{"id":356515,"date":"2026-06-11T17:34:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T17:34:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/356515\/"},"modified":"2026-06-11T17:34:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T17:34:13","slug":"more-places-to-skate-across-orange-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/356515\/","title":{"rendered":"More Places to Skate Across Orange County"},"content":{"rendered":"

Skateboarders of all ages are getting more room to practice riding and flex their skills across Orange County as leaders look to revamp and expand public skatepark facilities.<\/p>\n

And riders who prefer scooters, bicycles and rollerskates are also getting more offerings as leaders look to make space for skaters who use other kinds of non-electric, wheeled vehicles.<\/p>\n

Skateparks in Lake Forest<\/a> and Costa Mesa<\/a> are getting major upgrades while leaders in Orange<\/a> take steps toward building a new skatepark in Grijalva Park.<\/p>\n

Leaders in Laguna Beach<\/a> and Aliso Viejo<\/a> are also considering building permanent pump tracks \u2014 similar to the facility in San Clemente<\/a> that allow bicyclists of all ages to use the looping circuit with turns, small hills and dips to build skills in balance, confidence and bike handling.<\/p>\n

[Read: Skating Across Orange County<\/a>]<\/p>\n

\"\"Scott Butts, 42, and his son Colton Butts, 4, ride the San Clemente Pump Track on Jan. 24, 2026. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC<\/p>\n

Lake Forest Etnies Skatepark Could Become Largest in California<\/p>\n

Etnies skatepark in Lake Forest is slated to become the largest skatepark in California after city council members unanimously approved the facility\u2019s final concept design at their meeting on May 5.<\/p>\n

The skatepark is set to undergo a roughly $2 million renovation to add beginner-friendly offerings and an 8,000-square-foot pump track. The pump track would expand the skatepark\u2019s footprint \u2014 it already sits at 62,000 square feet.<\/p>\n

City staff said the skatepark is currently the second largest in the Golden State. With the proposed renovations and expansion, staff said it would become the largest in California.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrowing up in the \u201880s and early \u201890s, skateboarding was pretty prevalent and highly used,\u201d Councilmember Scott Voigts said at the council\u2019s May meeting.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople were using them everywhere, but it kind of died off because of no place to go. This is going to bring back some excitement, being in that lower level introduction.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most Orange County cities have a public skatepark, but that wasn\u2019t always the case.
City leaders were reluctant to build skateparks out of concern regarding injuries, insurance liability and lawsuits. That changed when a 1997 state law<\/a> shielded municipalities from liabilities by declaring skateboarding a hazardous activity.<\/p>\n

\"\"Charlie Aeschliman, 65, dropping into a bowl at Etnies Skatepark on Aug. 12, 2023. Credit: ERIKA TAYLOR, Voice of OC.<\/p>\n

Upgrades planned to Etnies Skatepark include improvements for the main plaza, mini bowl, clover bowl and flow bowl in addition to the pump track.<\/p>\n

Councilmember Voigts uses a wheelchair and said he\u2019s excited to utilize the proposed pump track himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs someone who rides around in wheels all the time, I like the idea of taking my chair to the pump track,\u201d he said at the meeting. \u201cIt\u2019s going to be a lot of fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Recreation Manager Laura Hunter said the skatepark opened in 2003 and sees about 22,000 visitors annually.<\/p>\n

Proposed upgrades also include transitioning the park to an \u201call-wheel\u201d facility to permit people who ride bikes and scooters in addition to skateboards, rollerskates and rollerblades.<\/p>\n

\"\"Signage outside of Etnies Skatepark on Aug. 12, 2023. The skatepark is located at 20028 Lake Forest Dr. Lake Forest, CA 92630. Credit: ERIKA TAYLOR, Voice of OC.<\/p>\n

\u201c[The renovations are] about addressing needed maintenance and modernizing the park while respecting what makes it iconic,\u201d Mayor Robert Peque\u00f1o said in a video posted on Lake Forest\u2019s official YouTube channel<\/a>. \u201cStop by the skate park in person and see for yourself what makes it special.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mitch Jensen, a skateboarder and architect for Action Sports Design<\/a> \u2014 the firm that\u2019s working to design the renovations at Etnies Skatepark \u2014 explained how skateboarding has exploded in popularity over the past few decades.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the immense growth in popularity of skateboarding over the last 20 years \u2014 across all genders, all age ranges and all skill levels \u2014 and with the inclusion of skateboarding in the Olympics now, we\u2019re starting to see the need for a lot more of these intermediate and beginner features to really act as a training facility for skateboarding as a sport,\u201d he said at the Lake Forest City Council meeting in May.<\/p>\n

