From rotting wood to solid concrete. The new park is not just more robust, it also gives much more to ride on.

NORFOLK – “Look at this turnout,” said Norfolk Mayor Josh Moenning to a crowd gathered at 901 Blaine Street. “for what is now one of the best skate parks in the midwest.”

$500,000 and five years of work has gone into giving Miracle Park its transformative new look.
“You can tell a lot about a city by looking at its skate park,” said Anthony Thompson, long-time skater rocking the mic.
“What does that say?” he asked, pointing to the new concrete structures behind him. “It says we’re rad! Norfolk is rad!”

And the mayor stands with Jacob Wagner, to christen the new spot as Norfolk Skate Park.

“Jacob was one of a group of skaters that came to the city council about five years ago and said, look, the existing skatepark’s falling to pieces, we need some help,” Moenning said.
“And I followed him out of the meeting and said, ‘let’s make it happen.’”
Mayor Moenning sees the town’s latest development as a symbol of inspiration for those who live in Norfolk.

“This gives young people hope when they see things like this come together that in their community they can make things happen,” he said.

Unfortunately, the mayor left his deck at home.
“It would not be a pretty scene if I tried,” Moenning said. “I’ll let the skaters skate it.”
From rotting wood to solid concrete. The new park is not just more robust, it also gives much more to ride on.

“Those wooden ramps, those were great. They were great fun, but their time was done and they just became dangerous,” said Ryan Rabe, a skater with decades of experience under his belt.

“Oh man. This is a dream come true.”
“It’s hard to think that it’s actually here,” said Jacob Wagner, one of first two to be able to demo the park before the ribbon cutting.
“Physically being here, and seeing it, and skating.”
Wagner has been a Miracle Park regular for 16 years. The place has been a cornerstone of his childhood. And it definitely stands out from the other parks he’s toured.
“You don’t really see a lot of bikers and skateboarders hang out,” Wagner said. “It’s usually more like ‘this is our park’ kind of thing, no bikes allowed or no skate boards allowed.”
“But here, you know, you get a lot of good friends that ride everything.”
The park may have finished its initial construction, but there’s definitely more additions to come for Norfolk’s new gnarly park.