recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasur ...
al environment made for
skateboarding
Skateboarding is an extreme sport, action sport originating in the United States that involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry Profession, job, and a ...
scootering Scootering may refer to:
* Dog scootering, a sport with dog-powered scooters
*Freestyle scootering
Freestyle scootering (also known as scootering or scooter riding) is an extreme sport that involves using kick scooters to perform freestyle tric ...
, wheelchairs, and
aggressive inline skating
Aggressive inline skating (referred to by participants as rollerblading, blading, skating, street skating, rolling, roller freestyle or freestyle rolling) is a sub-discipline of inline skating in the action sports canon. Aggressive inline skates ...
. A skatepark may contain
half-pipe
A half-pipe is a structure used in gravity extreme sports such as snowboarding, skateboarding, skiing, freestyle BMX, skating, and scooter riding.
Overview
The structure resembles a cross-section of a swimming pool, essentially two concave ramp ...
s,
handrail
A handrail is a rail that is designed to be grasped by the hand so as to provide safety or support. In Britain, handrails are referred to as banisters. Handrails are usually used to provide support for body or to hold clothings in a bathroom o ...
s,
funbox
A funbox is a standard element of a skatepark. It generally consists of a box shape with a flat top and a ramp on two or more sides. A funbox may also include other elements that allow for more complicated skateboarding tricks.''Thrasher'' ma ...
es,
vert ramp
A vert ramp is a form of half-pipe used in extreme sports such as vert skating, vert skateboarding and vert BMX.
Vert ramps are so named because they transition from a horizontal plane (known as the flat-bottom) to a vertical section on top.
...
s, stairsets, quarter pipes, ledges, spine transfers, pyramids, banked ramps, full pipes, pools, bowls, snake runs, and any number of other objects.
History
The first skatepark in the world, Surf City, opened for business at 5140 E. Speedway in Tucson, Arizona on September 3, 1965.
Patti McGee Patti McGee (born August 23, 1945) is a former professional skateboarder. She was the 1964 Women's first National Skateboard Champion, Santa Monica.
Her first skateboard was built by her brother in wood shop from her own shoe skate as a surprise. ...
, Women's National Champion, attended the grand opening. The park had concrete ramps and was operated by Arizona Surf City Enterprises, Inc. A skatepark for skateboarders and skaters made of plywood ramps on a half-acre lot in Kelso, Washington, USA opened in April 1966. It was lighted for night use. California's first skatepark, the Carlsbad Skatepark opened on March 3, 1976. The World Skateboard Championships were held here on April 10, 1977. It operated until 1979, when it was buried intact beneath a layer of dirt for more than two decades, before being destroyed in 2005. The current Carlsbad Skatepark is in a different location. The East Coast's first skatepark, Ocean Bowl Skate Park, in Ocean City, Maryland, USA, opened the first week of June, 1976. Due to time, wear, and the current needs of skaters, the old bowl and ramp were torn down in the Fall of 1997 and the new park opened in July 1998.
The Sandy Hills Skate Park, in Lansdowne, Maryland is the oldest operating municipal skate park in the United States. In 1999 the City of Hermosa Beach, California opened a small skatepark at the site of the first skateboard competition. The competition held at the Pier Avenue Junior High School (now a City museum) was organized by Dewey Weber across the street from his surf and skateboard shop. Makaha Skateboards was a sponsor of the competition. In 1987, an all wooden indoor skate park opened in Bristol, CT called CT Bike. CT Bike is where Tony Hawk made his debut when he was a young boy on his first East Coast tour. Until its' closing in 2022, the indoor skate park was operated by the same family who built the park despite a fire that threatening the park in 1988. As of 2022 the park is now closed for good.
In more extreme climates, parks were built indoors, often using wood or metal. By the end of the 1970s, the popularity of skateboarding had waned, and the original parks of the era began to close. A downturn in the overall skateboard market in the 1980s, coupled with high liability insurance premiums, contributed to the demise of the first wave of skateparks. Some second-generation parks, such as
Upland, California
Upland is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States on the border with neighboring Los Angeles County. The municipality is located at an elevation of 1,242 feet (379 m). As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 79,040 ...
