Best City For Skateboarding? The 185 Detailed Answer

have a skateboard, travel, right? Well, not necessarily. Sometimes finding a place to skateboard can be difficult – so we’ve put together a list of possible places to look out for.

General places to skateboard

No matter where you live, there are usually some structural supports that are pretty skate-friendly. Just in case you forgot, here’s the rundown.

1. A skate park

Let’s just get the most obvious thing out of the way. If you live in a city, chances are you’re somewhere near a skate park. Spend a fun afternoon there practicing tricks, making friends and brushing up on your skills.

2. A real park

Paved bike lanes (especially if they’re not crowded) are your friend. Get nature to the fullest by skating through trees and grassy hills.

3. An empty parking lot

Looking for a place to practice your turns and kickflips away from the hustle and bustle of the skate park? An empty parking lot can be your salvation.

However, first look for signs that say “No Skateboarding” – but you already knew that. If it’s your high school parking lot or a store, it’s best to ask beforehand.

A tip: if you’re worried about cars, pull a set of board blazers on your board! They are the perfect skateboard LED lights, helping your board stand out at night.

4. An indoor skate park

Yes, it’s more expensive than any of the first three (completely free) options – but especially when the weather is terrible outside, an indoor skate park is definitely delightful.

5. Your garage

Of course, this only works if you have A) a garage, B) that’s reasonably empty, C) with a concrete floor. But if your stars are aligned enough that this is a thing in your life, get out there and skate!

6. Carpet or grass

This is less “skating” and more “a soft place to practice tricks.” But if it’s all for now, it’s better than nothing.

How to find your own skateboard spots

Like a chef without a recipe of his own, what’s a real skateboarder without his signature point? Here are some ways to find your own.

7. Join a skate group.

Make friends with some skaters (ideally at a skate park) and start participating in rides. Ask where they usually skate. If they share, great!

8. Use skateboard spot apps

Sites like ISkateHere and Skatebook.Me let skaters bookmark (and share) their favorite spots. Enter your location to find places near you!

9. Go on your own mission

Drive around, hitchhike, take the bus, go for a walk – however it makes sense for you to explore your city, look out for interesting concrete spots with skateable architecture. Railings, stairs, benches, etc. If you find anything promising (and not privately owned), take a picture and note the address.

Cities that are exceptionally friendly to skateboarders

This advice works for (ideally) every skateboarder living anywhere. But if you’re looking for cities (either to visit or live for a day) where skateboarding is really popular, you’ll want one of these:

10. Portland, OR, USA

In Portland, skateboards have the same legal rights as bicycles—there are “preferred skate routes” and so on!

11. San Diego, CA, USA

You probably already guessed that this one would make the list. It’s friendly, it’s got a lot of beaches and promenades and it’s already home to a lot of famous skaters!

Skaters – how did you find your favorite skate spots? Let us know in the comments!

Copyright: Shannon Kelley

Cool Spaces: America’s largest skate park

Cool Spaces this week focuses on the country’s largest spoke park.

SPRING, TX (KTRK) – They say everything is bigger in Texas and skate parks are no exception.

At 78,000 square feet, North Houston Skatepark in Spring, Texas is the nation’s largest free skate park.

“We spoke to the children in the area and said what would you like to see, what can we do for you?” says Sally Bradford, director of Greenspoint Redevelopment. “There was a need in the community and in the city.”

Since the park opened in the summer of 2014, North Houston Skatepark has seen over 100,000 skaters from over 20 different countries.

The Texas-sized skating complex includes a 12-foot vertical ramp, 10-foot bowl, backyard-style pools, a Lone Star State-shaped competition bowl with a full pipe area, street skating with ledges, rails, benches , quarterpipes and stair obstacles.

“We knew that once we decided to build a skate park, we were going to do it right and build one that would put Houston on the map,” says Sally.

San Diego Milestones in Skateboarding Evolution

Although there are stories of skate wheels being mounted on wooden planks as early as the 1920s, skateboarding as we know it today began in the late 1940s or early 1950s when surfers in California looked for a job when the waves were flat were.

Skateboarding quickly became a trend throughout Southern California and spread across the country. In 1964, San Diego surfboard pioneers Larry Gordon and Floyd Smith (co-founders of Gordon & Smith Surfboards) used their manufacturing expertise to develop a revolutionary new skateboard process that combined Bo-Tuff (a glass fiber reinforced epoxy) with a maple wood core. Known as the Fibreflex skateboard, it was the first laminated board designed for the skate market.

After a significant decline in popularity in the late 1960s, the introduction of urethane wheels and other innovations in the early 1970s led to a renewed interest in the sport and a search for more challenging places to ride. For a few years in the early 1970s, an empty Escondido Reservoir became Southern California’s hot spot to skate, and its terrain influenced the design of future skate parks.

Skateboarding’s widespread comeback was accelerated in 1975 when Del Mar hosted one of the largest skateboarding competitions since the 1960s. The Del Mar National Championships, a two-day competition with up to 500 competitors, introduced the world to a new way of riding by the LA-based Zephyr team, which included Tony Alva, Jay Adams and Stacy Peralta. The team had developed their style in empty swimming pools during severe drought years in California. Instead of riding in the slick, gliding style of longboard surfers, they brought an aggressive, belligerent nature to their skating, similar to the style revolution that took place when shortboards were introduced for surfing. Known as the Z-Boys, they were featured in the 2005 film Lords of Dogtown.

That same year, a residential area in La Costa became the most popular local skate spot in history. After years of construction delays, the already-completed streets and sidewalks became a mecca for skaters from across Southern California.

In May 1976, the Carlsbad Skatepark opened to the public. It was one of the first two skate parks in the world, both opening this month.

As interest in skateboarding waned and high insurance costs forced most skate parks to close in the early 1980s, the Del Mar Ranch Skate Park became a focal point for California skateboarding, attracting a contingent of hardcore skateboarders from around the world.

