Legendary DIY Skatepark Celebrates 25 Years with Skate Jam

Last Saturday, the legendary DIY spot Washington Street celebrated 25 years by holding a skateboarding contest.

Best of "25 Years of Washington St DIY" Video / ThrasherMagazine

Last Saturday, the legendary DIY spot Washington Street celebrated 25 years by holding a skateboarding contest. It also included extra festivities such as live music and a best trick contest with a $7,000 prize purse. The locals also built extensions to the park for the contest—mainly, a large transition extension added to a more mellow side of the park, really adding to the action.

The three main obstacles skated in the jam were huge. In true Washington street fashion, all three obstacles required huge speed if one was to do anything to them. This led to many slams and crazy makes, with the crowd reacting to each make or hard fall. The curved hip rail and the over vert were a playing ground for seemingly death-defying stunts, which resulted in ridiculous makes and bone-rattling falls. My personal favorite trick was Jhancarlos Gonzalez's nose blunt shove out on the rail and recovery after landing the shove in transition. The jam captured Washington Street's 25 years of history very well.

⚔️ Hericles at Washington Street at Washington Street's “25 Years of Terror” jam.
🎥 Kenny pic.twitter.com/AORDDxcPDH

— Powell-Peralta (@PowellPeralta) August 12, 2024

From being just a spot under the bridge where locals skated, for 25 years, they have built the place to be highly regarded as one of the most extreme skateparks in the world. Its size and difficulty have long since made the park a destination for transition skaters worldwide. This was evident in the jam, where two add-ons were erected to be large and challenging, keeping with the park's ethos. The jam doesn't just celebrate the time passed; it's a triumph that this DIY has stood the test of time.

Any DIY skater can tell you that their creation's life expectancy is unpredictable and often gets snatched from the skaters in the blink of an eye. While the city of San Diego has tried time and again over the years to shut down Washington Street due to its extreme and difficult nature, skateboarding has had its back and has waged long wars with the city to end in the DIY staying eventually. While this DIY is safe now, the rigid code these skaters lived under to keep their park running is still worthy of respect. If you ever stop by Washington Street, respect the skaters and leave the park cleaner than when you arrived.