Xavier Chapa examined the vertical ramp, took a deep breath and took a dive into the steep basin with his skateboard.

Many kick flips and tricks later, he was back at the top of the ramp to take a much-needed break.

“My legs are tired,” he said. “I come here pretty much every day and do this.”

Chapa, a 19-year-old Mount Pleasant resident and an avid skateboarder, is a regular at the outdoor skate park and can even be seen occasionally during the winter months.

Despite a chilly October afternoon, the sight at Island Park, 331 N. Main St., was by no means a dead one Saturday.

Nearby, children were running and laughing at the two playgrounds.

Mount Pleasant residents Sam and Rachel Linton, ages 7 and 4, find themselves at the park with their parents about once a week as long as the weather permits.

“Today, we went to Timbertown (a wooden playground complex), and then we went on the bridge,” Sam said after taking a ride down one of the slides. “Timbertown’s my favorite.”

Dearborn resident John Kastler was visiting Mount Pleasant for the Homecoming Weekend with his family.

He took the opportunity to try his luck at fishing along the banks of the Chippewa River.

Kastler, 14, has been fishing for much of his life and did manage to reel in a small “sucker.”

“I like it here,” he said. “I can toss the football around and just enjoy the wildlife.”

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E-mail the author: Jake Bolitho