POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– Skaters, city leaders, and supporters gathered to celebrate the grand opening ribbon-cutting of the new Optimist Skatepark on Friday.
The skatepark features stairs, rails, ledges, and a six-foot-deep bowl, as well as a concrete ledge feature in the shape of the State of Idaho. The park was designed by Pillar Design Studios and built by Artisan Skateparks in partnership with the Pocatello Parks and Recreation Department and local skaters who pitched in on construction.
“Skateboarding connects generations, neighborhoods, stories; it gives us a common memory, a shared past that we could build our future on,” said Darin Black, owner of Deckadence Board Shoppe in Pocatello and member of the city’s Parks and Rec Advisory Board. “This skate park is your skate park. This skate park is my skate park. This skate park is our skate park. Let’s honor it.”
Also unveiled at the ribbon-cutting ceremony was a memorial plaque honoring legendary local skater Chevy Nichols, who passed away in 2024 at the age of 17.
At the event, attended by hundreds of people, skaters shared the importance of having a new, designated place to practice their sport in the Portneuf Valley.
“It’s a good euphoric feeling,” said Dillon Jackson, a Pocatello skater who helped lay concrete during the final stages of park construction. “The whole community, and the sea of people we just seen, they all cheering because we got a park, and of course for Chevy, that was really cool, really brought a tear to my eye.”
Optimist Skatepark is located at 972 N 7th Ave in Pocatello.