Costa Mesa Skatepark to Double in Size<\/p>\n

Skateboarders in Costa Mesa are also slated to get more room to ride after city council members voted unanimously to approve an expansion project that\u2019s expected to include new features like a clover pool, pump track, snake run and a quarter pipe.<\/p>\n

\"\"Skateboarders at the Volcom Skatepark of Costa Mesa on May 20, 2023. The skatepark is equipped with multiple sets of stairs, which can be a common occurrence in street skating, according to Community in Bowls. Credit: ERIKA TAYLOR, Voice of OC<\/p>\n

While the skatepark will keep its original footprint, the total square footage is expected to more than double from 15,000 square feet to 34,000 square feet.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s one of the most popular skateparks in the county,\u201d Costa Mesa Public Works Director Raja Sethuramen said during a city council meeting in April. \u201cThe project goal was to actually double the size of the skatepark, however the final design ended up with almost 19,000 square feet of expansion.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

[Read: Costa Mesa\u2019s Skatepark to Double in Size<\/a>]<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really happy this project is moving forward,\u201d Mayor John Stephens said at the meeting. \u201cI think it\u2019s going to be a great, beautiful project.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"A sign welcoming skaters to the Volcom Skatepark of Costa Mesa on May 20, 2023. Credit: ERIKA TAYLOR, Voice of OC.<\/p>\n

Orange to Get New Skatepark<\/p>\n

The City of Orange used to have a skatepark, but it\u2019s been closed for about six years, leaving skaters without any official place to skate in town.<\/p>\n

Vans Skatepark at the Orange Outlets opened in 1998 but permanently closed in 2020.<\/p>\n

Now, the city is slated to get a skatepark at Grijalva Park.<\/p>\n

City officials unanimously approved an approximately $2.5 million contract to construct the skatepark facility \u2014 expected to feature a custom concrete skate area with bowls, rails, stair sets, lighting, spectator seating, landscaping and a restroom building.\u00a0<\/p>\n

[Read: Orange Takes Steps to Open New Skatepark<\/a>]<\/p>\n

\"\"Grijalva Park in Orange on May 13, 2026. Credit: NORA GRUBE, Voice of OC<\/p>\n

\u201cA new skatepark would provide a space for the community to gather as well as offer an additional amenity for fitness and active recreation,\u201d Charlene Cheng, the Public Affairs and Information Manager for Orange, wrote in an email to Voice of OC.<\/p>\n

Several OC Cities Consider Pump Tracks\u00a0<\/p>\n

Other cities are considering building a pump track instead of a full skatepark.<\/p>\n

Officials in cities like Laguna Beach and Aliso Viejo are studying building a pump track for bicyclists and other skaters to use.<\/p>\n

[Read: Laguna Beach Considers Pump Track for Bicyclists, Skaters<\/a>]<\/p>\n

\"\"Brecken Butts, 6, rides the San Clemente Pump Track. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC<\/p>\n

San Clemente opened the county\u2019s first asphalt pump track<\/a> in April 2025 at Richard T. Steed Memorial Park, replacing a plot of dirt with an 18,000-square-foot track with a smaller section for beginners.<\/p>\n

It was funded through a collaboration among the Friends of San Clemente Beaches, the Parks & Recreation Foundation and the Orange County Mountain Bike Association. The pump track, located near a skatepark, is maintained and operated by the city.<\/p>\n

\"\"Warren Porzuczek, 3, rides the San Clemente Pump Track with his bike as his father watches him on Jan. 24, 2026. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC<\/p>\n

Samantha Wylie, beaches, parks and recreation director in San Clemente, said the pump track has been \u201cso well received\u201d locally and by some residents in neighboring cities. She said it used to be a dog park that had about 2,000 visitors each year.<\/p>\n

After the pump track opened in April 2025, it attracted approximately 23,000 visitors for the remainder of the year, Wylie said, quickly making it one of the city\u2019s most-used parks in 2025.<\/p>\n

Angelina Hicks is the Voice of OC Collegiate News Service Editor. Contact her at ahicks@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @angelinahicks13.<\/p>\n

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