Today, there are more than 35 formal skate parks in San Diego County, and you’ll see skateboarders young and old wherever you go. What began as a pastime when the surf died down is alive and well and has now become an iconic Southern California tradition.

SAN DIEGO NOTABLE

TONY HAWK

Skateboard legend Tony Hawk was born in Carlsbad, grew up in San Diego and now lives with Encinitas. At the age of 16, Hawk was considered the best competitive skateboarder in the world. During the 1997 X Games, he landed four 540s in a row, a feat that’s widely regarded as one of the greatest runs of all time. By 1998, Tony Hawk had won the National Skateboard Association World Championship twelve years in a row and had invented more than fifty tricks. In 1999, he cemented his legendary status by completing the first-ever Frontside 900, two and a half turns in the air. Riley Hawk followed in his father’s footsteps in 2013, on his 21st birthday, turning pro and winning Skateborder’s Amateur of the Year award.

SHAUN WHITE

Although Shaun White is best known for his snowboarding skills, he is also a skateboarder. Under the tutelage of Tony Hawk, whom he met at a San Diego skate park at age 9, White became a skateboarding pro at age 17 and winner of five Winter X Games metals. He is the only skater to land the Frontside Heelflip 540 Body Varial.

PATTI MCGEE

In 1964, Patti McGee of San Diego set the women’s speed record at 47 miles per hour. As the first Woman’s National Skateboard Champion in 1965, she was featured on the cover of Life and Skateboarder magazines and became the first woman to be inducted into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame.

DON’T MISS SAN DIEGO’S SKATE PARKS

Washington Street Skate Park is a free public park funded and maintained by local skateboarders. It is widely regarded as one of the best skate parks in the world.

The first skateboard park built by the City of San Diego, Robb Field Skateboard Park in Ocean Beach was designed with input from top local skateboarders like Tony Hawk.

Featuring a wooden bowl, concrete bowl, vert ramp, mini ramp, street course and BMX park, the 60,000 square foot Krause Family Skate and Bike Park in Clairemont has something for all ages and skill levels, and features many of San Diego’s best skaters train there regularly.

Memorial Skate Park in Logan Heights is a great all-free community skate park and one of the best skate parks in San Diego County.

Local skateboard pro Willy Santos was instrumental in getting the Rancho Penasquitos Skate Park approved and built in 2005. An impressive array of street and ramp features keep it challenging, but there’s something for everyone.

Carmel Valley Skate Park is a massive, world-class skate park designed with the help of pro skater Chris Miller.

Alex Road Skatepark in Oceanside (AKA Prince Park) is a local favorite and includes street features, two bowls and two snake runs and is great for all skill levels.

Featuring an 80-foot vert ramp from the 2003 X Games and two of the county’s best pools, Encinitas’ Magdalena Ecke Family YMCA Skate Park is challenging, fun, and a home base for many local pros over the years.

COMPANIES IN THE SKATE INDUSTRY

Gordon & Smith Surfboards began manufacturing skateboards in the 1960’s and became an industry leader with their Fibreflex skateboards. They are also known for their surf and skate wear.

Birdhouse Skateboards is a Vista skateboard company co-founded by former Powell-Peralta pros Tony Hawk and Per Welinder.

Since 1993, Sector 9 Skateboard Co. has been known for its longboards for surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding.

The Muir Skate Longboard Shop, which started in 2005 in a store at UCSD’s John Muir College (hence the name) and is now located in Miramar, and the Soul Grind Skate Shop in Pacific Beach both offer a wide variety of skate products and accessories as well as free first-hand purchase advice.

FIGHT AT CLAIREMONT

Hosting more than 45 of the world’s top action athletes, the annual Clash at Clairemont is Southern California’s premier action sports fundraising celebration, bringing together the biggest names in skateboarding and BMX to end cancer and support the YMCA.

Check out the skateboarding scene in San Diego today, then grab your board and visit a San Diego skate park!

The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual senior figure skating event where medals are awarded in four disciplines: singles, pairs and ice dancing for men and women. The world title is considered the most important competitive achievement in figure skating after the Olympic gold medal and the most prestigious title at ISU figure skating championships.

Men’s singles [edit]

The men’s competition was first held in Saint Petersburg in 1896 and is the oldest discipline at the World Championships.[1] Until 1902 men and women were allowed to compete in the same event (open singles). Since 1903, only men have been able to take part in the event.[2]

Ulrich Salchow of Sweden has the most gold medals in men’s singles and also the most medals overall (thirteen). He won ten consecutive gold medals, but he failed to do so in consecutive events as he did not compete in the 1906 World Championships in Munich. Austrian Karl Schäfer holds the record for the most consecutive titles with seven gold medals. James Grogan of the USA and Brian Orser of Canada (four each) won the most silver medals. Andor Szende of Hungary, Alexander Fadeev of the Soviet Union and Jan Hoffmann of East Germany share the record for most bronze medals (three each).[1]

Total medal count by nation[ edit ]

Countries that no longer participate are highlighted in italics

Small medals of each competition segment are not included in the list.

At the 1900 and 1901 World Championships, only two competitors took part in the men’s individual competition, no bronze medals were awarded. [1]

In 1902, figure skater Madge Syers of Great Britain won a silver medal in the open individual competition, which counts for the men’s individual medal table.[2]

Number of World Championship medals in men’s individual event by nation[3][4] Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total 1 United States 26 21 20 67 2 Austria 22 16 15 53 3 Sweden 15 4 3 22 4 Canada 14 13 6 33 5 Russia 7 4 6 17 6 ​​Japan 4 11 5 20 7 Soviet Union 4 7 7 18 8 France 3 7 9 19 9 Czechoslovakia 3 3 1 7 10 Switzerland 3 1 2 6 11 Germany 2 9 9 20 12 Great Britain 2 8 5 15 13 East Germany 2nd 2 4 8 14 Spain 2 0 2 4 15 West Germany 1 2 1 4 16 CIS 1 0 0 1 17 Hungary 0 2 6 8 18 Kazakhstan 0 1 1 2 19 China 0 0 2 2 20 Finland 0 0 1 1 Italy 0 0 1 1 Norway 0 0 1 1 Poland 0 0 1 1 Ukraine 0 0 1 1 Total (24 Nations) 111 111 109 331

Most Gold Medals by Skaters[edit]

Dick Button won the most gold medals in men’s singles at the World Championships in the post-war period. He won all five gold medals in consecutive events.