's Pipeline, survived into the 1980s. However, few of the private parks of the 1970s remain, with the notable exception of
Kona Skatepark
Kona Skatepark is a skateboard park in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United Stat ...
in
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the ...
, United States. However, many public parks of that era can still be found throughout Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
The modern skatepark designs of the Pacific Northwest can be traced back to
Burnside Skatepark
The Burnside Skatepark is a DIY concrete skatepark located in Portland, Oregon, United States. Burnside was the first DIY skatepark project. It is located under the east end of the Burnside Bridge. The project was started without permission from ...
, a
DIY
"Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and sem ...
"barge build" beneath the
Burnside Bridge
The Burnside Bridge is a 1926-built bascule bridge that spans the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, United States, carrying Burnside Street. It is the second bridge at the same site to carry that name. It was added to the National Register of ...
in
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...
. Skateboarders used an area populated primarily by the city's "undesirable elements" to create a skatepark, building one section at a time. The process is called "design/build" (D/B), and is a characteristic of many skateparks today. The design/build process ensures that adjacent skatepark features are harmonious and rideable, allowing skateboarders to create endless "lines" to ride among the many features.
Skate parks, related obstacles/ramps and locations designed for
extreme sport
Action sports, adventure sports or extreme sports are activities perceived as involving a high degree of risk. These activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical exertion and highly specialized gear. Extreme tourism overl ...
utilization have made their way into the media over time, such as with the aforementioned Burnside Skatepark being included in the movie
Free Willy
''Free Willy'' is a 1993 American family drama film, directed by Simon Wincer, produced by Lauren Shuler Donner and Jennie Lew Tugend, written by Keith A. Walker and Corey Blechman from a story by Walker and distributed by Warner Bros. Picture ...
.
Public skateparks have had a resurgence in the US, made possible by legislation such as California's 1998 law stating that skateboarding is an inherently "Hazardous Recreational Activity" (HRA), and therefore municipalities and their employees may not be held liable for claims of negligence resulting in skateboarders' injuries.
Street skating has blurred the line between skateparks and street spots. Some cities are starting to put in skate spots/plazas with features that would not have been classically designed for skateboarding, but can be skated by street skaters legally. In some instances, street spots that were not originally designed for skateboarding have been converted into sanctioned skate plazas.
There is also an emerging movement of making art and sculpture skate-able. This provides additional legal skate spots that blend well with other city art and landscape features. Skate-able art allows for the creation of thriving multi-use areas, as installations often become picturesque destinations for skaters and non-skaters alike.
Types
Unlike organized sports, like basketball or football, skateboarding has no set arena or rules and skateparks have no standard design template. Each skatepark is designed specifically to provide unique challenges to its users. There are, however, three main categories of skatepark design: bowl, street plaza and flow parks.
Bowl parks are designed to emulate and improve upon the pool skating experience. Skaters in bowl parks can move around the park without taking their feet off the board to push. The curved walls of bowls allow skaters to ride around and across the bowl in addition to the back and forth skating you might see on a traditional half pipe. Bowls and bowl parks come in an endless variety of shapes and sizes but most bowls are between 3' and 12’ deep.
Street plaza parks are the favorite of the vast majority of skaters and they are designed to emulate and improve upon the street skating experience. Obstacles in a street plaza are styled to look like natural street terrain such as stairs, railings, planters and benches. Skaters will push off with their feet to gain momentum in a street plaza. The first public outdoor skate plaza is the
Vancouver Skate Plaza
The Vancouver Skate Plaza is a skatepark in Vancouver, British Columbia
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian ...
, built in 2004 by New Line Skateparks.
Flow parks (or Park style) combine elements of both bowl parks and street plazas. In a well designed flow park a skater can pump around the parks curved walls such as quarter pipes, pump bumps and bowl corners without taking their feet off to push. They can use that speed to hit street obstacles such as stairs, railings and benches.
Skateparks may be privately or publicly owned. Privately owned skateparks usually have admission fees, while publicly owned skateparks are generally free. Many privately owned skateparks are indoors, usually in warehouses, roller rinks or buildings with high ceilings, especially in areas with snowy winters. Public skateparks are usually outdoors.
