Molenaar Skatepark in Southwest Boise became Boise’s fourth skatepark when it opened last week, and added another feature to the exciting local scene.
“We’re super fortunate in Boise to have this wild skate history and skate scene that a lot of people don’t realize,” Lucas Erlebach of Push and Pour and the Boise Skateboard Association told City Cast Boise. “There’s a lot of multi-generational skaters that are still here supporting skating, pushing skating forward in Boise, and that’s why people are finally just now catching on that ‘holy cow, the skate scene in Boise is growing.’ And it’s always been there.”
The new skate park was designed and built by Grindline Skateparks, a staple name in the community for their parks all over the U.S, including Rhodes Skate Park in downtown Boise.
However, Molenaar provides not only an option in an area of town that previously didn’t have any parks close by, but also provides more beginner-friendly features than others, like Rhodes.
“We already have Rhodes Skate Park, that thing is kind of a show pony, that thing is crazy,” Erlebach said. “They’ve had the X Games [qualifying event] there. The obstacles are big enough for your average person to be able to watch something spectacular happen, like in a bowl, where people are going to fly ten feet in the air.”
Boise is also mourning the loss of 16-year-old Jadin “Bird” Zurawski, who was killed when he was struck by a vehicle while skating in a crosswalk last week. There’s a GoFundMe raising money for the family, which has already far surpassed the $10,000 goal.
