Ramps at Morro Bay's former skate park off of Atascadero Rd. near the high school are now gone and the area is fenced off as the search for a new location begins.
“I drove down, I was as surprised as anyone and I plan on getting involved, you know, with the people who want to try and reach that goal of a real skate park in Morro Bay," said Morro Bay resident Jack Smith.
The Morro Bay skate park first went up at Coleman Park near the rock in the mid-90s. It relocated to the teen center sometime after the harbor walk project was completed in 2008. But that location now sits vacant.
Morro Bay Police Chief Amy Watkins shared at the most recent city council meeting that there have been multiple reports of “vandalism and other illegal activities” since the teen center’s closing in 2020.
She attributes the increase in complaints to a lack of adult oversight on the property.
The skate park was cleaned up on Jan. 9. Mayor Carla Wixom said pieces of it that are still usable were put into storage as the city looks for a new location.
“We are looking at surplussing that piece of property very shortly and looking at other options, potentially at city park or maybe over by the bike park somewhere,” said Mayor Wixom.
She said some local skaters want to be part of whatever comes next, even offering to DIY some of the ramps.
“A group of skaters that came and spoke with us the other night have offered to be a part of helping with that and we’re gonna take them up on that," Wixom said.
As far as next steps, Public Works Director Greg Kwolek said finding a viable location comes first. They’ll then look into funding and who would be in charge of the project.
Skateboarding has been a lifelong passion for Smith. He started skating back in 1974, owned the Morro Bay Skateboard Museum for eight years and was inducted into the Skateboard Hall of Fame in 2024.
He said the skateboarding culture has always been strong in Morro Bay.
“Kind of known throughout California. People come from all over to skate here and then in the early 2000s, the World Slalom Skateboarding Championships were held here for six years in a row," Smith said. "So Morro Bay has always had a strong skate culture from kids all the way to adults.”
Smith is hopeful a permanent location for the skate park will be found, adding that an in-ground park would be less maintenance than an above-ground location.
He encourages anyone interested in a skate park to get a group of people together and attend city meetings.
