by Hanna Singh
The City of Ruston celebrated the groundbreaking of a recreational upgrade Tuesday with the addition of the soon-to-be Ruston Skatepark, a park where skaters of Lincoln Parish will have an official place to practice and enjoy their craft.
While many resourceful skaters in Ruston have spent previous years skating at a DIY skatepark, the community has long pushed for an official town skatepark for permanent use. For 11 years, the project lay underway while it faced setbacks like hurricanes, severe weather and even the pandemic.
Despite the delays, Mayor Ronny Walker worked with the skateboarding community to bring the project to life. Through collaboration will many local businesses and donors, the new Skatepark will soon serve the Lincoln Parish community for years to come.
“We’ve always been committed to the project,” said Walker. “It has definitely taken longer than expected, but I think it is fair and accurate to say that we needed each other to make the dream come true and now, here we are in the home stretch, and this is going to be a really special place for people of all ages and skating abilities.”
City of Ruston Parks and Recreation Director Matt Cotton highlighted the specific ways that the new park will benefit Ruston.
“This skate park is going to accomplish three things: it’s going to bring people together, it’s going to promote a healthy lifestyle, and it’s going to strengthen our community,” Cotton said. “It’s a great time for the City of Ruston; we’re being led by a great mayor and a great city council. We’re creating great community partnerships like the ‘Friends of the Skatepark’ here. We’re very excited to add another great park to this already amazing city.”
The skatepark, currently under construction, is set to open this year. The park will offer a permanent place of practice and recreation to both youth and adult skaters. After many years of dedication to the skateboarding community, local skater and marketing intern Caden French is excited to see the opportunities that a real skatepark will offer his group.
“I think it will benefit the community because we don’t currently have a lot of representation for skateboarders. It’s a huge deal for us,” French said. “I think it will excite the youth about skateboarding, which brings more money into skateboarding and allows us to have more stuff like this. I’ve helped with the DIY skatepark in Ruston, and we have already put so much effort into that. With this new park, it’s going to feel like we’re really recognized and that the city really cares about this small part of the community.”
The massive project took investments from many programs across the parish, including a $1 million investment from the City of Ruston, a $100,000 contribution from the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, a $50,000 grant from T-Mobile Hometown and many more donations from local businesses and residents of Lincoln Parish. In addition, the Friends of Ruston Skatepark committee raised over $250,000 to add to the Skatepark funding.
Local Artist and Louisiana Tech Professor, Joey Slaughter and his wife, Century Next Bank Engagement & Marketing Officer, Jessica Slaughter, have long supported the idea of the skatepark. Through involvement in the skating community, the couple has helped bring the skatepark groundbreaking to fruition. Slaughter emphasized how the new park will do more than just offer a space to skate.
“Ruston Skatepark will offer a new gathering space for our community. It will offer a place for kids to connect who might not play team sports,” Slaughter said. “It will offer a place for athleticism and creativity. It will be a place for goal setting and hard work. The groundbreaking today was a special moment in the story of Ruston Skatepark. It was evidence of a special collaboration between the city and the community to build a unique space that will serve residents and visitors from a 150-mile radius.”
Walker said that at completion, the City will have invested approximately $1 million, with the balance of $250,000 coming from the Friends campaign, which secured a $100,000 contribution from the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau’s “Experience Ruston program, a $15,000 donation from L.J. Haddix and Son, $10,000 donations from Century Next Bank, local business WRLDINVSN, and Trotter and Nancy Hunt, and a $5,000 donation from Jeanette and Justin Hinckley.
Working in partnership with the City, Friends also helped Ruston secure a $10,000 Skatepark Project grant (formerly known as the Tony Hawk Foundation) and a $10,000 Jonesboro State Bank Pledge 10 grant. The City also received a $50,000 T-Mobile Hometown grant.
With construction well underway, the groundbreaking should soon be followed by a ribbon cutting. The Skatepark brings a new vision for Ruston, where all new kinds of recreational opportunities can shine.
Keep an eye out for updates on the Ruston Skatepark through the Summer of 2026.
