Bliss in ConcreteHouston paves way for Texas’s largest skate park WORDS ALMA VERDEJO PHOTOS PHIL HAMMEL

Undertaken in June 2006, the 45,000-square-feet skate park’s � rst phase opens June 1st. It focuses on an extensive layout and bowls with minor additions to be added over the next six months. � e � nal structure will be completed by the end of June, and it will feature the largest cradle in the world and a street course to � ll every skater’s heart in Houston, and may even attract some pro’s too.

“We were approached by PUSH about building a skatepark in Houston,” says Micah Shapiro, sales manager for Grindline. “We saw that it would be really big, and we were interested. Isn’t everything bigger in Texas?” he jokes. He adds that the park will be spectacular due to the view of the Houston skyline it will provide. Built around Memorial Drive and Sabine Street with the land generiously donated by the Houston Parks and Recreation, it rivals anything else in other cities.

And that’s exactly why Espeseth and Blumenthal picked it out; they wanted the world to see that Houston wasn’t just full of bayous and cowboy hat-wearing weirdos. We caught up with Jason Espeseth for more dirt on the skate haven.

What inspired you to create what will become the nation’s largest skate park?Jason Espeseth: Houston’s massive youth population and the lack of public skate parks were key reasons we wanted to build big. Having a sizeable facility like the Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark greatly helps our city’s youth pursue their passion of skating.

What do you hope people and skate park afi cionados think of the skate park? We really hope the skate park acts as a neighborhood catalyst for outdoor activity. Additionally, we plan on the skate park being a worldwide destination for skaters due to the exciting and unique terrain it o� ers.

How did you guys scout out the area?City of Houston o� cials made that decision. PUSH was told that this was where the skate park could go if the money was raised. We accepted the challenge and started fundraising, as well as coming up with a design that would � t in the area allocated for the skate park.

What will make the skate park different than any other ones?� e skate park is unique compared to other Houston public skate parks, due to it being inground and concrete. Other smaller public skate parks are constructed out of pre-fabricated metal and/or wood. � ese types of parks are subpar for Houston’s skaters. Imagine wanting to play basketball at your local park but only having a dirt surface, a goal standing four feet above the ground and an annoying rattling noise every time your ball hit the goal. � at’s what a pre-fabricated skate park is like for a skater. Yes, it’s rideable, but not very inspiring. Inground concrete skate parks provide so much more aesthetically and initiate a considerable amount more creativity for the skaters and the community than pre-fab parks do.

What other park highlights can you mention? On a national and worldwide level, the skate park o� ers a well-balanced level of terrain ranging from beginner to expert. Most skate parks don’t have this opportunity due to size limitations. � e skate park also has lights for night riding. Many other skate parks around the country don’t have lights yet. � e most important thing is the park’s uniqueness. Grindline stepped up to the challenge of building a park like no other, one they or no one else had ever built and succeeded. � e skate park terrain can be compared to many other skate parks in the world, but none of those other parks have all the features in one location and central to a major metropolitan area.

It seems like only yesterday there were few play areas in Texas for those feeling, um, board. But now, Houston becomes home to what is set to be the largest skate park in Texas, and in the top ten in America. Spearheaded by PUSH—Public Use Skateparks for Houston—by Jason Espeseth and Barry Blumenthal along with the architectural gurus at Grindline Design, the Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark brings Houston the one thing that all skaters crave: a truly massive park at all levels.

To fi nd out more information about the the Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark, visit pushhouston.com

Grindline is based out of Seattle and has

built a shit load of parks in Texas — too many to

mention — but Houston is by far thier best yet. Contact

Micah at grindline.com if your interested in undertaking the near

insurmountable task of building one in your own town.

This is the biggest Cradle ever built in the world! If you plan on attempting to ride it, check in with your insurance agent fi rst.

Tall ass non-vert drop into major bowls and cradle. Traditional pool coping, a full grind on this corner is gonna take some serious speed and old school bravado.

Hips and spines of every size all over the park, its big boy playgorund fer sure, and lights too for cooler nights.

FPH_skatepark.indd 1 5/24/08 12:49:58 PM