Nathan Mudge is among the many skaters who are glad they can once again show their stuff at the Skater’s Point skate park in Santa Barbara.
“It’s so nice to be able to be out in the open and skate again,” Mudge said Tuesday between spins through the facility on Cabrillo Boulevard on the city’s waterfront. “Everyone feels so stoked to be out here after being locked in for two months.”
After being shut down and fenced off earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Skater’s Point officially reopened last week as the state continues to lift restrictions on businesses and activities.
The Santa Barbara Department of Parks and Recreation has also reopened youth activities such as volleyball, tennis, swim, surf, and skate camps.
Bryan Yamane, on-site director of Santa Barbara’s skate camp, told Noozhawk he appreciates the opportunity to host the youth camp once again.
“It’s been nice to have the kids back out here,” he said. “Being in a large open space has made following CDC guidelines a lot easier.”
Kids ages 6 through 12 were all wearing neon green face coverings as Yamane made sure they put on hand sanitizer while on their break.
“Our directors are making sure we strictly follow the health guidelines to ensure we have a safe and organized camp,” Yamane said. “If we get docked down for anything, they’ll shut the camp down.”
Youth camps have had to lower their participant numbers and make sure participants are properly spaced out while engaged in the activities.
Participants as well as staff are to be screened for symptoms of COVID-19 upon arrival. Staff are encouraged to limit contact with families at drop-off and pick-up times.
In addition to the opening of Skater’s Point and the resumption of summer camps, other outdoor recreation facilities have been in the process of reopening.
However, the opening or closing of sites could change with little notice, according to Summers Case, spokesperson for the Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department.
All parks except Franceschi Park, Hilda McIntyre Ray Park, and Skofield Park are open and operating during their normal hours of sunrise until half an hour before sunset.
Recreation program Manager Rich Hanna said the city’s tennis courts use an advanced registration system in which community members sign up for time slots to ensure that social-distancing practices are maintained.
Los Banos del Mar Pool, lawn bowling at MacKenzie Park and the Santa Barbara Lawn Bowls Club are also now open, with some restrictions.
Community gardens at Rancheria and Yanonali are open for food harvesting and plot maintenance, but gardeners are encouraged to keep an open plot between themselves and other gardeners.
The city of Goleta has not officially reopened its skatepark or basketball courts at the Jonny D. Wallis Neighborhood Park in Old Town, spokeswoman Kelly Hoover said, “due to the inability to ensure proper social-distancing guidelines are being met during these activities.”
Tennis courts in Goleta reopened in May, but playgrounds at city parks remain closed, she added.
— Noozhawk staff writer Jade Martinez-Pogue can be reached at jmartinez-pogue@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