Number of gold medals highlighted in bold. If the number of gold medals is the same, the silver and bronze medals will be used as tie-breakers (in that order). If all numbers are the same, the skaters get the same placement and are sorted alphabetically.

. If the number of gold medals is the same, the silver and bronze medals will be used as tie-breakers (in that order). If all numbers are the same, the skaters get the same placement and are sorted alphabetically. The table only shows the period from the first to the last medal won, not all participations in world championships.

Top 10 ranking of male individual runners by most gold medals won at World Championships[3][4] No. Runner Country Period Total 1 Sweden 1897–1911 10 3 – 13 2 Austria 1927–1936 7 2 1 10 3 United States 1947 – 1952 5 1 – 6 4 Austria 1913 – 1928 4 3 2 9 5 Russia 1997 – 2002 4 1 1 6 6 Canada 1989 – 1993 4 1 – 5 7 USA 1950 – 1956 4 – 2 6 8 USA 1981 – 1984 4 – – 4 9 Austria 1911-1925 3 3 1 7 10 Canada 1992-2000 3 2 1 6

Most overall medals by skater[edit]

Yuzuru Hanyu is the only figure skater to have won more than six medals (seven total) at world championships in the 21st century.

Total number of medals highlighted in bold. If the total number of medals is the same, the gold, silver and bronze medals will be used as tie-breakers (in that order). If all numbers are the same, the skaters get the same placement and are sorted alphabetically.

. If the total number of medals is the same, the gold, silver and bronze medals will be used as tie-breakers (in that order). If all numbers are the same, the skaters get the same placement and are sorted alphabetically. The table only shows the period from the first to the last medal won, not all participations in world championships.

Top 10 ranking of male individual runners by most medals won at World Championships[3][4] No. Runner Country Period Total 1 Sweden 1897–1911 10 3 – 13 2 Austria 1927–1936 7 2 1 10 3 Austria 1913–1928 4 3 2 9 4 Austria 1911–1925 3 3 1 7 5 Japan 2012–2021 2 3 2 7 6 East Germany 1973–1980 2 2 3 7 7 USA 1947–1952 5 1 – 6 8 Russia 1997–2002 4 1 1 6 9 USA 1950-1956 4 – 2 6 10 Canada 1992-2000 3 2 1 6

Women’s singles[edit]

After excluding female figure skaters from open individual competition at the World Championships in 1902, the International Skating Union established a separate second-rate competition for women, the ISU Championships, which was first held in Davos in 1906. The first combined world championships for men, women and pairs were held in New York City in 1930.[5]

Sonja Henie of Norway holds the record for most medals (eleven) and most gold medals (ten) in women’s singles, which is also the longest winning streak in consecutive events in the discipline. Six skaters share the record for most silver medals won (three) – Megan Taylor of Great Britain, Regine Heitzer of Austria, Gabriele Seyfert of East Germany, Surya Bonaly of France, Irina Slutskaya of Russia and Michelle Kwan of the United States. Vivi-Anne Hultén of Sweden and Carolina Kostner of Italy hold the record for most bronze medals (three each).[3]

Total medal count by nation[ edit ]

Sonja Henie is the most decorated skater at the World Championships in women’s singles. She has won ten gold and one silver medals for Norway

Countries that no longer participate are highlighted in italics

Small medals of each competition segment are not included in the list.

At the World Championships in 1908 and 1910, only two competitors took part in the women’s singles, no bronze medals were awarded. [6]

At the 1909 World Championships, Lily Kronberger of Hungary was the sole competitor and gold medal winner. No silver or bronze medal was awarded.[6]

Most Gold Medals by Skaters[edit]

Carol Heiss was the first post-war individual skater to win five gold medals at World Championships.

Number of gold medals highlighted in bold. If the number of gold medals is the same, the silver and bronze medals will be used as tie-breakers (in that order). If all numbers are the same, the skaters get the same placement and are sorted alphabetically.

. If the number of gold medals is the same, the silver and bronze medals will be used as tie-breakers (in that order). If all numbers are the same, the skaters get the same placement and are sorted alphabetically. The table only shows the period from the first to the last medal won, not all participations in world championships.

Most overall medals by skater[edit]

With a total of five gold and nine medals, Michelle Kwan is the most successful figure skater in the women’s singles at post-war world championships.

Total number of medals highlighted in bold. If the total number of medals is the same, the gold, silver and bronze medals will be used as tie-breakers (in that order). If all numbers are the same, the skaters get the same placement and are sorted alphabetically.

. If the total number of medals is the same, the gold, silver and bronze medals will be used as tie-breakers (in that order). If all numbers are the same, the skaters get the same placement and are sorted alphabetically. The table only shows the period from the first to the last medal won, not all participations in world championships.

