When people talk about California skate scenes, they usually start with places like Venice Beach, San Francisco, or downtown LA. But if you know, you know—Costa Mesa has been quietly holding it down for decades. No hype. No flash. Just a city built around curbs, driveways, mini ramps, and DIY spirit.
At IPD Surf, we come from both the surf and skate worlds. For us, it’s not about picking sides—it’s about respecting the roots and celebrating the culture that shaped us. And Costa Mesa? It’s been shaping skaters and the skate industry since day one.
The Concrete Playground Vibe
Costa Mesa was made to skate. It’s got that perfect blend of suburban sprawl, industrial zones, and just-grimy-enough back alleys. Add in mellow hills, smooth sidewalks, and parking lots for days—and you’ve got a natural skate park before the city ever poured real bowls.
Long before there were sanctioned skate parks, kids here were hitting curbs, building backyard ramps, and sneaking sessions in schoolyards. That DIY ethic became part of the city’s skate DNA. Whether it was a launch ramp in the cul-de-sac or a hand-built mini ramp under a tarp, Costa Mesa skaters made it happen.
Homegrown and Hardcore
Like surf, Costa Mesa’s skate scene grew from the inside out. And while some bigger cities got more shine, the real ones knew Costa Mesa was putting in work.
The late ‘80s and early ‘90s saw a new generation of skaters coming up—ripping parking blocks behind strip malls and kickflipping down school stairs before Instagram existed. Style mattered, and the Costa Mesa scene had it in spades. Whether you were filming VX1000 lines with your homies or just cruising to the corner store, it was about pushing with power and keeping it raw.
Skate Brands, Built Here
Costa Mesa isn’t just a place to skate—it’s where some of the most influential brands in skateboarding were born or set up shop. Volcom, one of the first companies to blend skate, surf, and snow under one roof, was founded here in 1991. It wasn’t just a brand—it was a lifestyle. Volcom helped define a generation of skaters who didn’t want to be boxed in.
Today, Costa Mesa continues to serve as a creative base for brands, screen printers, board builders, and design crews who still believe in doing things their own way. That entrepreneurial spirit is why so many independent skate brands, board graphics, and apparel lines are coming out of garages and warehouses in this city. It’s still about making something from nothing, and Costa Mesa knows how to do that better than most.
The Skateparks: Past and Present
You can’t talk about Costa Mesa skating without mentioning TeWinkle Skatepark. When it opened, it became an instant magnet for the local scene. With bowls, rails, ledges, and a solid layout, it was more than just a place to skate—it was a place to hang, progress, and get inspired.
TeWinkle’s seen everything—from birthday parties to night sessions lit by cell phones. It’s where local legends honed their style, groms earned their stripes, and traveling pros dropped in to get a piece of that OC concrete.
And when the park wasn’t enough, the streets were always calling. Skating the curbs at The Lab, grinding down church rails, or bombing industrial lots after hours—it’s all part of the story.
Art, Identity, and Attitude
Skating in Costa Mesa isn’t just about tricks. It’s about expression. This city has always had a strong creative undercurrent, and the skate scene reflects that. From graffiti to graphic design, music to mural work, Costa Mesa skaters have never been afraid to blend skating with art and identity.
It’s that punk rock spirit, where your board is your canvas, your shoes are your journal, and your video clips are your story. The culture here is layered—raw, honest, and always in motion.
Where Skate and Surf Collide
For us at IPD, Costa Mesa is where surf and skate blur into one lifestyle. It’s not unusual to hit the beach in the morning and the skatepark by sunset. The city doesn’t separate the two—it celebrates them both. Whether you’re slashing curbs or carving waves, the rhythm is the same. Flow is flow.
We see Costa Mesa as a city of makers, movers, and misfits—people who don’t wait for permission. People who create their own lanes and build their own ramps when the system says no.
That’s what skateboarding has always been about. That’s what Costa Mesa represents.
Costa Mesa might not make the top-ten lists. And that’s fine. That’s kind of the point. This isn’t a city looking for applause—it’s a city that lets its skating speak for itself.
For us, it’s home. It’s where we skate, where we create, and where we keep the culture alive. Whether you're new to the scene or you’ve been pushing these streets for years, Costa Mesa welcomes you—with open arms and open pavement.
Surf, skate, and create.
– IPD Surf