Skatepark construction can be divided into two major categories — prefabricated and custom built concrete. Prefabricated parks can be made of wood, plastic, sheet metal, and concrete. Most are designed and built by playground equipment manufacturers who present these parks as a cost-effective alternative to custom-designed concrete skateparks. In reality, custom built concrete skateparks can be quite cost competitive with prefabricated skate ramps.
According to an editor of ''Transworld Skateboarding'' magazine, concrete parks are now "pretty much the industry standard" as they require fewer repairs and less maintenance.
Elements
*
Quarter pipe
A half-pipe is a structure used in gravity extreme sports such as snowboarding, skateboarding, skiing, freestyle BMX, skating, and scooter riding.
Overview
The structure resembles a cross-section of a swimming pool, essentially two concave ra ...
– Literal quarter of a pipe. There is usually a narrow metal rod running the length of the top edge; this is called the coping. There may also be a flat platform connected to it at the top; this is called the deck. Quarter pipes have "transitions" which is the size of the radius of the ramps riding surface.
*
Half pipe
A half-pipe is a structure used in gravity extreme sports such as snowboarding, skateboarding, skiing, freestyle BMX, skating, and scooter riding.
Overview
The structure resembles a cross-section of a swimming pool, essentially two concave ram ...
– Two Quarter Pipes facing each other (half of a pipe). A smaller halfpipe that is less than 8–10 feet can be referred to as a "mini ramp"
* Bowl – a completely enclosed area of quarterpipes that curve in corners. The curve placement and opposing quarterpipe placement can manifest in any fashion.
* Deck – The flat elevated area used as a staging area above ramps and bowls.
* Spine – Two quarter pipes placed back to back, that do not contain a deck. Spines may exist in bowls and half-pipes
* Extension – extensions in quarter pipe or halfpipe ramps.
* Escalator – sloping increases or decreases in quarterpipe or halfpipe ramp.
* Flat – The flat lower areas between transitions, usually at grade.
* Vert wall – A vertical wall above, and sometimes slightly behind, a quarter pipe.
* Bank – These can vary in angle but are simply wedge ramps for traversing obstacles, i.e. elevated flats. They may contain curvature at the tops or on sides.
* Hip – Essentially two quarter pipes or banks forming an angle.
*
Funbox
A funbox is a standard element of a skatepark. It generally consists of a box shape with a flat top and a ramp on two or more sides. A funbox may also include other elements that allow for more complicated skateboarding tricks.''Thrasher'' ma ...
– A combination of banks, flats, rails, kickers, etc. connected to each other to form mini gaps.
* Pyramid – Funbox-type ramp made from four banks put in a square pyramid shape, usually surrounding a flat.
* Launcher/Kicker – A curved bank a rider uses to launch into the air.
* Roll-in – A long sloping ramp used to gain speed.
* Step-up/Eurobox – A funbox type ramp consisting of a bank with a flat at the top and a second, higher flat after it; in other words a bank-to-flat setup with a section removed from the bank part.
* Wall-box – In an indoor skatepark, this is a funbox built against the wall of the park; in an outdoor skatepark, it is a funbox with a wall splitting it down the middle.
* Pool – Usually an actual
swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable Human swimming, swimming or other leisure activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built ...
that has been drained out for skateboarding.
* Foam Pit – A pile of foam pads to land safely into while learning tricks, usually found after a launch ramp.
* Flatbar – A rail set level with ground.
* Sloped rail – A rail set at an angle.
* Kinked rail – A rail with two flat sections, one higher than the other, and a sloped section in the middle connecting them.
* Stair – A simple staircase.
* Handrail – A rail going with a staircase, either extended from the staircase or off an adjacent wall
* Kidney bowl – a bowl roughly in the shape of a human kidney
* Egg bowl – a bowl shaped like an egg
* Cradle – Spherical bowl turned on its side, typically connected with a bowl. Enables inverted and over-vert carving
Alamosa Skatepark Environment
Alamosa is a home rule municipality and the county seat of Alamosa County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 9,806 at the 2020 United States Census. The city is the commercial center of the San Luis Valley in south-central Color ...