Top 10 ranking of women’s individual runners by most medals won at World Championships[3][7] No. Runner Country Period Total 1 Norway 1926-1936 10 1 – 11 2 United States 1996-2004 5 3 1 9 3 United States 1955 – 1960 5 1 – 6 Austria 1922–1927 5 1 – 6 5 East Germany 1982–1988 4 2 – 6 6 Hungary 1906–1911 4 – 2 6 7 Russia 1996–2005 2 3 1 6 8 South Korea 2007–2013 2 2 2 6 9 Italy 2005-2014 1 2 3 6 10 Japan 2007-2014 3 1 1 5 Netherlands 1959-1964 3 1 1 5

Couples[edit]

The first separate pair event took place in Saint Petersburg in 1908.[8] The first combined world championships for men, women and pairs were held in New York City in 1930.[5]

Irina Rodnina and Alexander Zaitsev of the Soviet Union hold the pairs record for most gold medals won and longest winning streak in consecutive events (six). Rodnina won another four gold medals with her first partner Alexei Ulanov and went unbeaten in ten consecutive world championships.[8] The record for most medals is shared by two pairs (eight each): Aljona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany, and Ludmila Belousova and Oleg Protopopov of the Soviet Union. Savchenko won another three medals with Bruno Massot and holds the record for most medals by a figure skater in pairs (eleven). Siblings Ilse and Erik Pausin won the most silver medals (five) and represented Austria and Nazi Germany at their last competition in 1939. Lyudmila Smirnova of the Soviet Union also won five silver medals, but with two different partners. Three couples share the record for most bronze medals (three each): siblings Marianna and László Nagy of Hungary, Cynthia and Ronald Kauffman of the US, and couple Pang Qing and Tong Jian of China. Todd Sand of the USA and Eric Radford of Canada also won three bronze medals, albeit with two different partners.[3]

Total medal count by nation[ edit ]

Countries that no longer participate are highlighted in italics

Small medals of each competition segment are not included in the list.

At the World Championships in 1910 and 1911, Ludowika Eilers and Walter Jakobsson competed as a pair from two different countries (Eilers for Germany and Jakobsson for Finland). [8] Your results count individually for each country in the overall medal table.

Your results count individually for each country in the overall medal table. At the 1911 World Championships Eilers and Jakobsson were the only competitors in the pairs competition, no silver or bronze medal was awarded.[8]

Most gold medals per pair[ edit ]

With a total of five gold medals and eight medals, Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy are the most successful doubles pairing at world championships in the 21st century.

Only pair results are included in the list. Individual results when changing partners are marked with a note or listed separately below the table.

Number of gold medals highlighted in bold. If the number of gold medals is the same, the silver and bronze medals will be used as tie-breakers (in that order). If all numbers are the same, the couples get the same placement and are sorted alphabetically by their partner’s last name.

. If the number of gold medals is the same, the silver and bronze medals will be used as tie-breakers (in that order). If all numbers are the same, the couples get the same placement and are sorted alphabetically by their partner’s last name. The table only shows the period from the first to the last medal won, not all participations in world championships.

If a skater or pair competed for multiple countries, all of those countries are listed in chronological order based on the time period of the competition (first to last).

Most overall medals per pair[ edit ]

Only pair results are included in the list. Individual results when changing partners are marked with a note or listed separately below the table.

Total number of medals highlighted in bold. If the total number of medals is the same, the gold, silver and bronze medals will be used as tie-breakers (in that order). If all numbers are the same, the couples get the same placement and are sorted alphabetically by their partner’s last name.

. If the total number of medals is the same, the gold, silver and bronze medals will be used as tie-breakers (in that order). If all numbers are the same, the couples get the same placement and are sorted alphabetically by their partner’s last name. The table only shows the period from the first to the last medal won, not all participations in world championships.

If a skater or pair competed for multiple countries, all of those countries are listed in chronological order based on the time period of the competition (first to last).

Four other figure skaters won a total of 6 medals in pairs competition, but with different partners:[8]

ice dance [edit]

Ice dancing is the youngest of all four disciplines at the World Figure Skating Championships. It was first held in Paris in 1952.[10]

Lyudmila Pakhomova and Alexandr Gorshkov of the Soviet Union hold the record for most gold medals won (six) and longest winning streak in consecutive events at five (they did not compete in 1975). The record for most medals overall is shared by three ice dance duos (eight each): Natalia Bestemianova and Andrei Bukin, Marina Klimova and Sergei Ponomarenko, and Irina Moiseeva and Andrei Minenkov, all representing the Soviet Union (although Klimova and Ponomarenko were represented). CIS in their last competition in 1992). Also, most silver medals were won by Klimova and Ponomarenko (five), while Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz of Canada (four) held the record for most bronze medals.[10]

Total medal count by nation[ edit ]

Countries that no longer participate are highlighted in italics

Small medals of each competition segment are not included in the list.

Most gold medals by ice dance duo[ edit ]

(A) – Active skater

Only duos results are included in the list. Individual results when changing partners are listed separately below the table.

Number of gold medals highlighted in bold. If the number of gold medals is the same, the silver and bronze medals will be used as tie-breakers (in that order). If all numbers are the same, the duos receive the same placement and are sorted alphabetically by their partner’s last name.

. If the number of gold medals is the same, the silver and bronze medals will be used as tie-breakers (in that order). If all numbers are the same, the duos receive the same placement and are sorted alphabetically by their partner’s last name. The table only shows the period from the first to the last medal won, not all participations in world championships.

If a skater or duo has competed for multiple countries, all of those countries will be listed in chronological order based on the time period of the competition (first to last).

Another figure skater has won 4 gold and 1 silver medals in the ice dance event, but with two different partners:[10]

Courtney Jones of Great Britain has won two gold and one silver medals with his partner June Markham (1956-1958) and two more gold medals with Doreen Denny (1959-1960).

Most overall ice dance duo medals[edit]

(A) – Active skater

Only duos results are included in the list. Individual results when changing partners are listed separately below the table.

Total number of medals highlighted in bold. If the total number of medals is the same, the gold, silver and bronze medals will be used as tie-breakers (in that order). If all numbers are the same, the duo gets the same placement and is sorted alphabetically by the partner’s last name.

. If the total number of medals is the same, the gold, silver and bronze medals will be used as tie-breakers (in that order). If all numbers are the same, the duo gets the same placement and is sorted alphabetically by the partner’s last name. The table only shows the period from the first to the last medal won, not all participations in world championships.

If a skater or duo has competed for multiple countries, all of those countries will be listed in chronological order based on the time period of the competition (first to last).

Three other figure skaters won a total of 5 medals in the ice dance event, but with different partners:[10]

Total[edit]

The table only shows the period of performance, not all participations in world championships.

