Concrete into Silk: Lafayette’s New Skate Park

A Skater’s Dream

Like so many in Lafayette’s skateboard community, Jade Taylor vividly remembers the day the city’s first skate park closed in 2018. It’s the primary reason she moved to Houston. Family brought her back to Lafayette a few years later, but the 27-year-old felt robbed of opportunities to skateboard in her hometown. All that changed on Friday with the opening of Lafayette’s new Thomas Skate Park.

“It’s so good to be skating again,” Taylor said.

A Community Effort

City leaders held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday afternoon at the $670,000 skate park at the Thomas Park Recreation Center at 300 Geraldine Drive. The skate park features 11,000-square-feet of ultra-smooth concrete with a small beginner area, a large advanced area, a mini ramp, and a 4.5- to 7-foot bowl. Local artist Marc Verret will design and paint a mural in the coming weeks on an exterior wall of the recreation center for the skate park.

A Labor of Love

The project was designed and constructed by local skateboard enthusiasts, including Architect Tommy Hughes of Moliere Chappuis and William Emfinger Construction, with help from nationally acclaimed skate park Designer Tito Parada. Hughes said he would sometimes visit the job site and see Emfinger and his workers on their hands and knees smoothing over 11,000-square-feet of concrete for the project.

“He takes great pride in his work, and it shows in how he turns concrete into silk,” Hughes said. “It’s not a magical process. It’s extremely tedious for him and his workers. He and his crew have unbelievable talent and were dedicated and vigilant in giving Lafayette a gift that will last multiple lifetimes.”

A New Generation of Skaters

Lafayette resident Jesse Miller is looking forward to spending more time with his 8-year-old son at the skate park. Vallyn picked up skateboarding less than a month ago, but he’s already surpassing his dad’s skills.

“I’ve been trying to find him some sort of outdoor activity that he liked,” Miller said. “We went through rollerblading, scooters, bicycles. None of it really stuck. He hasn’t really enjoyed sports. And I saw a relatively cheap starter board, and he’s taken off with it.”

Vallyn, wearing a helmet with neon green spikes, wasted no time Friday afternoon as he tried out his board at the new skate park. Lafayette’s skate community immediately welcomed the third-grader as one of their own. Vallyn likes the park’s features but, since he hasn’t yet mastered any tricks, wondered why there weren’t more flat surfaces.

“But the thing is,” Vallyn said, “I can learn from all the people that are skating and doing tricks.”

May this new skate park inspire a new generation of skateboarders to pursue their passions and dreams. As the Bible reminds us, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6). Let us pray that this skate park becomes a place of joy, friendship, and growth for all who visit. Amen.   Sources and related content