–
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...
.
* Bro Bowl – One of the last skateparks of the 70s, and one of the oldest skateparks in the U.S.; First public skatepark in Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...
.
*
Burnside Skatepark
The Burnside Skatepark is a DIY concrete skatepark located in Portland, Oregon, United States. Burnside was the first DIY skatepark project. It is located under the east end of the Burnside Bridge. The project was started without permission from ...
–
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...
featured in Tony Hawk video games and the movies, Free Willy and Paranoid Park.
*
Concrete Wave Country
The Metro Nashville Skatepark (also known as Concrete Wave Country or Two Rivers Skatepark) is a public concrete skatepark located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. It occupies approximately 22,000 square feet (2,000 m²) in Two Rivers Park ...
–
Nashville
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
's first public skatepark.
*
etnies Skatepark
Etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest (stylized as etnies Skatepark) is a public skatepark located in Lake Forest, California, United States. It is the largest free skatepark in the state, with an area of over . The skatepark is owned and operated ...
,
Lake Forest, CA
Lake Forest is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 85,858 at the 2020 census.
Lake Forest incorporated as a city on December 20, 1991. Prior to incorporation, the community had been known as El Toro. Following a vote in 20 ...
– Largest free skatepark in California.
*
FDR Skatepark
FDR Skatepark is a skatepark located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is accessible from the Pattison Avenue stop of the Broad Street subway line. The park has long been popular with notable local skaters such as Willy Akers, Chu ...
–
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
* Harrow Skate Park – Harrow, London, England
* Kona Skate Park - Guinness World Record for Oldest Surviving Skatepark, located in
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the ...
* Livingston Skate Park -
Livingston, West Lothian
Livingston ( sco, Leivinstoun, gd, Baile Dhunlèibhe) is the largest town in West Lothian, Scotland. Designated in 1962, it is the fourth post-war new town to be built in Scotland. Taking its name from a village of the same name incorporated ...
, Scotland
*
Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark
The Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark is a public skatepark in Houston, Texas, United States. The $2.7 million project opened in June 2008. At over 40,000 square feet (3,700 m2), it is one of the largest in Texas. It has two cradles, one of whi ...
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
.
*
Monster Skatepark
Monster Skatepark is a fully outdoor skatepark located in Sydney Olympic Park, New South Wales, Australia. Skaters can use the facility between 10AM and 5PM Monday through Friday and 9AM to 5PM on the weekend.Possum Creek –
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the county seat of Alachua County, Florida, Alachua County, Florida, and the largest city in North Central Florida, with a population of 141,085 in 2020. It is the principal city of the Gainesville metropolitan area, Florida, Gaine ...
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...
) – One of the world's largest outdoor skateparks, designed by Spectrum Skateparks with Landplan associates.
* The
Palm Springs
Palm Springs (Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Riverside County by land ...
Skatepark contains a replica of the
Nude Bowl
The Nude Bowl was a popular skateboarding locale from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. The name comes from the fact that the site was once a naturist resort named "Desert Gardens Ranch."
It is outside Desert Hot Springs, California and consists ...
, which is the most popular feature in the park.
*
Pedlow Skate Park
Pedlow Skate Park is a skatepark in the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles, California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approxim ...
–
Encino, California
Encino (Spanish language, Spanish for "oak") is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California.
History
In 1769, the Spanish Portolá expedition, first Europeans to see inland areas of California, traveled north t ...
great for pool skating, more than .
*
Playing Place
Playing Place is a village southwest of Truro in Cornwall, England, UK. It is to the east of the A39 road.Ordnance Survey ''One-inch Map of Great Britain; Truro and Falmouth, sheet 190''. 1961 The name derives from Cornish ' plain an gwarry' (me ...
, Cornwall, UK
* Rampworx skatepark – The largest indoor venue in the UK, covering and located in
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
, England.
*
The Rom
The Rom is a Grade II listed skatepark in Hornchurch, East London, England. Built in 1978, and designed by Adrian Rolt of G-Force, it is the most completely preserved purpose-built skatepark in England. It is the first skatepark in Europe to ac ...