If a skater or team has competed for multiple countries, all of those countries are listed in chronological order based on the time period of the competition (first to last).

Medal records in all four disciplines at the World Figure Skating Championships[3] Achievement Record Ice Skater Country Discipline Period Most Gold Medals 10 Sweden Men’s Singles 1901–1911 Norway Women’s Singles 1927–1936 Soviet Union Doubles 1969–1978 Most Silver Medals 5 Austria

Germany Pair 1935-1939 Soviet Union Pair 1970-1974 Ice Dancing 1985-1991 Most Bronze Medals 4 Canada Ice Dancing 1996-1999 Most Medals Overall 13 Sweden Men’s Singles 1897-1911 Most Wins in Consecutive Events 10 Norway Women’s Singles 1927-1936 Soviet Union Couples 1969–1978

Total medal count by nation[ edit ]

Countries that no longer participate are highlighted in italics

Small medals of each competition segment are not included in the list.

Most Gold Medals by Skaters[edit]

Number of gold medals highlighted in bold. If the number of gold medals is the same, the silver and bronze medals will be used as tie-breakers (in that order). If all numbers are the same, the skaters get the same placement and are sorted alphabetically.

. If the number of gold medals is the same, the silver and bronze medals will be used as tie-breakers (in that order). If all numbers are the same, the skaters get the same placement and are sorted alphabetically. The table only shows the period from the first to the last medal won, not all participations in world championships.

Most overall medals by skater[edit]

With a total of eleven medals, Alyona Savchenko is the most decorated skater of all disciplines at post-war World Championships.

Total number of medals highlighted in bold. If the total number of medals is the same, the gold, silver and bronze medals will be used as tie-breakers (in that order). If all numbers are the same, the skaters get the same placement and are sorted alphabetically.

. If the total number of medals is the same, the gold, silver and bronze medals will be used as tie-breakers (in that order). If all numbers are the same, the skaters get the same placement and are sorted alphabetically. The table only shows the period from the first to the last medal won, not all participations in world championships.

Top 10 ranking of skaters by most medals won in all disciplines at the World Championships [3][4][7][9][11] No. Skater Country Discipline(s) Period Total 1 Sweden Men’s Singles 1897– 1911 10-13 2 Norway Women’s Singles 1926-1936 10 1-11 3 Germany Doubles 2007-2018 6 3 2 11 4 Soviet Union Doubles 1969-1978 10 — 10 5 Austria Men’s Singles 1927-1936 7 2 1 10 6 Austria Women’s Singles 1922-1927 7 1 1 9 Pairs 7 USA Women’s Singles 1996-2004 5 3 1 9 8 Austria Men’s Singles 1913-1928 4 3 2 9 9 Germany Men’s Singles 1931-1939 4 2 3 9 Pairs 10 Germany Pair 2007-2014 5 2 1 8

See also[edit]

Notes [edit]

Skateboarding has a moment right now. Since it was approved for inclusion as an Olympic sport in 2016, it has evolved from an underground hobby to a professional sport on the global stage. If anything, his Olympic debut shows the hype will continue to grow in Japan after winning three out of six street skateboarding medals. But those successes surprised many who are familiar with the stigma that skateboarding still carries in this country.

Skateboarding has been frowned upon by many because it is a noisy and dangerous activity, notorious for damaging property and associated with a rebellious subculture. With signs in major Japanese cities specifically forbidding skateboarding and police officers warning young skaters on the streets, it can be intimidating to engage in the hobby. But it doesn’t have to be.

We spoke to American skateboard veteran Anthony Cochran, who has been up and down skateboarding for over 30 years, the last seven of them in Japan. Skateboarding isn’t just a hobby for him, it’s a symbol of his identity. Taking into account his and other skateboarders’ experiences, these are some things that skateboard enthusiasts in Japan should know.

Don’t get on a board and just ride anywhere

In Japan, skateboarding is illegal on busy streets and prohibited in most public areas. Skateboarding is not allowed in most places in major cities. Because of these limitations, most skaters ride and practice tricks either in skate parks or in remote locations like boardwalks. The key is not to disturb anyone.

If you prefer to skate alone somewhere in the great outdoors, you should first do some preparatory work. Stay away from children’s parks, malls, train stations, and other areas where people gather or where neighbors may hear you. Look for a quiet spot, like a path along a river or a paved patch under a bridge, away from houses and children. If you want to avoid people staring at you on the street, it is best to take your board with you and only take it out when you arrive at the desired spot.

Go to a skate park

If you prefer company, go to a skate park. These facilities allow street and vert skateboarding practice. According to Cochran, the number of available skate parks in Japan has increased in recent years. “The Maihama Skatepark is a great place if you’re dodging the Disney people. Shin Yokohama Skatepark did the best job of accommodating all levels. We’re also seeing places outside of Kanto that are really embracing and investing, which is great,” he says.

Other popular skate parks in Tokyo include Miyashita Park in Shibuya, which reopened last year on the fourth floor of the Miyashita Park mall, Komazawa Olympic Park, a free sports facility in Setagaya, and HLNA’s Raizin Sky Garden in Odaiba, a rooftop skate park , which also offers skateboarding courses for children and adults. Many of these facilities are relatively new and more and more are springing up in the city and beyond. No matter where you are in Tokyo, there’s likely to be a skate park nearby.

Don’t neglect skateboard gear

Skateboard pros may look effortlessly acrobatic, but landing a trick means falling countless times — and injuring yourself. Even in a top competition like the Olympics, well-trained athletes often stumble. Falls are the norm in this sport, not the exception.

When starting tricks, consider knee and elbow pads and a helmet. Protective gear is necessary to stay in one piece. Don’t worry about looking like a novice in the eyes of experienced drivers. In Japan, skateboarders don’t usually shy away from protective gear, and neither should you.

