Rare Video Shows Teen Skating Down Lake Charles I-210 Bridge in 1971
[KNGT-FM] - Mark this down as something NOT to do with your free time. If you live in Southwest Louisiana, you are likely familiar with the I-210 bridge in South Lake Charles.
The bridge was built in 1962 as a bypass to Interstate I-10's Calcasieu River Bridge. The bridge was built to provide locals living in South Lake Charles and farther south a route to get where they needed to go without going through the city off of I-10.
Did you know that the bridge actually has a name other than the I-210 Bridge? It is actually called the Israel LaFleur Bridge. From Sulphur, you make a steep climb straight up the bridge before the bridge makes a turn to the left, landing you in Lake Charles.
From Lake Charles, you start on the bridge, taking the curve, which turns you toward the right to the top of the bridge, and then you go straight down at the top part of the bridge. The bridge stands over 140 feet high and is 1.6 miles long.
Read More: See the Future Lake Charles I-10 Bridge: New Videos Show What’s Coming
Read More: Lake Charles’ I-210 Israel LaFleur Bridge
So with that being said, who in their right mind would want to skateboard down the bridge? Well, a 17-year-old did back in 1971, and it was all caught on video. The then-teenager, now adult, posted the video on YouTube back in 2014, and we just found a copy.
The post was made by Flash Demarie, and he said in his post on YouTube,
During the Summer of 1971 I was 17 years old, and on my way to Galveston, TX on a Sunday morning at 7:00 I had a dare that I wouldn't skateboard down the I-210 bridge, and so I took that dare and 57 seconds and 52 miles an hour later, I was at the bottom of the bridge, and then I went back up and did the other side, too. This video was the original run, and after this I did it over 10 more times.
How crazy is that? He did it 10 more times after filming the first run down the bridge? Ready to see him take a ride down the bridge? Check this out.
Mr. Demarie also made a disclaimer about this video, saying,
DISCLAIMER: GREG DEMARIE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURY (OR LOSS OF PROPERTY) TO ANY PERSON SUFFERED WHILE PLAYING, PRACTICING, OR IN ANY OTHER WAY USING THE I-210 BRIDGE OR ANY OTHER STRUCTURE OR ROADWAY TO CHALLENGE THIS VIDEO FOR ANY REASON WHATSOEVER.
We echo Mr. Demarie's disclaimer, and we would say don't try this ever.
Lake Charles Today