Skate park now open

Alicia Robinson

With no fanfare but the sound of urethane wheels gliding on smooth

concrete, Costa Mesa’s skateboard park opened Wednesday morning at

TeWinkle Park.

Called the Volcom Skate Park of Costa Mesa, the park has been

several years in the planning stages. Supporters had to navigate some

rough patches -- neighbors complained about the location at the

corner of Arlington and Junipero drives, and dog owners who use the

adjacent Bark Park wanted the space to expand the dog park.

But the City Council finally agreed to spend about $1 million to

build the 15,000-square-foot park, and local skaters have been

chomping at the bit ever since.

“It was like the main thing that I was waiting for over the

summer,” said 9-year-old Daniel Segerblom, who lives nearby. “It’s

probably the best park I’ve been to.”

The 30 or so skateboarders using the park on its opening day

ranged in age from under 10 to well past 30.

The park wasn’t full, but skaters said once word gets out, it will

be.

Kim Kenney, one of two girls using the park Wednesday, said she

hurried over from work to skate because later, “I think it’ll be

packed.”

The 31-year-old has skated parks from Los Angeles to San Diego,

but she likes Costa Mesa’s park because it has a deep bowl, it has

lighting, and it’s free. She lives in Dana Point, but she works as an

accessories designer at Volcom.

“That’s how I got permission to leave work today,” she said,

grinning.

Volcom, a Costa Mesa-based skate-wear company, in April signed a

10-year, $300,000 sponsorship deal with the city that will basically

cover the city’s costs to run the park.

In exchange, Volcom gets its name and logo on the park and will

hold a few events there each year.

The city will hold a grand opening and dedication for the park in

August. Officials chose an unannounced “soft opening” for this week,

because they wanted local skaters to get first crack at the park,

city recreation manager Jana Ransom said.

There were some problems with people skating the park before it

was officially open, so police put up a camera and issued trespassing

citations, Ransom said.

The park will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, and the city

will install a light tripped by a motion sensor in case people are

tempted to use the park after hours. The light will alert law

enforcement patrols that someone is in the park.

“Our thinking is that it’s a safety issue for us,” Ransom said.

Of all the skaters who have yearned for a local park, Jim Gray has

probably waited the longest. Gray, 42, lobbied for a park for several

years, urging skaters to write letters, send e-mails and attend City

Council meetings to show their support -- and he ultimately helped

design the park.

“It’s cool to see kids rolling in the city limits on concrete,”

Gray said. “I think the first time a mayor in Costa Mesa promised a

skate park was something like 12 years ago.”

Wednesday’s skate park opening was a victory for skaters, but Gray

isn’t finished yet. His daughter and two sons also skate, and he’s

vowed to create more places for them to practice their sport.

City Councilwoman Katrina Foley, who sported a trucker hat and

tiny video camera while watching her sons skate, agreed that the city

needs more skate parks.

“It’s so far just a great amenity,” she said. “We need to work on

the next one.”