In September of 2008, Spohn Ranch teamed up with world-renowned professional skateboarder Paul “P-Rod” Rodriguez to create Los Angeles’ first 100% real street skate plaza.  Teaming with Paul and the Ambassador Series, we decided on revamping an aging ramp park in Wilmington, a neighborhood ranked as one of the most dangerous communities in the US.

With the funding in place, Spohn Ranch began working closely with Paul to design a modern street plaza that the new generation of skateboarders would embrace.  The final design featured a center plaza with the kinds of stairs, rails, and hubba ledges that skaters long for.  Surrounding the perimeter of the park were recreations of Paul’s favorites LA skate spots, including the famous LA High Banks and the Department of Water and Power granite benches.

After the dilapidated ramps were removed, our construction crews recycled the existing slab with a concrete cut-in approach.  In a mere five days, the plaza was set for the Grand Opening which featured demos by Paul and a who’s who of LA’s top professional skateboarders.  With thousands of skaters and community members in attendance, the event was the largest Grand Opening of any recreational facility in Los Angeles history.  Since its opening, the skatepark has become a must-see on the West Coast circuit of skateparks, with constant appearances in professional videos and magazines.  The park has also become a drop-off location for seven neighborhood schools and has helped reduce violent crime in the area by 90%.

“Big ups to co-designer Paul Rodriguez, Daewon Song, and the City of LA for creating an amazing (and free!) concrete and granite wonderland.” – Transworld Skateboarding