City's Attempt to Discourage Skateboarders Backfires

A city in southern California filled a skate park with 37 tons of sand, hoping young people who had been ignoring social distancing guidelines and "No Trespassing" signs would stay away. The giant sandbox they created, however, had the opposite effect. Fox News reports that Ralph's Skate Court in the Orange County community of San Clemente became a "dirt biker's paradise." "Took advantage of all the sand the city dumped into the San Clemente skatepark then helped some local skaters dig it all out so they could do some social shredding," biker Connor Ericsson said in an Instagram post.

Officials in San Clemente say they decided to follow in the footsteps of other cities and fill the skatepark with sand after they saw people visit the park despite an April 1 order closing all parks and facilities, CBS Los Angeles reports. "I think it's a big joke, these kids are cooped up inside their house and just want to go out and have some fun," Ericsson tells KUSI. The Orange County Register reports that the dirtbikers were joined by a local surfboard shaper, who brought beach chairs, a guitar, and a case of Corona beer. (More California stories.)