Lubbock Skateboarder Injects New Life Into Makeshift Skate Park

Tyson Earl, an avid skateboarder and long-time friend of mine, grew up skateboarding in what is essentially a drainage ditch off of the highway here in Lubbock.

He and his friends affectionately referred to it as "Cow Bowl," or simply "The Skate Park" even though it wasn’t an actual park at all. Earl recently revisited the old spot, found it in disarray, and took it upon himself to clear it out in an effort to reclaim the nostalgic place for local skateboarders.

I became aware of his initial effort to clean up our old stomping grounds when he posted some photos of the progress to his Facebook page. Ninety-five people reacted to his post, and several Facebook users commented to show their support for his valiant efforts.

One commenter said, "I was there like 2 weeks ago. It was neglected."

To which Tyson replied: "…Yea it was pretty run down when I first got there. Lots of sweeping was necessary to get it skateable again."

Another comment was: "Holy crap!!! Blast from the past, you're awesomeeeee."

Movies and television have often demonized people involved in the skateboarding community. I’ve seen plenty of teenagers, myself included, kicked out of desolate concrete areas simply for being there at all.

Those little random spots with interesting ramps and jumps are far too enticing to leave empty, especially when the skate parks in town are small and don't really live up to the standards of adventurous and experienced skateboarders like my buddy Tyson.

In closing, I would like to thank Tyson for taking it upon himself to clean up one of the many neglected areas in Lubbock and for reminding so many of us of its existence. I hope in the future Lubbock will take it upon themselves to embrace the counter culture that is often ignored and build a bigger skate park for everyone to enjoy.