Elia Powers
In his most carefree days, as an 18-year-old professional
skateboarder, Jim Gray made tracks all over Orange County. He used
sidewalks as freestyle courses and contorted his body to meet the
steep slopes of concrete skate park bowls.
The spiky hair, baggy shorts and low-top shoes remain staples of
Gray's style.
He is 42 now, a businessman, a husband, a father of three -- or as
he likes to say this summer, a father of four.
After years of campaigning, networking and listening to promises,
Gray finally got what he wanted: a new playground.
In late June, the $1-million, 15,000-square-foot Volcom Skate Park
of Costa Mesa opened near the corner of Arlington and Junipero
drives.
The park is in its infancy, and Gray, the site's primary advocate,
gushes like a father watching over his newborn.
"It was like the birth of my fourth child," he said. "This was a
long time coming. It's such a good feeling to look at it every
morning."
A board life
Local skaters, like Gray, have had first crack at the park, which
doesn't officially open until a dedication ceremony on Aug. 23.
Work and family responsibilities prevent Gray from picking up his
skateboard and riding at will, but he still finds time to weave
between teenagers at the skate park, navigating the curves with his
7-year-old daughter, Brooke, wedged between his legs.
Eleven-year-old Skyler and 13-year-old Hunter, both owners of
floppy blond hair, prefer to watch their dad ride from a distance.
"It's kind of cool," Hunter said as he grabbed a fence that
circumvents the park. "Most dads are all business. Sometimes our dad
will get us out of things to come and skate."
Skyler and Hunter have been skating for more than eight years
combined. On this Wednesday morning, the dry heat hasn't dissuaded
Hunter and his friends from crisscrossing each other in the upper
area of the skate park.
From his perch atop a ramp, Skyler observes his father scraping
his board along the edges of the deepest bowl, creating a piercing
sound.
"I like how you can get into the flow, except for when it's
crowded," Skyler said.
The park is filled with riders throughout the day, from 9 a.m.
until 9 p.m. closing time. The evening is one of Gray's favorite
times to come.
He is a known quantity around these parts, a man whose business
card tells the story -- "Jim Gray: Skateboarder since 1970."
Raised in Westminster, Gray bought a home in Costa Mesa two
decades ago and befriended key players in the skateboarding industry,
including the founders of Volcom.
