A new $3.5 million skatepark is slated to be built in San Juan Capistrano, a project that’s been in the works for several years and a wish from residents for even longer.
The 20,000-square-foot skatepark will connect to a neighboring multi-use trail and include three bowls of varying depths as well as a large street plaza that includes banks, hips, handrails, stairs and flat rails. The new park, said Mayor Sergio Fabias, could provide “an opportunity for kids to become Olympians or athletes.”
The City Council’s approval of the new skatepark earlier this month marks another significant addition to Orange County’s extensive skateboarding scene. With this decision, San Juan Capistrano becomes the 24th city in the county to incorporate a skatepark into its recreational facilities.
More than just a sport, skateboarding has become a lifestyle in Orange County. From professional tournaments and competitions to the simple joy of cruising down the sidewalk, skateboarding has firmly established itself as a cultural icon in the county.
Orange County’s skateboarding roots
The roots of skateboarding in Orange County trace back to the 1960s and ’70s, a pivotal era when the concrete bowls competed with the ocean waves.
“We were the weirdos,” said Terry Downs, a longtime local skateboarding enthusiast.
Growing up in Irvine in the ’70s and ’80s, Downs fell in love with skateboarding, initially, with just a simple wooden board made by his father. He went on to compete in tournaments around Southern California and was sponsored by Sessions Skateshop in Tustin.
When he first started skating in the early ’70s, parks were not “a thing,” Downs said. Most people who picked up the sport would skate around parking lots, drainage pipes, empty swimming pools — any place that could remotely become a decent ride.
But late into the ’70s and the start of the ’80s, skateboarding began to look a little different.
“At this point, skateboarding shifted…
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