One recent Friday afternoon, a handful of skateboarders stood on top of a half pipe at the Stotzky Park Skate Park, basking in what seems to have become a typical sunny, winter Friday afternoon.

Compared to last year's snowy winter - including a record-setting January snowfall - the winter of 2012 is one what one might call a "walk in the park." Plus a board.

"This is the nicest winter ever," said Wes Ackley, a 16-year-old from Riverhead. "Last winter we were shoveling snow to try and get out here. Just a couple weeks ago we made a video in the roller skate rink."

A small group last Friday said that despite the Riverhead Skate Park's winter hours of Friday through Sunday, they skate every day. In their garages. In their driveways. Likely in other places where they're not technically allowed.

"Last winter was terrible," said Chris Patti, a 15-year-old from Riverhead. "That was the most I ever did to skate."

All the skaters present agreed that part of what makes skating in February isn't necessarily the nice weather - indeed, they were out in the cold anytime they could be last winter, they said. More of it, they said, is the fact that they're just skating.

"I've tried tons of sports, but this is one of the only ones that allows you to have your own creative style," Patti said. "The possibilities are endless."

"All it takes is this, right here," said Rich Bollinger, 20, pointing to his board, "and you get to know someone. You go to any park, and you automatically have a friend."

With nicer winters, though, has come more expenses for a program that already costs the Parks and Recreation Department thousands of dollars even with a normal winter. Tom Filgate, a Recreation Program Coordinator, estimated that because the park is free to resident skaters and is open year-round, weather dependant, (though it cut back to three days a week in the winters), it can cost the department up to $30,000 a year. Salaries to man the park cost in the neighborhood of $40,000 to $50,000 annually, plus utilities.

Filgate said though that despite the limited number of days the park is open, numbers don't drop all that much after the summer season. August saw 589 people use the park, four-day weeks in September and October saw 454 and 545, respectively. Last January saw a total of four users, while 115 people used the park through the first two weeks of 2012.

Skaters said more usage has come in the past year, too, from Razor skooter users as well.

"It's almost like so many kids look forward to it being open those few days, it draws that much more out," he said.

While the Recreation Department is trying something new this winter, in setting up an ice skating rink in the roller hockey rink, the water remains unfrozen. As long as they can get out there, Stotzky Park will be a busy place for skaters.

"This is something you can do any time if you want," Ackley said. "All you have to do is get out there and do it."