WATSONVILLE — Santa Cruz County is well-known for its plethora of surfers, but its street-based cousin of skateboarding is also very popular.
Skaters weaving through suburban roadways and downhill, possibly even attempting to do tricks midair, are a common sight throughout the county, and they even have their fair share of skate parks to flip, grind and ollie in peace. However, many of these parks are situated in the northern and central parts of the county, with Ramsay Park in Watsonville having the only dedicated skate park in South County.
But that will change soon. Through the efforts of County Park Friends and the Richard Novak Foundation, a new skate park will open up at Pinto Lake County Park. The new 8,000-square-foot park, outside the main entrance, will feature slopes, rails, ramps and stairs for skaters of all ages to do tricks and get a rush of energy. Plans for the park were unveiled in a short ceremony on the future project site Wednesday.
County Supervisor Zach Friend said the project started through a conversation he’d had with Richard Novak, the local skateboarding legend who, along with Doug Haut and Jay Shuirman, helped found the iconic skating company Santa Cruz Surfboards. Friend worked with Novak on establishing the Seacliff Skatepark in Aptos, which has been very successful, and discussed how to expand the access to skating even further.
“The first thing I said was, ‘We need more options in South County,'” he said. “This is an area that really does not have the resources of parks, the resources of outdoor access and the resources of youth that many other areas in the community do, and Rich said, ‘Let’s build it.'”
Friend said the opening of the park will be “transformational for South County youth.”
“For generations to come, they’re gonna have an opportunity for a world-class skate feature right here at a county park close to their home,” he said.
Santa Cruz County Parks Director Jeff Gaffney said the park will provide a need for South County.
“Ramsay’s got a little bit more advanced area, and there’s beginner stuff around here, but this is like that perfect place where a lot of people are going to find a great place to skate and it’s also a gateway into this amazing park that has so many other features to it,” he said.
Francisco Estrada, member of the Friends of Watsonville Parks and Community Services Board and former Watsonville mayor, said he played soccer at Pinto Lake Park from when he was 8 years old until he retired from the sport two years ago, and is looking forward to seeing the park expand with more amenities.
“We have some of the best skaters in the county, and they need more room to practice to get better, to really represent California and Santa Cruz throughout the world,” he said.
Novak said he and his team would be glad to open up even more skate parks.
“Let’s work further and do more and get kids skating,” he said. “It’s a fun sport.”