Paragon Skate Park Renovation
Transforming the City's First Skate Park into the City's Best Skate Park
The City of Perris, California, located approximately 75 miles east of Los Angeles, is nestled amongst a hilly moonscape of exposed and weathered granite bedrock. Perris was one of the first cities in the Inland Empire region to satisfy the need for sanctioned skateboarding terrain within public space.
In 2021, as the city received American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, stakeholders prioritized replacing the existing weathered skate features at Paragon Park. However, instead of proceeding with the boilerplate Request for Proposals for a skate park design, the city stepped outside the box and solicited the input of the wheeled community - particularly those frequenting Paragon Park. One discovery that locals urged it would take to make Paragon a flagship skate facility was to make its terrain iconic and easily recognizable in print and social media. As brainstorming commenced, the solution literally appeared from above: Paragon Park rests along the final vectored approach to March Air Reserve Base. The skies above the park act as a perpetual air show for park users.
The custom F-15 skate bank set at a 32-degree angle is followed by afterburner details made of high-strength court surfacing coatings for durability against skateboard wear. Nine hundred square feet of synthetic turf from SpectraTurf surrounds the F-15 feature and was installed over a four-inch SBR rubber layer for fall attenuation.
Following the recommendations of selected landscape architecture firm Community Works Design Group (CWDG) of Riverside, California, the project team recruited two world-renowned skate park design firms - Grindline Skateparks of Seattle and Spohn Ranch Skateparks of Los Angeles - to conceptualize a top-notch facility while adhering to specific, regionally showcased theming aspects. After a competitive bidding process, a third top-tier skate park company prequalified by the city - California Skateparks - was selected to construct the improvements. The final product satisfies the diverse groups of wheeled users, while introducing a visually-pleasing homage to nearby March Air Reserve Base - an aesthetic treat for those walking through and driving by the park.
Paragon Skate Park boasts a simulated airport runway designated by a steel-trimmed "32" surface marking that lends tribute to the main runway at nearby March Air Reserve Base - the home of multiple F-15 fighter jets, strategically positioned to defend Southern California commercial airspace.
During construction, the in-house, custom steel fabrication team at California Skateparks created a series of steel trays out of angled iron and steel plate, which were filled on site with 4,000 PSI of ready-mix concrete with varying admixture colorants. Most notably, the park's signature, 32-degree angled bank - a nod to the runway's aeronautical bearing - was sculpted to resemble an F-15 fighter jet in an aggressive climb, complete with afterburner flames crafted with high-strength sport court acrylic surfacing. Because the F-15 feature reaches a height of over 10 feet above the surrounding grade, the design team incorporated a rubberized impact attenuation surface shrouded in synthetic turf to provide safety while blending into the park's surrounding open space.
Precast concrete pool coping and carbon-colored tile were selected for durability in a high-wear skate park environment. The materials provide resilient edging and surface transitions designed to withstand repeated skateboard impact and heavy use.
Formwork for the base of various skate ledges - often constructed with wooden assemblies that are removed as the concrete begins curing - were instead installed with corrugated metal pipe. This integral formwork reduced construction waste while giving the skate park an industrial vibe. While locals were sad to see the prefabricated pump track leave the park, the design team included a rollercoaster flow line, multiple domed concrete mounds, and a "sushi dish" ledge to memorialize the hilly terrain. Creating this complex curvature required precise steel fabrication and equally skilled concrete finishing.
Not to be overlooked is the backyard-style skate pool - complete with "wedding cake" stairs, custom-blended precast concrete pool coping, and a band of mosaic glass tile in a running bond of rectangular pieces selected for their durability to the impact of skate wheels. The tile's Winter Blues colorway is a combination of the surrounding park's scheme, similar also in appearance to the Air Force's new battle dress uniform. Additionally, the pool surface received a light sandblasting to allow the transparent stain to better absorb into the cured shotcrete surface.
Runway 32 is aeronautically aligned to match the bearing of Runway 32L at March Air Reserve Base just five miles north of the park. Runway markings are also installed using sports court surfacing to ensure durability within the skate park environment.
Earlier this year, professional skateboarders representing Santa Cruz Skateboards and Protec Helmets held a video shoot at Paragon Skate Park, which was memorialized in print and social media advertisements. Even Pabst Blue Ribbon utilized the newly constructed Paragon Skate Park in a lifestyle advertisement on various platforms - earning 5,000+ likes and 1,000+ shares on Instagram!
The growing publicity of the upgraded Paragon Skate Park has created a sense of pride within what was previously deemed an underserved area of the city of Perris. Its design and construction have contributed to raising the bar for what will be expected in future skate parks.
