Moms, Kids Rally Together For Malibu Skate Park

MALIBU, CA — Catching air, nailing a kickflip for the first time and building a community of fellow skateboarders is the goal for Malibu moms and kids lobbying for a skate park next to Malibu Bluffs Park. But they need support to make it happen.

While there has been a long history of advocacy for a skate park in Malibu, it never came to fruition, Malibu skateboard mom Jodi Gourson said. But now, the group is making progress: Malibu’s Parks & Recreation Commission chose a location for the potential skate park, and the City Council will review it at an August 21 meeting. All the meetings, figuring out logistics and rallying the community together could finally result in a place for Malibu kids to shred the gnar.

"Malibu is a surf and skate community, our kids grow up surfing and skating. But there’s no safe place for them to skate," Dajana Mitchell, one of the mom's spearheading the campaign, said. "We know how dangerous the streets are, and local shopping malls don’t allow skating. Our kids have no place to skate or to hang out with their friends."

The group of local families have been campaigning for a skate park since May. The kids made an Instagram account and a poll for local residents to vote on whether they thought a skate park should be made in Malibu. The moms then did the "adult stuff" by contacting City Council members and setting up meetings with city officials, Gourson, said.

"Kids are turning up from past and present, and even little groms are coming to hang out and skate," she said. "Parents who would never really have met each other are presented with an opportunity to connect, and parents whose kids have gone off to college are coming forward to show their support. It’s a magical experience."

At a July 8 City Council meeting, the Parks & Recreation Commission recommended land adjacent to Malibu Bluffs Park as a location for the skate park, Malibu Community Services Director Jesse Bobbett told Patch. The Council then directed staff to schedule a Special City Council meeting to consider options for a temporary skate park, since the proposed land won't be available until 2020 due to its current lease, Mitchell said.

City Council also directed staff to come up with options for a permanent skate park, "as large as possible," on the same property, Bobbett said. The special meeting will take place Wednesday, August 21 at 4 p.m. at Malibu City Hall. In the meantime, the group of advocates will be hosting fundraisers later this summer to raise money for the project, Mitchell said.

“I hope the city approves the land for a skate park near Malibu Bluffs Park. We really want to see progress in making it happen before our kiddos leave high school,” Gourson said. “It's going by too fast, and the need for a skate park has outlived many before them. We just need to get it done!”

When Patch readers were asked what they thought about the skate park, it was met with overwhelming support. One reader said "Absolutely a good idea, yes, it would be a huge win-win for our community and a gathering place with the bonus of physical activity — can't believe we have gone so long without one!"

"Skateboarding has always been very popular in Malibu and our kiddos need a fun place to gather, learn, have fun and skate together," another reader said.

The community can show support by attending the August 21 special City Council meeting, and by following the group on Instagram @Malibuskatepark.