Tucked away in the plaza by Dazzles Skating Rink, Clayton Appliances

and Fayetteville Fun Bowl off of Ga. Highway 85 is Cloned Skate Park,

a playground for skateboarders, in-line skaters and BMX riders eager

to defy gravity and perform dazzling tricks. Or at least learn to.

The park, the brainchild of Fayetteville resident Rob Potter, has been

open since 1999 and has grown into one of the more popular parks in the

metro Atlanta area. Packed with quarter-pipes, half-pipes, box jumps,

stair sets and handrails, visitors to Cloned Skate Park can attempt all

sorts of stunts while punk and rock music blares around the park. Over

the years the park has progressed, adding more and more obstacles for

their customers. Potter admits that the park progressed maybe too much

and may be too difficult for most of his customers, which is one reason

that Cloned Skate Park will be undergoing a massive renovation the week

of Aug. 9.

The other reason for the renovation is that the park is merging with

Bicycles Unlimited, the popular bicycle store and repair shop located

in Peachtree City. Not only will Cloned Skate Park have a new park design

both inside and out, but it will also feature a full service bike and

repair shop inside as well as the current stock of skating, skateboarding

and bicycle equipment and apparel. The park will be divided with skating

inside and biking outside, although skilled athletes will have no limits

on where to ride. Unique to the Cloned Skate Park will be dirt jumps

outside for BMX riders.

Potter plans to re-open Cloned Skate Park Aug. 13 with a bang. There

will be a lock-in that night that will feature bands, contests, refreshments

and all night access to the new equipment. There will also be an enlcosed

area upstairs, with air conditioning, open for parties.

Potter, who is also track director of the William L. Davis BMX Facility

in Peachtree City, is looking to grow Cloned Skate Park and the sports

that can be played there. In addition to offering lessons in biking,

skating and skateboarding at the facility, Potter has contacted owners

of all the other skate parks in the state and is hoping to start a Georgia

Skate Park Association, so that the states' blossoming extreme athletes

will have competitions to participate in.

"It will be coming at some point in the future," said Potter. "All

of the other owners have been very receptive to the idea and agree that

something like this is long overdue." Potter hopes to get the association

as organized as the local BMX track, which has lots of activity and hosts

several statewide events a year.

Potter, a Fayette County High School graduate, is very excited about

all of the changes coming to his skate park. After graduating from Southern

Polytechnic University, he worked as an engineer for TDK before taking

a job in HVAC engineering in Atlanta. Always interested in riding BMX

and having been involved in the sport for years, Potter decided to shed

the long commute to work and back and take a risk on the park. At the

time it opened, Cloned Skate Park was the only skate park in the Metro

Atlanta area at the time. Now there are more parks but Potter and his

clientele feel that Cloned Skate Park is still the best.

"I know a lot of these kids on a personal level," said Potter,

who described the feel of the park as laid back. "They know me as

a rider because I get out there and ride too."

For more information on Cloned Skate Park, visit www.clonedbmx.com

or phone 770-460-4333.