CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Skateboarding events are now officially part of the Olympics.
"We used to see ourselves as a family of misfits," Skateboarding icon Tony Hawk said in a promotional video. "But now the world will call us Olympians."
What was once a humble street activity is now on the world stage, with competitorsas young as 13winning medals in the 2020 Olympic games.
According to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, the first local skatepark, Holly Hills Skate Park, opened in May of 1976 on Holly Road between South Staples and Airline.
In no particular order, here are some Coastal Bend skateparks that you can practice at for the next summer Olympic games.
With a beautiful view of the bay, the Cole Park Skatepark sits in the middle of Cole Park at 1526 Ocean Drive.
This full concrete park includes rails, bowls, stairs, and several unique features for skaters to explore.
Like most city parks, it is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and is free to the public.
Located at the Portland Community Center, this 13,524-square-foot concrete park has bowls, rails, a funbox, a grind pad, and more.
The park is open from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and is free to the public. Helmets can be rented for $2. There is a $10 deposit with a valid government-issued ID or a $20 deposit without an ID.
Located about 25 miles north of Corpus Christi at N.O Simmons Park in Ingleside, this 15,000 square foot skate park offers two bowls, hubba ledges, rails, grind boxes, stairs, a funbox, and a big hip.
The park is open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. and is free of charge.
The skate destination opened in January of 2005 and was designed by Site Design Group Inc. of Tempe, Arizona.
Located in Rockport at Memorial Park, this 6,000-square-foot park is for people 10 years of age or older.
Originally located at the Rockport Community Aquatics Center, this park was moved to Memorial Park and re-opened in May of 2021.
This park is free of charge and is open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m..
Located at 700 Clark Parkway in Port Aransas, this 10,000 square foot skatepark has bowls, hubbas, banks, stairs, and much more.
This park is free of charge and open from dawn to dusk.
The $287,000 facility opened in March of 2010 and was built by Wally Hollyday Design, a Southern California firm.
Located at 422 Graham Road in Corpus Christi (Flour Bluff), this humble park has all the basics. This park has several fun boxes, two handrails, kicker ramps, and benches.
This park has been around since May 14, 2013. This park is free of charge.
This hidden gem is behind First Baptist Church at 3115 Ocean Dr, Corpus Christi.
This park has a $3 admission charge and is open from dawn until 10 p.m..
This park has quarter pipes, rails, fun box, wedge, launch box, mini half-pipe, and spine.