Wearing proper shoes for skateboarding is especially important to protect not only your feet but also your footwear. You rub the soles of your shoes with the grip tape on the top of the board, which is similar in texture to sandpaper. Even the most careful skateboarder will end up with destroyed shoes. So, before you sacrifice your beloved Converse for a weekend skateboarding session, think twice and consider buying a pair of vulcanized-soled skateboarding shoes instead.

Buy local to support the community

Skateboard gear, like most sports, can be easily found online or at major sporting goods chains. However, if you head to your local skate shop, you’ll get closer to the heart of this sport – its culture.

If you’re not sure where to go or how to start, look for a skate shop near you. Pay them a visit and don’t be afraid to chat with the staff. Most of the people who work in skate shops are skateboarders, passionate and knowledgeable about the sport and willing to help. These friendly veterans will keep you up to date on the latest skateboarding events in town, inform you of the best spots in your area, and educate you on any specific regulations your community may have regarding skateboarding.

“It’s a razor-thin margin industry for the majority of businesses and owners. But they do it for love and that’s what it’s all about,” says Cochran.

Don’t limit yourself, skateboarding is for everyone

Cochran’s mission is to debunk the notion that skateboarding has an age limit. This mission was the driving force behind his skateboard apparel brand, Salaryman Skateboard Apparel. His branding is said to be a nod to his full-time colleagues in their 30s and 30s who, in his own words, “grind through the week just to revisit some of the glory days of their youth at the weekend.” Although many get on their first skateboard as children and the sport as a whole has a youthful quality, the Olympics have seen 30-year-olds compete alongside 13-year-olds. Nobody is too old (or too young) to start skateboarding.

Skateboarding also has no gender, although it used to be a predominantly male-dominated activity. After its offset in the 1950s, it took many years for women’s skateboarding to develop, but things have changed for the better. Rising superstars like Sky Brown and Rayssa Leal become role models for the new generation. Japan has its own share of female skateboard stars. Notably, Olympic gold and bronze medalists Momiji Nishiya and Funa Nakayama, 2019 X Games winner Aori Nishimura, and vert skateboarder Kokona Hiraki, Japan’s youngest-ever Summer Olympic champion. With this precedent and a bright future, everyone is welcome to shoot, jump and ride both in Japan and abroad.

You can certainly skateboard on your own, but skateboarding can be a great way to make friends in Japan. There are many exciting things that come with it, such as meeting new people, embracing the lifestyle, and being physically active. We’re seeing more inclusion and equality on both the ramps and the streets, and we’re seeing a growth in both the popularity and understanding of the sport in Japan. We therefore believe that there is no better time than now to get on a board and have fun.

Featured image by Singink via Shutterstock

Read more: 11 Japanese Athletes to Watch at Tokyo 2020

In the past, skateboarding was seen as an unruly act that broke laws and defied the virtues of team sports. Thankfully, skateboarding is now recognized as a legitimate sport that’s not exclusive to punks, especially in Japan.

A global phenomenon: skaters are finally getting their money’s worth

In Japan, skateboarding’s popularity as a global phenomenon was particularly evident at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where young athletes Yuto Horigome and Momiji Nishiya took home gold medals for Japan, ushering in a new era for the sport. But how did Japan get here? The country has a long history of ties to the skateboarding world.

The Beginnings of Skateboarding in Japan

Since the 1990s, skateboarding has been associated with baggy clothes, rap and punk music, and rebellion. In Japan, Tokyo’s Ura-Harajuku scene was the perfect breeding ground for skate culture given the endless proliferation of underground scenes that mingled in the trendy and crowded area, including rockabilly, gothic, hip-hop and more.

What was once a western concept soon gained a new sense of global acclaim thanks to the ura harajuku scene in typically Japanese fashion. The Japanese style of skating was free, effortless, and fast-footed despite police crackdown, and this style helped redefine the sport worldwide. Today, the ubiquitous and world-renowned skate brand Supreme has six of its 12 stores in Japan – further proof that skateboarding’s current global popularity is deeply tied to Japan.

Top skate parks across Japan

Skateboarding is hugely popular in Japan today, and new places to try the sport or practice your kick flip are popping up all the time. Listed below are just some of the amazing skate parks to visit on your next visit to Japan.

Kitakyushu Skateboard Park

（ｃ）cashattosha, Yasuhiro Hagi / 萩康博

Located in a public park in Kitakyushu, this sprawling skate park welcomes skaters of all skill levels and features a drop-in bowl, benches, stairs and grind rails. Thanks to Japan’s Olympic success in skateboarding, many children are now taking up the sport and this park is a great place for children. It’s free on weekends and public holidays from 10am to 6pm, but weekday access requires a reasonable annual membership fee.

Skateboard Park Miyashita

Photo Credit: Miyashita Park Content Direction Committee

Located in the heart of Tokyo between Harajuku and Shibuya, this urban skate park integrated into the cityscape is an exciting place for visitors to the Japanese capital. The park is a bit smaller due to its urban location, and it costs 1,000 yen for a two-hour session. Helmets are required and can be borrowed for free.

Today’s Harajuku district and Miyashita Park

Photo Credit: Miyashita Park Content Direction Committee

Amazing Square Murasaki skate park in Adachi-ku

Copyright: Amazing Square Murasaki Skatepark

Sponsored by Japan’s largest extreme sports brand, Murasaki Sports, this indoor/outdoor park in northern Tokyo is real! Complete with a 14-foot half-pipe, the park is accessible year-round for about 1,000 yen a day.

Skateboarding for everyone: learn the basics or test your skills

Following Japan’s success at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, skateboarding has found a newfound appreciation among many age groups, and it’s amazing to see kids and adults alike embracing the sport and learning the basics. Are you excited to bring your board to Japan and show off your skills, or maybe just see how Japanese skaters come down?

Once a counterculture expression, skateboarding has evolved into something bigger. It fascinates millions around the world, ushering in a new era of appreciation for extreme sports and bringing people together despite language barriers. We hope that on your next visit to Japan you will experience the skateboarding scene and gain a new appreciation for this amazing global sport!

safety first

Take, for example, skaters’ tendency to reduce crime in the areas they inhabit. Oftentimes, skateboarders are the first wave of citizens to enter seedy “no-go” spaces where undesirable activity is rampant. These areas are perfect for the drivers: they are usually left to their own devices and mostly spoiled due to the structures available to them.

