DIY Paisano Park

One shovel, one bag of cement, one rock at time…skatepark building ain’t mo hardcore than the scene at DIY Paisano Park – the brainchild and passion project of longtime El Paso skater/builder Phil Sullivan.

“It’s very raw and very rough, but it shows the essence of the DIY spirit,” Sullivan said in 2020 news story on KFOX-TV.

Since 2019, nearly 40 balls-to-the-wall work sessions have gone down at this under-the-bridge locale, located a stones throw from an El Paso’s iconic over-vert ditch spot called “The Hook.”

The key to this DIY? It’s under a bridge – protected from weather elements, like the scorching El Paso sun.

“In the summer, when it gets to 100, 110 degrees, it gets pretty rough to skate at the other parks and they’re all empty during the day,” said Sullivan.

DIY Paisano Park is strategically situated on an empty, neglected piece of land that nobody knew or cared about, but the build was officially shut down and fenced by TxDOT in February 2020.

Yet the project ain’t dead yet! Sullivan has been working with El Paso City officials to address liability concerns and complete the project – licensed, bonded an insured, while maintaining that DIY spirit.

“To us we see it as an art project to leave for the future of skateboarding.”

Nearby business owners told KFOX-TV they’re rooting for Paisano Park because of the change it’s brought to their neighborhood.

“Before the park started there it was full of trash, lot of needles,” said Ivan Sanchez. “Now that they started doing this, it cleared out. It’s nothing but positive.”

For more, check out @philtch on Instagram.