Story/Photography By: Shanice Hernandez

El Paso may not seem like a skateboarding capital, but in 2010, Thrasher Magazine named it “Skate Town of the Year.” This recognition is tied to the efforts of local skaters like Jaime Favela, who has significantly shaped the city’s skate spots.

A lifelong skater and builder, Favela has spent decades transforming raw concrete into skateable terrain. He has worked with the El Paso Skatepark Association on various projects, discovered iconic spots like “The Wave,” and even poured a concrete skate pool in his own backyard. His influence is evident in both the culture and the concrete, making him a key figure in El Paso’s skateboarding scene.

“I can remember almost to the minute when I first saw skateboarding,” Favela recalls, gazing at the ceiling with a smile. “It was the fall of ’74, and I was playing football with the T-Birds of the Optimus League. This guy started cruising around me, and from that moment on,  it was needle in the arm, I was hooked.” He was just 15 years old.

Now, as we sit in his skate office surrounded by signed boards from legends like Bones Brigade alum, Christian Hosoi, Favela shares stories that extend from famous comedians to Grammy-winning musicians. “I’ve got stories about stories,” he laughs.

One of his favorites recounts an impromptu barbecue with friends. A few years ago, Favela’s friend, Angelo, suggested that they host a gathering for a mutual friend visiting from San Diego. Although hesitant about the state of his yard, Favela agreed after Angelo promised to help clean up. Among the helpers was one man who approached Favela, ”He said, ‘My name is Ben, nice to meet you, how can I help?’ I said, ‘You can go pull out those weeds over there.’” After asking him about skating and his next destination, Dallas, Favela was surprised by his response, “Oh, I’m not going there to skate, I’m in a band and on tour.” “Oh yeah, what band?” Favela asked. “Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals,” Ben replied. Favela, an avid fan, recalls pulling Harper into the shop and into the light, exclaiming, “You’re Ben Harper?!” He laughs, recalling the moment with excitement.

In the late 1970s, Earth Surf, a concrete skate park, opened but was forced to close in the early 1980s due to high insurance costs. “You can’t charge to skate,” Favela explained. After Earth Surf’s closure, skaters had to make do with stormwater drainage and makeshift setups, as the city’s steel ramps were less than ideal. “There’s nothing like skating concrete. Urethane [wheels] perform best on concrete,” Favela asserts.

After exhausting himself cleaning pools around the city, Favela set out to build a skate pool of his own, known as The Huevo. In the documentary “True El Paso story “The Huevo,” viewers can appreciate Favela’s innovative design, which allows for the efficient construction of a smooth pool wall.

Jaime’s signature motto, “Behave yourself or get out!” welcomes guests who visit his backyard.

Jaime’s handmade guide shaped clean transitions for the Huevo’s concrete pour.

Today, The Huevo is recognized nationally as a premier skate destination. “The Huevo is the first backyard pool of its kind in Texas,” Favela proudly states. Built entirely by a group of skaters, the pool also benefited from the expertise of Mark “Monk” Hubbard, a skateboarder and contractor known for his work on the famous Burnside Skatepark in Portland, Oregon.

Initially, Favela was shy about being called a legend by locals. “It’s humbling that I’m being recognized with skateboarders and their names,” he says. Favela credits Paul Zimmerman for helping put El Paso on the skateboarding map. Their paths crossed during Favela’s early years at the park. Years later, Zimmerman reached out to Favela after hearing he was building the Huevo and wanted to lend a hand.

As they collaborated, Favela and Zimmerman laid the groundwork for El Paso’s skate culture. “Around 2000, when we first started building the Huevo, we got the ball rolling with the Skate Park Association of El Paso,” Favela recalls. With Zimmerman’s organizational skills, they created a presentation for the city detailing what a real skatepark should look like. Together with Dr. Bill Robinson, Favela and Zimmerman co-founded the El Paso Skatepark Association. What began as a mission to stop the city from wasting money on poorly designed ramps quickly evolved into a movement. At the time, city workers assigned to park projects had no skating experience, which often left the parks impractical or underused. “If you want something done right, you need the help of subject matter experts,” Favela says, emphasizing the importance of skaters shaping their own spaces.

Jaime Favela relaxes in his favorite spot in “The Huevo” yard.

One of the first projects the Skatepark Association undertook with the city was the Rio Valley Skatepark. The city allowed them to use the top section of a storm drain, which needed to channel stormwater into a central pond. Zimmerman designed a snake run that served both purposes.

“The most iconic spot we worked on was with El Paso Water,” Favela explains. El Paso’s environment is all stormwater, and flash flooding is a problem. We said we would help build something safe and accessible. If they’re going to drop money on all of this concrete, then make the bottom of it skatable. They were concerned about the bottom collecting trash and the city needing to clean it up, but we told them, if we build a skateable spot, skaters will clean it up for them.”

As Favela reflects on his skateboarding journey, he muses about what his board would say about him. “It would tell you I’ve been to a ton of places …. I’ve met industry tops and pros that are my bros now, and I’ve met some of the best people of my life because of skateboarding,” he says with humility.

Energy in motion: Jehce skates the Huevo while Jaime and Jazzy look on.

His first memorable skate session was with a friend, Angel, at Mission Hills Park. They saw a group of guys skating the park, and rather than approaching with a feeling of excitement for making new friends, Favela and his friend were met with another feeling: “That first session was more of a feeling of ‘am I going to be accepted, rather than making new friends?’” Favela recalls. He realized that to skate at the park, he needed to put himself out there. “In skateboarding, the way to be accepted is to show what you’ve got.”

A wooden “Jaime,” cut and built by hand, sits in his office.

Favela’s experiences reflect broader life lessons: to prove oneself and earn a place, to be creative. Through skateboarding, he has learned resilience and the importance of community, lessons that resonate well beyond the skatepark. The most important lesson learned: to get back up after a fall.