Given its proximity to the mountains, the ocean and plenty of parkland, Victor Valley is justifiably known as an outdoor-sports paradise. When it's time to play, our indoors are just as great for fans of rock-wall climbing, kickboxing, skating and martial arts.

Skateboarding

Skateboarders flock to the outdoor parks such as Gramps Ramps in Hesperia and 3 Diamond in Apple Valley, and those who prefer roller skates head to indoor centers such as Skate-N-Sport at the fairgrounds, Power Play Skating Center in Hesperia and Holiday Skating Center in Victorville.

Frisbee

Frisbee flingers often find themselves at the Doris Davies Park in Victorville for disc golf, while those who really want to get a grip on something head to the Bullet Hole Training Center, a 9,200-square-foot gym, kickboxing training center and rock-climbing mecca since it opened in 2000.

Martial Arts

Owned by world champion kickboxer Craig “The Bullet” Buchanan, the Bullet Hole’s martial arts roster includes Muay Thai and American kickboxing instruction as well as Brazilian jiujitsu, judo, and Craig Swanson's kenpo karate classes. A fully outfitted gym also brings people in, and the climbing walls stay busy as well, Buchanan says.

“Rock climbing was always a way for me to escape, so I wanted to have it here when I opened,” Buchanan says. “It’s a big draw, along with the Thai and kickboxing. People like to do those things for fun, and they also like that they don’t have to get out and drive to the mountains to participate in some form of activity. You get the same workout without driving an hour and a half, and it’s also more interesting than what you would do if you just went to the local gym.”

Buchanan’s operation has about 2,200 feet of climbing wall, all of which is about 25 feet tall, so there’s room for plenty of people to go vertical at any given time. He also can build different types of climbing structures if he so chooses, so the opportunity to mix things up is always on the table. That, too, is something that one won’t find on a more traditional hillside.

“Rock climbing and a lot of these other sports are a new adventure for a lot of people, and a recreational game for most,” Buchanan says. “But people around these parts are always looking for something new to get into. I’ve noticed a lot of interest in scuba diving, for instance, and we’re not that close to the ocean.”

That said, he adds that he’s not opposed to the Bullet Hole expanding downward rather than up and out at some point.

“It would be interesting to be able to certify divers here,” Buchanan says. “And it wouldn’t be totally out of line for me, or for the people around here, to get into that.”

Find more fun activities in Victorville, CA.