Malibu celebrates long-awaited Skatepark with Ribbon Cutting, Skate Jam, and Community Pride
By Hayley Mattson · Mon Jul 20 2026
Olympian Tom Schaar joins city leaders, skate legends, and local families as Malibu’s permanent skatepark becomes a reality after more than 15 years of advocacy and perseverance
The sound of wheels rolling across fresh concrete, cheers from proud parents, and the excitement of young skaters filled Malibu Bluffs Park on June 20 as the City of Malibu officially celebrated the opening of its long-awaited permanent skatepark with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and community skate jam.
The event drew hundreds of residents, local skaters, families, city officials, and skateboarding legends, marking the culmination of a decades-long effort to bring a permanent skate facility back to Malibu. Hosted in partnership with X Games Los Angeles, the celebration featured demonstrations, autograph signings, and appearances by professional skateboarders, including Malibu native and Olympic silver medalist Tom Schaar.
City officials, including Councilmembers Doug Stewart and Marianne Riggins, joined Community Services Director Kristin Riesgo and other city staff members in commemorating the milestone project.
For many in attendance, the day represented far more than the opening of a skatepark—it symbolized years of community determination, volunteer advocacy, and the preservation of Malibu’s deep-rooted skateboarding culture.
“The skate park has been a dream of our community for many years,” Riesgo said. “We’re proud to be delivering a space that reflects the creativity, spirit, and passion of Malibu’s youth and action sports enthusiasts.”
Schaar, who was born and raised in Malibu, served as the official celebrity of the ribbon-cutting. The professional skateboarder has become one of the sport’s most accomplished athletes, earning a silver medal in the men’s park competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. He was also the first skateboarder to land a 1080 and remains one of the most influential figures in modern skateboarding.
Throughout the afternoon, Schaar signed autographs, posed for photos with aspiring skaters, and celebrated the opening of a facility many local riders have waited years to see become reality.
The new 12,500-square-foot concrete skatepark includes street-style elements, stairs, rails, ledges, banks, quarter pipes, flow bowls, spines, waterfalls, and other features designed for skaters of all ages and skill levels. The facility was designed by California Skateparks with extensive community input and sits within Malibu Bluffs Park overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
The opening concludes a lengthy journey that began more than a decade ago.
Malibu’s skateboarding community once relied on Papa Jack’s Skate Park, a facility established in 1999 after local landowner Jack Shultz donated property for the project. Although many skaters viewed the aging metal park as outdated, it remained Malibu’s only dedicated skate facility for more than a decade.
When the property lease ended around 2011 and the site closed, Malibu was left without a public skatepark. Young skaters were forced to travel outside the city or skate on streets and parking lots.
In response, local advocates formed a grassroots movement to bring a skatepark back to Malibu. The group Skatepark for Malibu and numerous community supporters attended countless city meetings, organized outreach efforts, and spent years pushing for a permanent solution.
Their persistence finally gained traction in 2019 when the Malibu City Council approved plans to pursue both a temporary facility and a permanent skatepark at Malibu Bluffs Park. A temporary wooden skatepark opened in 2020 and served the community for nearly five years while plans for the permanent facility advanced. But the permanent project faced significant hurdles.
Its proximity to the neighboring Crummer/Case development prompted opposition from developer 600 Spring LLC, leading to appeals, legal threats, and years of contentious public debate over noise, aesthetics, graffiti concerns, and neighborhood impacts.
The project's breakthrough came in March 2024 when the City Council approved a settlement agreement that resolved the dispute. The compromise included moving portions of the skatepark farther from nearby homes, lowering certain features, and adding landscaping improvements funded by the developer.
The agreement cleared the final major obstacle and allowed construction to move forward.
Groundbreaking for the new skatepark took place on April 11, 2025, just months after Malibu endured the devastating Franklin Fire and Palisades Fire, which left many residents questioning when the community could begin to heal and rebuild. Despite those challenges, the City Council moved forward with the project, approving a $4.1 million construction contract. The temporary wooden skatepark was closed in September 2025 to allow final construction to proceed. Now, in 2026, Malibu has finally realized its long-awaited dream of a permanent skatepark—a symbol of resilience, community spirit, and the city's commitment to its youth.
Councilmember Doug Stewart reflected on the significance of the moment during the recent City Council meeting.
“I was at the skate park opening. It was a blast,” Stewart said. “It was really neat to see these people enjoy such a momentous moment for Malibu’s kids and the whole park system in the city.”
Stewart noted that several attendees proudly showed him their old Papa Jack’s membership cards, underscoring the long history of skateboarding in Malibu.
“There’s quite a history,” he said, pointing out that Malibu has produced numerous skateboarders who have been recognized by the Skateboarding Hall of Fame.
Councilmember Marianne Riggins echoed those sentiments, highlighting the many volunteers and advocates who spent years helping make the project a reality.
“It’s been a long time coming for this community,” Riggins said. “Countless volunteers, countless meetings, and just to see the smiles on all the kids’ faces and everybody that was there — it’s really exciting.”
Riggins added that the skatepark represents just one example of the community-focused amenities city leaders hope to continue developing in the future.
Longtime Malibu skatepark advocate Andy Lyons reflected on the years of community effort that led to the park's completion during remarks at the Malibu City Council meeting on Monday, sharing a heartfelt story about his son, Glider, who grew up alongside the project.
“In May of 2019, I carried Glider into one of the first skatepark meetings in the room next door,” Lyons said. “He wasn't even walking yet. Now he's eight years old, and he's grown up alongside this project.”
Lyons thanked the countless community members who spent years attending meetings, speaking at public hearings, and advocating for a permanent skatepark.
“I want to thank all the people who aren't here tonight—the kids who showed up to meetings, the parents who put in the work, and everyone who stayed committed through all the back-and-forth over the years,” he said. “For me, it's been a 50-year wait to see a skatepark in Malibu. For Glider, it's been his entire life.”
According to Lyons, his son attended nearly every meeting related to the project.
“This kid has been to more skatepark meetings than any child should ever have to attend,” he joked. “But this is the last one, and we're here to say thank you.”
One of the most meaningful moments of the opening weekend, Lyons said, was watching Schaar share the experience with the next generation of local skaters.
The day before the ribbon cutting, Schaar visited the skatepark and spent time skating with Glider. Lyons described it as a full-circle moment. Schaar, who began skating in Malibu as a child, stood alongside Glider at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, both wearing matching hats and celebrating the opening together.
“Tom was about Glider's age when he started making a name for himself,” Lyons said. “To see them cutting the ribbon together and skating the park side by side was incredible.”
Lyons shared photos and videos of Schaar's first runs through the new park, noting how effortlessly the Olympic medalist navigated the features that challenge even experienced skateboarders.
“For those who don't know, Tom won a silver medal in skateboarding at the Paris Olympics,” Lyons said. Glider chimed in and said, “Watching him skate makes everything look easy — it looks like something Tony Hawk couldn't even do.”
Closing his remarks, Lyons expressed gratitude to everyone who helped make the project a reality.
“Thank you to everyone who stayed involved and never gave up,” he said. “This park belongs to the community, and it's amazing to finally see it here.”
Young skaters filled every corner of the new facility on Saturday while parents watched from the sidelines. For longtime advocates, it was the realization of a dream more than 15 years in the making.
Today, the Malibu Skatepark stands not only as a world-class recreational facility but as a testament to what can be accomplished when a community refuses to give up. With ocean views, modern design, and a new generation of riders already calling it home, the park is poised to become a lasting centerpiece of Malibu’s skateboarding culture for decades to come.
Photos courtesy of City of Malibu