IRMO, S.C. — A new skate park in Irmo has been in the making since January 2021. Now, community members are reaping the benefits.
For over three years, community advocates have been working to get this skate park in Irmo up and running. Now, it finally is.
Locals like Mallie Homeyer are loving it.
"This park just gives me a lot more places to go for skateboarding and it's my favorite one so far," 11-year-old skater Homeyer said.
Joshua Robinson has been teaching Homeyer skateboarding lessons for the past year. This new skate park is giving them a more consistent place to drop in.
"Almost, you need more speed," Robinson said to Homeyer. "Remember your turn late. Late turns to get on the coping."
"You fall and you have to get up, but he's teaching her the physics of it, like you have to go a certain speed for this trick to happen," Ben Homeyer, Mallie's dad, said.
Just as Mallie continues to get up after falling, Joshua continues to advocate for the skateboarding community.
"We would like to see more skate parks pop up and we do believe as big as Columbia is, there should be a skate park in every corner of Columbia and all it really takes is someone that's willing to advocate for it," Robinson said.
According to community advocates for this skate park, lighting will be installed in September, and at that point, the skate park will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. like the rest of the town parks.