The Lathrop Generations Center Skate Park was ground zero for bike tricksters on Saturday afternoon.

So Juan Zuniga and his contingent that came from Modesto decided to head to the recently renovated 7th Street Skate Park to see if they could get some riding time of their own in. 

And they got it. 

With a separate group that came to Lathrop from Stockton also trying out the pre-fabricated features that were added to replace the old wooden ramps and structures that required constant upkeep and maintenance by city crews, Zuniga said that with only a few additions to the park would be a smash hit. 

“Maybe a few more rails and a little bit more flow but it’s good for street riders,” said Zuniga – who expressed that the “flow” riding style of Modesto’s Beyer Park skate park wasn’t quite what he and his friends were into. “Maybe if there was a little bowl our here or something, but it’s a good park.”

Ricky Harris made the trip to Lathrop from Stockton to see the event over at the Generations Center, but finding time to actually ride the park was next to impossible with the crowd that had gathered at the state-of-the-art facility that routinely draws out-of-towners like him. 

Hitting up the recently completed 7th Street spot for the same reasons as Zuniga gave him a chance to try the pre-fab ramps and rails and boxes and do so with friends. 

“This is a nice park – it has some cool stuff,” Harris said. “The other park is nice but it’s not really our style. If we’re going to come out here to ride – we usually make a trip once-a-month – we want something that caters to us.”

The old 7th Street Skate Park, which was Lathrop’s first, was condemned by the city after the completion of the new concrete park at the Lathrop Generations Center. The old treated wood sections required constant maintenance by city crews and were at one time completely destroyed by vandals – shuttering the park for a period of time before being replaced. 

But the city didn’t want to completely take away the option for skateboarding and riding for those who live on the east side the I-5 corridor. 

With the council’s blessing, the city opted to take out all of the existing structures and replace them with pre-fabricated obstacles and ramps that can be removed and expanded upon much easier than a permanently poured concrete park. 

“It’s much better than the park that used to be out here,” said Lathrop resident Sergio Montes. “It’s good that they wanted to keep this available for the people who live near here. All of my friends like to come down here, and a lot more people are learning about it now too.”

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.