Etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest (stylized as etnies Skatepark) is a public

skatepark A skatepark, or skate park, is a purpose-built recreational environment made for skateboarding, BMX, scootering, wheelchairs, and aggressive inline skating. A skatepark may contain half-pipes, handrails, funboxes, vert ramps, stairsets, q ...

located in

Lake Forest, California Lake Forest is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 85,858 at the 2020 census. Lake Forest incorporated as a city on December 20, 1991. Prior to incorporation, the community had been known as El Toro. Following a vote in 20 ...

, United States. It is the largest free skatepark in the state, with an area of over . The skatepark is owned and operated by the City of Lake Forest. The skatepark provides free identification cards for residents of Lake Forest and

Foothill Ranch Foothill Ranch is a master planned community in Orange County, California, United States. The population was 10,899 at the 2000 census. Foothill Ranch was incorporated into the city of Lake Forest, California, in 2000. Prior to that, it was a ce ...

, while a $15 fee is required for non-residents in exchange for the

identification card An identity document (also called ID or colloquially as papers) is any document that may be used to prove a person's identity. If issued in a small, standard credit card size form, it is usually called an identity card (IC, ID card, citizen ca ...

. Helmets,

knee In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two joints: one between the femur and tibia (tibiofemoral joint), and one between the femur and patella (patellofemoral joint). It is the largest joint in the hu ...

and

elbow pads Elbow pads are protective padded gear worn on the elbows to protect them against injury during a fall or a strike. Elbow pads are worn by many athletes, especially hockey players, cyclists, roller skaters, skateboarders, volleyball players, sk ...

are required for all users. Spectators, with the exception of permitted photographers, are not allowed inside the park.

History

etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest opened on December 13, 2003. The skatepark is a joint venture between the city of Lake Forest and

etnies Etnies (stylized as etnies) is a footwear brand based in Lake Forest, California, United States, and is owned by Sole Technology, Inc. As of 2013, the company sponsors professional skateboarders and BMX riders, LAB more and releases signature ...

. The park was designed by

SITE Design Group SITE Design Group is a consulting firm specializing in landscape architecture, urban planning and skateparks. Based in Solana Beach, California, the firm operates worldwide and has overseen the creation of over 100 parks. Work *Etnies Skatepa ...

, a consulting firm specializing in urban design. In 2009 it was announced that an expansion would be made to the skatepark to increase the size by roughly , making it one of the largest skateparks in the country and the largest in California. The expansion's estimated cost was $632,500 and was expected to be completed by January 2011. The newly expanded park was marked by a ceremony on August 20, 2011, several months behind the expected date. In August 2010, ''OC Parenting Magazine'' named Etnies the best skatepark of the year, its fourth consecutive win. Etnies skatepark has appeared in

video games Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...

such as

Skate 2 ''Skate 2'' is a skateboarding video game developed by EA Black Box and published by Electronic Arts. The game was released worldwide in January 2009 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 after the spin-off title ''Skate It''. It is the sequel to 2007's ...

Events

Events at the skatepark include

summer camp A summer camp or sleepaway camp is a supervised program for children conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as ''campers''. Summer school is usually a part of the academ ...

s, movie screenings, film camps, skateboard camps, overnight camp outs, private lessons and

skateboarding Skateboarding is an extreme sport, action sport originating in the United States that involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry Profession, job, and a ...

classes. The skatepark's programming, fundraising, events, and operations are managed by Scott Stewart. In May 2010, etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest, along with professional skateboarder

Ryan Sheckler Ryan Allen Sheckler (born December 30, 1989) is an American professional skateboarder and entrepreneur, and was the star of the MTV-produced reality television series ''Life of Ryan.'' He also starred in four seasons of the short-format video ser ...

, hosted a contest in which proceeds went to benefit the

Make-A-Wish Foundation The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in the United States that helps fulfill the wishes of children with a critical illness between the ages of and 18 years old. Make-A-Wish was founded in 1980 and headqua ...

. In July 2010, the park hosted the 6th annual Riverbed Cleanup and Environmental Awareness event, resulting in the removal of of debris, including trash and dirt, from nearby

Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park is a public regional park in southern Orange County, California. Whiting Ranch features riparian, oak woodland, grassland, chaparral, and coastal sage scrub environments throughout various canyons and hillscapes. Th ...

and

California State Route 241 State Route 241 (SR 241) is a state highway in Orange County, California that is a toll road for its entire length. Its southern half from near Las Flores to near Irvine is the Foothill Transportation Corridor, while its northern half to SR& ...

. Other participants included

Home Depot The Home Depot, Inc., is an American multinational corporation, multinational home improvement retail corporation that sells tools, construction products, appliances, and services, including fuel and transportation rentals. Home Depot is the l ...

and the

Boy Scouts Boy Scouts may refer to: * Boy Scout, a participant in the Boy Scout Movement. * Scouting, also known as the Boy Scout Movement. * An organisation in the Scouting Movement, although many of these organizations also have female members. There are ...

. The

National Scholastic Skating League National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

holds competitions at the park for middle school and high school skateboarding teams.

References

{{reflist

External links

Official website
Skateparks in the United States Lake Forest, California Parks in Orange County, California Municipal parks in California