*
Santa Maria Skate Park
Santa Maria (Spanish language, Spanish for "Mary, mother of Jesus, St. Mary") is a city near the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California in northern Santa Barbara County, California, Santa Barbara County. It is approximately no ...
– Fletcher Park. 700 Southside Pkwy, Santa Maria, California.
*
Skatepark of Tampa
The Skatepark of Tampa is a skatepark in Tampa, Florida, United States. It is considered one of the top skateboarding venues on the East Coast of the United States. The name is often abbreviated as ''SPoT'', and it is well known for its annual ' ...
– Skatepark in
Tampa
Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough County ...
and home of the annual
Tampa Pro
Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough Coun ...
.
*
Skatopia
Skatopia is an skatepark near Rutland, Ohio, United States, owned and operated by pro skater Brewce Martin. Skatopia is known for its anarchist atmosphere and annual music festivals Bowl Bash and Backwoods Blowout. It was described by one write ...
– Anarchist Skatepark in
Rutland, Ohio
Rutland is a village in Meigs County, Ohio, United States. The population was 393 at the 2010 census.
Geography
Rutland is located at (39.042291, -82.128967). The village lies in the Appalachian Plateau physiographic region. It is situated in ...
*
Stockwell Skatepark
Stockwell Skatepark, also known as "Brixton Bowls" or "Brixton Beach", is a concrete skatepark situated on the corner of Stockwell Park Walk and Stockwell Road in the borough of Lambeth in South London. Construction of the park was funded by t ...
– South London, England
* Turf Skatepark – Built in 1979, included five concrete pools in an indoor/outdoor facility in
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
, Wisconsin (defunct since 1996).
* Pyongyang Skatepark, the first skatepark in North Korea.
Gallery of Skateparks
File:Jiro Platt - Far Rockaway Skatepark - September - 2019.jpg
File:Simon Vasquez nails a lipslide at LES skatepark.jpg
File:LouisvilleExtremePark.jpg
File:Alondra Skate Park 2012-7-16.jpg
File:Highbridge Skatepark.jpg
File:Frontside 180 - women's round - Battle for the Beach skate contest - Far Rockaway Skatepark - September - 2019.jpg
File:BMX in Ontario park.jpg
File:Starlin Polanco slides down the rail during a backside lipslide at LES skatepark.jpg
File:Skate_pool.jpg
File:Indy grab at Millennium Skate Park during NYC Skate Coalition's Pool Series event - October 2019.jpg
File:Nicholas Deconie frontside five-0 at Millennium Skate Park, Owl's Head Park.jpg
File:Julio Pineda with the bowl ollie at Owl's Head Skate Park - October 2019.jpg
File:Air in front of the clouds - Far Rockaway Skatepark - September - 2019.jpg
File:50-50 - bleached hair - Far Rockaway Skatepark - September - 2019.jpg
File:Venice Beach Skatepark (Unsplash).jpg
File:Venice Skate Park - panoramio.jpg
File:Nashville_Skatepark_1.jpg
File:Skaters wait to skate at the Far Rockaway Skatepark - September - 2019.jpg
File:Clipmode - Far Rockaway Skatepark - September - 2019.jpg
File:Skate park (Parque La Carolina) pic.a3320.jpg
File:Eric Scott McKinley Skate Park.jpg
File:Skate-Park-Practice.gif
File:Bayonne Bridge skate board park.agr.jpg
File:Extreme park aerial.jpg
File:Ghosts in a panorama of a pool (31329444473).jpg
File:Lanier Park Madison 7.jpg
File:Louisville extreme park 01.jpg
File:Maloof Skate Park.jpg
File:Pedlow Field Skate Park.JPG
File:180 in an orange shirt at Far Rockaway Skatepark - 2019.jpg
File:Sam Sneed at Far Rockaway Skatepark - 2019.jpg
See also
*
List of skateparks This is a list of notable skateparks.
Builders of skateparks include local skateboarders creating do it yourself / "barge board" parks and firms such as SITE Design Group and Grindline Skateparks.
The first skatepark to receive historic designat ...