Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark

Houston Public Grand Opening

Sunday, June 1, 2008

1:00 – 5:00 pm

Bring your board and join us for the Grand Opening of the Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark on Sunday, June 1 from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. The entire family will enjoy the skating, artwork, live music and more during the first of what will be many events at the new downtown skatepark. The event is free and open to the public.

From Memorial Drive headed east toward Downtown exit Sabine. Turn right on Sabine and park in Fonde Recreation Center parking lot or park in City lots C or H.

Map

The Grand Opening day events include a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at 1:00 p.m. with Mayor Bill White, the Jamail family, and representatives from Houston Parks Board, Houston Parks and Recreation Department, and Public Use Skateparks for Houston (PUSH). Activities during the rest of the afternoon will rotate between open public skating sessions and professional skateboarder “jam sessions.” DJ Squincy Jones and DJ Dayta will be spinning tunes to keep the crowd hyped.

Houstonians will be joined by some of the top professional skateboarders in the country. A few of the professional riders include: Kronik Energy’s Benji Galloway (World Cup Skate Board Champion); Nike’s Lance Mountain; Hurley International’s Steve “Salba” Alba, Bruno Passos, and Lincoln Ueda; and Independent Trucks has incorporated Houston as a destination along their national tour, bringing 17 of their riders including Christian Hosoi, Andrew Reynolds, and Steve Caballero, just to name a few.

The Houston Parks Board has partnered with the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art to coordinate the display of five large panels showcasing urban art created by local aerosol artists. The five panels will be placed along “Skater Alley,” the winding walkway between Sabine Street and the skatepark entrance, and will be featured at the park for six months. In addition to the five panels, the Orange Show has coordinated a live urban art demonstration that will take place as visitors enter the park on Opening Day.

Designed by premier skatepark firm Grindline, the Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark is a state-of-the-art 30,000 square foot in-ground public facility, known to contain the largest cradle in the world. Houston’s new skateboarding facility will provide the first world-class, in-ground skatepark in our region, and vault the city to the forefront of American venues for this fast-growing, dynamic sport. The park will have areas for skaters of all levels, from the seasoned pro to the beginner – skaters can work on their kick flip, ollie, fakie big spin...or simply learn to stay balanced!