And when criminal activity takes place in these rooms, the perpetrators usually do not stay there for too long. Ocean Howell, a professor of architectural history at the University of Oregon and a former pro skater, described skateboarders at Philadelphia’s landmark LOVE Park as “shock troops of gentrification” given the way they were weeding out “undesirable” activity and making it accessible again before they are eventually swept up by the developers themselves.

It’s a sociological theory that O’Connor calls “eyes on the road” — the idea that a healthy, happy community has people who are “out there, visible, and doing things” — and one that was proposed by Gregory Snyder is supported, an ethnographer whose work on In urban subcultures he has studied skateboarding and graffiti extensively.

“One of the things that skateboarding does,” explains Snyder, “is it takes spaces that are often unpopulated, spaces that sometimes present opportunities for crime, and it gets more eyes there. And [the criminals] leave.”

Similar to LOVE Park’s story is that of Hubba Hideout, a notorious San Francisco drug joint in the late ’80s and early ’90s that local skaters frequented for its two oversized staircases with large concrete ledges on either side. Back then, “hubba” was the slang term for crack rock, but today you tell any skater anywhere in the world and they’ll lead you to a spot with the exact same obstacle. As skaters moved in, users moved out – which would have made for a happy ending had authorities not decided to thank them by making it a no skate zone.

All pictures by the author.

People of all backgrounds, ethnicities and incomes skateboard in DC, especially young people. That’s a good thing: Studies show that skating is an effective youth development strategy that reduces crime, boosts creativity, and reduces childhood obesity. Skating is also good for cities. The presence of skaters brings life and interest to poorly or underused public spaces.

However, DC is not a particularly friendly city for people who skate. Certain rails, benches, and ledges are designed to be hostile to skateboards, and local kids can only skate in a handful of designated parks or on the sidewalk and crosswalks unless they want to break the law. There are no private skate parks in DC, and the city lags behind many of its peers when it comes to public parks. Only Wards 2 and 6 have proper skate parks, and east of the Anacostia River there are none at all.

Without the right facilities, skaters will go wherever they are available, regardless of legality – but face the consequences. The criminalization of skateboarding in cities is both a social justice issue and an urban faux pas. Look no further than Philadelphia to understand why.

What would Jane Jacobs do?

What does the founding mother of urbanism, Jane Jacobs, say about skateboarding? This: “[Skating] is a healthy thing. There are some places that have recognized that [and there have been] good places that they have been able to do their weird skateboarding things… that’s part of freedom.”

Skating is part of Jane Jacobs’ “sidewalk ballet,” and cities try to stifle that movement and chaos to their detriment.

Philadelphia’s unintentionally skate-friendly Love Park became a mecca for skaters in the ’80s and ’90s, “The Death and Life of Great American Skate Plazas” seasons. Unfortunately, the city’s legendary skate scene was wiped out in 2000 by a new city government and against the wishes of Love Park’s own architects. The city continued to host ESPN’s X-Games at the site in 2001 and 2002, only to fence it off and arrest skateboarders after TV cameras went off.

As city officials fought to ban skateboarders from the park by 2004, Philadelphia journalist Chris Satullo opined, “Smart cities don’t spit on coincidences. They open up to spirit, creativity, serendipity, and innovation—with all the clutter that they bring.” Nevertheless, city officials eventually prevailed and the park banned skaters.

Philadelphia got it wrong with Love Park, but they took a step in the right direction by building a world-class skate park along the Schuylkill River called Paine’s Park. Nevertheless, the Love Park should have remained open to everyone. The city lost something intangible by trying to embellish this public space too much.

“If your town doesn’t have a skate park, then it has one”

This is a common quote that advocates use to convince elected officials, law enforcement, and local residents that they need skate parks. While skate parks give government a sense of control, confining skaters to these areas doesn’t quite align with notions of urbanism, placemaking, and vibrant public spaces.

Big cities have natural skate plazas and skate parks, and the goal shouldn’t be to confine skateboarding in a small space, but rather to allow a variety of people and modes of transport to move freely around the city and use and adapt spaces as they like it makes sense for them people who use them.

Which brings us to DC’s most iconic place to skate: Freedom Plaza, known colloquially as Pulaski Park. This spot is perfect for skateboarding and is therefore internationally known. From the marble and granite to the ledges and steps, and its stadium-like atmosphere and location, Freedom Plaza truly is the most authentic plaza skating experience in North America.

Of course, the property is federally owned and it’s specifically illegal to skate there. The sprawl of marble feels empty and misused, and even its designer considers the park a failure. Even though it’s banned there, skateboarders absolutely love it. Without their presence, this whole area would often feel dull and lifeless to everyone else.

Actually, your city should be a skate park, but we should also have separate skate parks. Play DC’s master plan states that our current inventory is five skate parks, but by my count the district should have at most two real skate parks and a few “skatespots” credit.

Compare DC to its peer cities and we fall short. Portland, Oregon is a great benchmark. DC has bigger challenges with youth violence but far fewer legal places to skate:

There are no skate parks in stations 7 and 8

That’s not just due to a lack of nice facilities; Criminalization also brings with it racial and justice considerations. Imagine a little black boy who encounters the US Park Police at Freedom Plaza. The law says he can be fined $50 and his skateboard confiscated. That’s more of a $200 impact.

If you were a child, what would you do in this situation? You would probably run. What if the situation escalates? It is important to remember that not everyone is punished in the same way for breaking the law. In the US in 2018 — even in progressive, diverse DC — even minor violations resulted in young people of color being arrested or even killed. A skate park east of the Anacostia River could help protect youth.

