Renovated Monterey skatepark to shed 'Certified Piece of Suck' title.

With snow dumping in the Sierra Nevada and Monterey soaked in rain during this winter of El Niño, the priority for local board enthusiasts might not be a concrete skatepark.

But check this: the City of Monterey is set to reopen its El Estero Skatepark later this month after a three-month closure and $176,000 renovations.

“It’s known as one of the worst skateparks in the world,” says local pro Zarosh Eggleston, 33.

While there might be some hyperbole in the statement, Eggleston says the park, built in 1999, was once called a “Certified Piece of Suck” by Thrasher, a skateboarding magazine.

Eggleston, who was on the concrete crew implementing the renovation, is pleased with the current reincarnation.

“I think everyone gonna be real happy,” Eggleston says. “It’s good the city is making this happen.”

Part of the problem with the original design was that the architect didn’t skate, says Eggleston. That was compounded by the fact the contractor who built the park had almost no experience with skateparks, he adds.

At the time there was also a state law that prohibited the construction of features, e.g. ramps, half pipes and punk walls, greater than 4 feet high on public land.

“Since the park was first built there has been a push to create skateparks built by skaters for skaters,” he says.

Funding for the addition of 4,000 square feet and new obstacles to the El Estero Skatepark comes from the Neighborhood Improvement Program, which uses tourism-generated revenue for community projects.

“We have a best case scenario,” Eggleston says of the renovation.