By age 9, Enzo Cautela totally was focused on riding skateboards. He built ramps from his dad's scrap lumber and experimented day and night with tricks and jumps.

Cautela's mom, Tori, was drafted into operating "Mom's taxi service" to ferry Enzo, now 14, and his friends tot he various local skate parks and then, when their skills advanced, it was on to skateboard competitions throughout the United States.

When Tori was told that the only indoor skate park in and around the Las Vegas areas was shutting down, she began to envision keeping it open for the kids who had grown up at the 10-year-old park. Plus, the park was the only supervised park available in the Henderson-Las Vegas area that offered year-round weather protection for the neighborhood youth to practice and compete in a safe environment.

Tori, who already was involved with the kids and their parents from the park, said, "I felt it would be a huge loss for the current skaters and for any Henderson and Las Vegas kids wanting to participate and to learn how to skateboard, limiting them to the outdoor unsupervised areas."

When the idea of maintaining the SkateCity Indoor Skateboard Park presented itself, she thought that her son could benefit from learning the business, too. So, in October 2010, the SkateCity Park opened under Tori's ownership and management. Tori had her hands full.

"It was a good park but geared to more of BMX use, so skaters in town didn't really like to come," said Tori."Also, I found that some of the current structures were not built (according) to code or had permits. There was also never an original certificate of occupancy from 10 years ago. It was quite a long, hard struggle to get everything legit, correct and lawful."

As her ideas began forming to make the park more desirable for family participation and for parents to watch their kids, while feeling confident in the supervision and safety of the park, the kids who "grew up" at the park were very excited about helping improve the "new" park and stepped up to help out in any way they could.

Enzo, with his skating expertise, designed the complete new street-style park. With help from her husband, Ralph, friends and some of the skaters, a complete remodel was completed in December 2010.

Today, visitors to SkateCity will notice that the small retail shop recently was expanded to include more popular skate-branded products, including a variety of clothing and board accessories. Additionally, an online store is in the works and should be ready in time for the next big skating event on Oct. 29. The event, called "One Sick Saturday," is a skateboard convention featuring demonstrations, displays, music, food and live "sponsor me" sessions.

Tori also created the SkateCity team, which is composed of numerous Henderson and Las Vegas youths who compete nationwide throughout the year. And, at this time, she is attempting to achieve nonprofit status for SkateCity to gain community support.

For more information on the SkateCity team, videos, individualized classes,contests and special events, visit skatecity.info.