of the bands that have performed here in recent months.

One boy in the group is slightly confused.

"Wait? How are they supposed to hold a show here?" he asks. "There's no space in here."

Then, they pass through a clear plastic curtain and are speechless when surrounded by the neon green walls, which boast graffiti drawings of children, gorillas and aliens.

Even the red lockers are spray painted with drawings and messages.

Skateboard decks hang off the sides of the stairs leading up to the massive wooden skate bowl, music blasts out of a stereo in the back and all around them there's the sound of skateboard wheels clacking against the ground.

"Dude, this place is sick," one boy declares,

From behind the counter, Tim Thurtle smiles and gives a knowing glance to his wife, Denise.

"All walks of life come through here," he says. "It's not like hip-hop, where you know there's going to be a certain kind of crowd."

Thurtle, his wife and his two sons, Bobby, 20, and Jason, 13, run Area 702 Indoor Skate Park.

The park was mainly built for Thurtle's youngest son, Jason, who plans to turn pro next year.

However, to help keep their business afloat, the Thurtles decided to incorporate a concert venue into the space as well.

"We got approached by Smash Magazine and together we decided to create this kid-oriented venue," Thurtle says. "We're a town that's geared towards 21 and older, so our goal is to have a place where kids can come, skateboard, be safe and listen to music."

Denise agrees.

"We have a controlled chaos environment, not just at our shows, but also in the park itself," she says. "We have only had two minor injuries in our mosh pits. We make sure someone is always around to look out for these kids and keep them safe. We also offer skateboarding lessons, so it's really rewarding when you watch someone do something right for the first time."

Recently, the skate park has played host to several concerts with name artists such as The Vandals, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, LoveHateHero and, on this night, Las Vegas' own Eyes Like Diamonds.

Throughout February, the park is hosting the yearly Xpoz Battle of the Fans competition, where local bands compete for a chance to play the "Extreme Thing" music and sports fest in March.

Tony Pell, bass player of Eyes Like Diamonds, is excited to play at the venue. "I dig this place," he says. "We've been here a couple of times before and we thought it was pretty cool. The stage is bigger than what we're used to."

He also suggests the skate park might finally replace popular all-ages venue Jillian's, which closed in late 2008.

"Their concerts are put on by the same people (Smash Magazine) and instead of an arcade, you have a skate park," he notes.

The band also is in talks to host their CD release party at the skate park.

Dominick Finley, a 20-year-old transfer student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, skates 702 regularly.

"Since I'm going to school here now, I plan on coming back here a lot," he says. "You feel like family here. I'm 20 years old and I can relate to an 8-year-old kid through skateboarding and music. Here, it doesn't matter how old you are or how well you can skate. They accept you."