New paint goes down at Skater's Point in Santa Barbara

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – A fresh coat of paint from a specially donated team of painters arrived at Skater's Point in Santa Barbara after a summer of heavy use.

The City of Santa Barbara's Parks and Recreation department has partnered with a local Sherwin Williams sales manager who assembled a team of 18 painters from 10 painting companies.

The skate park was prepared for the job with a power washing prior to the work project.

The painting work was done in one day.

The companies donating their workers to the project were: Agave Painting, Fresh Coat Painters of Santa Barbara, J Guarneros Painting, Pacific Painting, Paradise Finishes, Purple Painting, RG Painting and Fine Finishes, S & J Fine Finishes, Van-Go Painting, Van Wyk Painting.

Santa Barbara Recreation Supervisor Adam Porte said "it looks phenomenal right now it is probably the best I have ever seen it. It looks brand new."

Leading the effort was Michael Ruiz with Sherwin Williams Paints. He saw the site in need of painting help when he visited with his three-year-old daughter.

When he called around to get help from paint companies, the response was very positive. "Honestly everyone was super excited not only because they are going to work near the beach but also because they are going to be part of a great event," said Ruiz.

Porte says volunteer help before has been appreciated, but having professionals from start to finish was an amazing offer. "We made sure we matched it perfectly because because we have all the color schemes we need to follow in the city as well," said Porte.

The city says it is important to keep the site clean and welcoming. It's often featured in photos for travel and social media posts. "There's a ton of people that come by here so I think putting on a good face here is always important," said Park Department Open Space Supervisor Steve Biddle.

Some of the skaters are rolling at dawn, and many more come in hour after hour with all ages interested in the facility. "Just because of the amount of people that come here daily whether it's kids or adults it starts about 6:30 in the morning and goes all day, " said Biddle.

Skater's Point opened in 2000, east of Stearns Wharf.

The concrete skate park in Santa Barbara serves both locals and tourists. Across from Chase Palm Park, the 14,600-square-foot concrete park features ledges, rails, hips, quarterpipes, banks, a “taco” bowl, and pyramid. Admission is free, and helmets are required. This is a popular spot for local kids and draws attention from passers-by.

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