NEW YORK CITY (PIX 11) — The legendary Back to the Banks skateboard contest returned Saturday in Lower Manhattan, drawing skaters from across the tristate area to show off their tricks and celebrate a piece of New York City’s skate history.

The event took place at the Brooklyn Bridge Plaza, located beneath the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge.

The iconic site helped define the city’s skate culture for decades before closing in 2010 for construction. Steve Rodriguez, co-founder of the nonprofit Gotham Park, has been skating at Brooklyn Bank since the ‘80s and was instrumental in working with the city to reopen the site this summer.

“We all got together and approached the city to figure it out and [the Department of Transportation] heard us,” Rodriguez said. “They heard our voice and

See Full Page