A final concept for a $2.1 million expansion of the Etnies Skatepark got the Lake Forest City Council’s support this week to add more features for beginner and intermediate skateboarders and a place for BMX and other wheeled riders.
Read more With flowers blooming, it’s the perfect time to cultivate new habits
When the Etnies Skatepark was built more than two decades ago, it was a place that drew pro and expert skaters looking to hone their skate skills.
Back in the late ’90s and early 2000s, skateboarding was a counterculture sport; enthusiasts hassled in streets and parking lots with few safe places to shred.
But fast-forward to the present day and skateboarding has become a popular pastime with plenty of newbies learning to skate. It’s a thriving sport, now one of the most watched on the Olympic stage.
The Etnies Skatepark in Lake Forest sits at the corner of Lake Forest Dr. and the 241 toll road. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Joaquin Ramos skates at the Etnies Skatepark in Lake Forest on Thursday, May 7, 2026. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Ayden Khatib skates at the Etnies Skatepark in Lake Forest on Thursday, May 7, 2026. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A skater practices in front of a grassy area at the Etnies Skatepark in Lake Forest on Thursday, May 7, 2026. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Ayden Khatib skates at the Etnies Skatepark in Lake Forest on Thursday, May 7, 2026. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The Etnies Skatepark in Lake Forest sits at the corner of Lake Forest Dr. and the 241 toll road. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The final concept design for the Etnies Skatepark approved by the council should appeal to the growing group of beginner and intermediate skateboarders visiting the park, and create a more inviting landscape not just for skaters, but BMX, scooter and inline enthusiasts who also want a place to ride.
“This is not a full gut renovation job,” said Mitch Jensen, senior designer and project manager for Action Sports Design. “This is a really solid skate park with good bones as it is.”
Lake Forest Recreation Manager Laura Hunter gave the City Council a presentation detailing the history of the well-known skatepark, created in 2003 with intermediate-to-advanced features. In 2011, a redesign added even more advanced skate terrain, and the park’s signature “cradle” was created.
But the skatepark community has been trending to more beginner and intermediate level users since then, Hunter said.
Between 2020 to 2025, beginner-level group and private lessons had 1,387 participants, compared to 150 participants in intermediate-level lessons.
“This gap shows strong demand for entry-level learning among park users,” city officials said in a staff report. “However, the current skatepark layout primarily supports advanced users, which does not reflect the facility’s contemporary user base.”
Jensen said community feedback influenced the proposed improvements. There have been three meetings held since December, asking community members for feedback, as well as online surveys.
Based on feedback, there is a desire for smoother, more consistent surfaces in the street plaza, as well as the transition to an all-wheel park that would support skateboards, BMX, inline skates and scooters.
Read more Face it: Older patients are just clunkers in Dr. Doogie’s eyes
The shift to an all-wheel park requires no construction modifications and would utilize separate sessions to maintain safety and maximize facility activity, city officials said.
The addition of a pump track would bring in the high-demand element for all skill levels and ages — the tracks are a looped riding feature designed for multiuse vehicles. Pump tracks are engineered to allow riders to generate and maintain momentum, rather than pedaling or pushing with their feet.
“The design reflects strong community feedback and support for these proposed changes — that’s going to promote an active lifestyle for all ages,” Jensen said.
During meetings and in online responses, nearly half of the respondents were aged 31 to 50, he noted, likely teenagers or kids themselves when the park first opened.
“It’s pretty cool to see that they’re still involved and still passionate and want the next generation to have the same wonderful skate park that they grew up with,” he said.
Just more than 40% of respondents were advanced riders, with more than 50% beginner or intermediate.
Many of those who gave feedback applauded the programming and workshops for learning new skills.
Some of the current challenges the city is having with the skatepark include crowds in the big bowl and the big wall drops into the street course, with too much advanced and intermediate terrain, officials said. Also, concrete is deteriorating in some areas, and some obstacles are outdated.
Features community members hope to see include smaller, beginner-level features and low-impact features and ledges, a smaller beginner stair set and better flat bars.
“We got a lot of requests for some of these more intermediary and younger-level style features,” Jensen said, adding that a flat area will also give beginners a place to learn how to push around on their board, turn around and practice.
The project will now move to the final design phase. The City Council would vote later on that final design before the project progresses.
Read more Recipe: This peach cobbler is as easy as pie – even easier