A new skatepark dropping into the City of Orange ignites excitement among Chapman skateboarders
Chapman skateboarders have high hopes as to how the new skatepark could impact the skating community in Orange. Photo by JACK SUNDBLAD, Staff Photographer
A new skatepark is coming to the Grijalva Park Sports Center in Orange. On Nov. 22, the City of Orange announced the new concrete skatepark project, designed by Grindline Skateparks. This project is in the design phase, but has been anticipated by the community.
Chapman Skate Club founders Aidan Decremer and Caleb Lachelt shared their thoughts on the new skatepark coming to Orange and the city’s skating scene.
Lachelt, the club’s president and a senior with a self-designed major that combines aspects of sociology, environmental studies and photography, used to frequent Ponderosa Skatepark before his shoulder injury due to its close proximity to Chapman.
He mentioned that every skatepark he goes to in the area is super crowded and teeming with talent.
Decremer is a senior communication studies major who typically skates at Manzanita Skatepark in Anaheim.
Decremer is “pretty stoked” about the new park and thinks it’s “really huge for the community.”
Lachelt thinks the upcoming skatepark will “strengthen” the current skate scene in Orange.
“Maybe people who kind of gave it up because it was too much trouble to skateboard, it would revive their interest in it because it's more accessible,” Lachelt said. “It would probably introduce it to new people, like in that neighborhood and in the surrounding community. So, I think it would bring more people to the sport, at least in Orange, for sure.”
Both Decremer and Lachelt agree that Orange has a young skating scene that includes a plethora of new skaters.
The City of Orange posted a survey community members can fill out to contribute their ideas for the skatepark’s design. Survey participants are asked about the amenities and specific features they’d like the park to include. The survey closed on Dec. 12.
The skate features are separated into street and transition categories. Street skating focuses on performing tricks using things found in the community, like curbs, stairs, rails, etc. Transition skating, also known as “vert skating,” involves vertical ramps such as bowls, quarterpipes, snake runs, etc.
Decremer and Lachelt completed the survey and offered their design preferences.
“I would love a great mix of transition and street. For me, I’m pretty focused on transition, but I love to do everything. And, I think kids nowadays are exposed to all sorts of different types of skating. So, I think having both opportunities to practice different types is good to have.”
He would love for the Grijalva Park to include an empty pool for skaters to drop into.
Lachelt also believes that the park should include features for both street and transition skaters.
“I think for street, it's important to have a flat bar and a ledge, of course,” Lachelt said. “And then if you could do that on an incline or connected to a ramp either at the ending or the beginning — preferably the beginning — I think those are staples. And then for transition, I thought it'd be cool to kind of include transition on the outskirts so it keeps the park flowy, so quarter pipes surrounding it. I (also) really like small half pipes, and I think that's really good for beginners to learn on. I feel like skate parks normally don't have that.”
Lachelt is from Colorado and was drawn to Chapman because of the area’s rich skateboarding history.
Currently, Chapman’s Skate Club meets every Friday at 4 p.m. to skate in front of Beckman, which will continue next semester.
“It's been a great way to see familiar faces coming out more and more,” Decremer said. “Just starting that growth in the community and to see people improve, it's a great thing.”
He wants the club and Chapman’s skating community to take advantage of the skatepark once it’s complete.
“I just think coming here as a freshman during COVID-19 with little friends — hard to meet new people — I think skateboarding really helped me get out of my shell. And not only learn the area just by skating around and seeing what’s out there, but (also) meet cool characters and start building that funny community.”
Lachelt hopes the new skatepark will reverse the stigma surrounding skaters, such as assumptions that they do drugs and engage in disruptive behaviors.
“Some of the nicest, most inclusive, most non-judgmental people I've met are skateboarders,” Lachelt said. “And my main group of friends that skateboard are straight-edge, meaning they don't do any drugs or alcohol or anything. And I just feel like it's not even really correlated at all. I hope the general public’s perception shifts a little bit just to see it as another really cool sport.”
“Some of the nicest, most inclusive, most non-judgmental people I’ve met are skateboarders. And my main group of friends that skateboard are straight-edge, meaning they don’t do any drugs or alcohol or anything. And I just feel like it’s not even really correlated at all. I hope the general public’s perception shifts a little bit just to see it as another really cool sport.”
Lachelt continued: “And also just more generally, I hope it's more appreciated because just going out and doing something active is just undeniably amazing for your physical and mental health, and it also teaches you so many great lessons — just that you have to fall and keep going. And also, if you want to be good at something, you just have to start going out and doing it, practicing it and you can make whatever you want to happen, happen. You just have to start and do it every day. I think that's really applicable for normal life.”
A community input meeting took place on Dec. 13 at the Grijalva Park Sports Center, where attendees had the opportunity to learn more about the project, meet the Grindline designers and contribute their own design ideas.
To receive updates on the skatepark project, the City of Orange recommends emailing csinfo@cityoforange.org.
