Tom Schaar’s revolutions in the air may have sparked a revolution on the ground in his hometown.

The 25-year-old professional skateboarder inspired a packed house of children and adults at Malibu’s City Council meeting on Tuesday night. They came out in droves to voice their support for the creation of a new skatepark and other sports facilities, while also witnessing Schaar receive an honorary commendation for winning the silver medal in the men’s skateboarding competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

“This is an incredible honor,” he said. “I always came to these meetings with my mom, but I never thought I’d actually be a part of one.”

He began skateboarding at the age of three on a small ramp his parents built in their backyard in Malibu. At 12 years old, he became the first skater to execute a 1080 maneuver, consisting of three mid-air rotations, as he sailed over the top of a large, vertical ramp. After completing this maneuver in a competition at the 2012 Asia X Games in Shanghai, Schaar became the youngest X Games gold medalist. Quite literally on a roll, he was named to the inaugural U.S. Skateboarding National Team in 2019, and he earned 12 more medals in various X Games, including two gold medals in Ventura and Chiba in 2024.

Though he often had to travel away from home to find places to practice, he is delighted that skateboarders will soon be able to hone their skills in Malibu. A new skatepark is anticipated to be completed by September 2025 at 24250 Pacific Coast Highway.

“I’m very excited that Malibu is getting a skate park,” he said. “Every kid here, I’m sure, is very happy about that, too.”

During the public comment period, Malibu resident Andy Lyon came to the podium to express his frustration about various delays over the past four years, which included the city’s dispute with the owner of the property adjacent to the location of the proposed skatepark

“I’m here to say congratulations to Tom Schaar,” Lyon said. “I’ve been trying to get this skatepark going for a long time. [My son] Glider was one and a half when we started this process, and we’re nowhere closer to this, it seems. He just turned seven… Let’s give Tom Schaar his due, but he had to leave Malibu because there was no skatepark. I don’t want to leave. I want a skatepark for my son.”

The design for the skatepark is currently in the “Building and Safety Plan Check” phase, requiring conduits for electric vehicle charging stations as well as alterations to the landscaping design. City Manager Steve McClary said that the request for construction bids will need to be posted in January rather than during the holiday months of November and December when fewer and more expensive bids typically emerge.

“We can measure success based on whether this is open by the end of September,” said Councilmember Bruce Silverstein. “That’s our goal, and we’re going to be looking hopefully to open by the end of September, and if we don’t, we’ll have to explain to the public why we didn’t get there.”

Other residents and their children attended the meeting to participate in an enthusiastic groundswell of support for the development of various sports facilities, including soccer and baseball fields as well as a community pool and a multi-generational community center. Five parcels of city-owned land, spanning approximately nine acres, are being considered for these fields and facilities, including Heathercliff, Triangle, Trancas, La Paz, and Ioki lots.

The city council received the “Malibu Community Lands Outreach and Engagement Outcomes Report,” an extensive survey of Malibu residents regarding their preferences for land use, which allowed the council to prioritize projects.

After hearing public comments for about an hour, the council voted unanimously to prioritize soccer and baseball/softball fields on the Ioki and Heathercliff parcels of land, initiating design and grading work with engineering consultants. At the same time, the council directed staff to issue a request for proposal to develop the architectural and engineering design for a multi-generational community center and sports complex. This facility will likely be located on the Heathercliff parcel and will potentially include a pool, a gymnasium, a senior center, a multipurpose space, and an expansion of library services.

Additionally, the council voted unanimously to direct staff to work with the developer team of Cross Creek Ranch to draft a design for a performing arts center on the La Paz site, also known as Parcel C. Under a 2023 settlement agreement, the Cross Creek Ranch team will provide up to $100,000 in site planning and preliminary design services, a collaborative effort with the city to design a versatile performing arts space.

Picture obtained through screen capture.