I spoke to some prominent local skaters to get their perspective. DC-based pro skater Kevin Augustine, who grew up at Pulaski Park since the early 2000s, agreed that the district should build a skate park in each borough. According to him, this would “keep the kids off the streets … it gives you a chance to express yourself and be creative.” Augustine had his own run-ins with the park police, who confiscated his skateboard and fined him a couple of $50 Has.

Darren Harper, a DC native and self-proclaimed “Obama of Skateboarding,” says despite the irony of being kicked out of a place called Freedom Plaza, skateboarders generally understand that the police are just doing their job, and many cops seem to appreciate that Skateboarding does not harm people or property – although some skaters treat it “like career criminals”. Nonetheless, skateboarding at Freedom Plaza “brings people together,” says Harper.

On the subject of the skate park in stations 7 or 8, Darren painted a more complicated picture: “I’m from the Southeast so I know what’s going on. We have much bigger issues to deal with than skateboarding does.” Still, Harper believes that a skate park could help combat youth violence if neighborhood kids could be exposed to, and empowered by, neighborhood role models like him.

For a skate park to be successful, kids have to “see it or nobody goes there. The city built a skate park behind the Potomac Gardens [actually Hopkins Apartments] without anyone knowing.” Harper believes most skaters actually feel safer downtown.

Numerous other cities are currently investing in their youth through skate parks. The City of Rochester, New York has launched a $2 million tender for a downtown skate park along the Genesee River. The city’s total budget is $527 million. DCs cost $14.6 billion! There are too many other examples to list.

Even Arlington overtakes us. It rebuilds the Powhatan Springs skate park, which by the time it was 14 was already prettier than anywhere else in DC. The new version is going to be really gnarly, my boys. For the money DC could find in the couch cushions ($2 million to $3 million to build), we could build a world-class 40,000-square-foot skate park like they routinely do in San Diego and so many other cities.

If the National Park Service thinks skateboarding is a bad thing for its city parks, they’re wrong. But what will they do about it other than criminalize the behavior? If Franklin Park is remodeled properly, they’ll still have the same “problem”. Why not work with the city to use federal land along the Anacostia River to provide a legal opportunity for youth in Districts 7 and 8 to skate?

The alternative is to continue to criminalize an activity that is healthy for our youth and our urban fabric and disproportionately endangers children of color.

Let’s look at the skate opportunities a local kid has, both official and unofficial:

Shaw Skate Park: Ward 2 (11th St. & Q St. NW)

DPR’s favorite formal skate park in town, centrally located.

Garfield Park under I-695: Ward 6 (2nd St. & Virginia Ave. SE)

This is a DIY skate park that did not require public funding. It’s probably not legal to skate here and many of the features have been superseded by CSX development.

Green Skate Lab: Ward 5 (20th St & Hamlin St NE)

This pool is another do-it-yourself project that appears to have no (or very little) public funding. It is located in DPR’s Langdon Park. It’s made of poured concrete on top of stacks of old car tires.

Palisades Skate Spot: Ward 3 (Sherier Pl. & Edmunds Pl. NW)

This is a decent place to skate for beginners and very few people at a time. It is not accessible to anyone without a car and is located in the affluent and white neighborhood of Palisades.

Takoma Skate Spot: Ward 4 (4th St. & Van Buren St. NW)

Another official DPR “skate spot,” this tiny space really shouldn’t be that close to a toddler playground and can only fit about two people at a time.

Banneker Skate Spot: Ward 1 (9th St. & Euclid St. NW)

Banneker, an official DPR skate spot, is a little smaller than Palisades but at least big enough for a few people to enjoy together. Features are limited, but it’s often illuminated at night.

Union Market Bowl: Ward 5 (6th St. & Penn St. NE)

Another DIY skate spot, actually on private property, this bowl is built from old pallets and plywood. However, the development of the Union market has made it technically illegal to skate here.

Maloof Skate Park at RFK: Ward 7 (East Capitol St. & 22nd St. NE)

Maloof, the district’s largest skate park at 15,000 square feet, was supported by a mix of private and public funds. In a nod to the tensions surrounding the criminalization of skating in public and private spaces, this park pays homage to DC’s legendary golden rail and ledges at Pulaski Park. The true gold rail at Metro Center is capped, and skateboarding is specifically prohibited on the property.

The Real Golden Rail (12th & F NW)

The covering of railings, benches and ledges raises many questions about urban design and public space. Much like benches in parks that are intentionally designed to be hostile to people affected by homelessness, such features are reminiscent of a city built for downtown business people, not the people who do the homelessness Activate the room from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and beyond, of course.

Of course it’s private property. There is property damage and liability to consider. But looking at the bigger picture, is this urban design or a suburban tactic to get off my lawn? If you’re covering rails, ledges and banks, you’re doing something wrong!

Special thanks for help with the mail from the quoted DC Skaters, a couple who remained anonymous, and SkaterDad Will Chase.

This article has been updated to reflect that Maloof Skate Park is in Ward 7 and that DC built a skate park behind the Hopkins Apartments, not the Potomac Gardens.

San Diego Milestones in Skateboarding Evolution

Although there are stories of skate wheels being mounted on wooden planks as early as the 1920s, skateboarding as we know it today began in the late 1940s or early 1950s when surfers in California looked for a job when the waves were flat were.

Skateboarding quickly became a trend throughout Southern California and spread across the country. In 1964, San Diego surfboard pioneers Larry Gordon and Floyd Smith (co-founders of Gordon & Smith Surfboards) used their manufacturing expertise to develop a revolutionary new skateboard process that combined Bo-Tuff (a glass fiber reinforced epoxy) with a maple wood core. Known as the Fibreflex skateboard, it was the first laminated board designed for the skate market.

After a significant decline in popularity in the late 1960s, the introduction of urethane wheels and other innovations in the early 1970s led to a renewed interest in the sport and a search for more challenging places to ride. For a few years in the early 1970s, an empty Escondido Reservoir became Southern California’s hot spot to skate, and its terrain influenced the design of future skate parks.

Skateboarding’s widespread comeback was accelerated in 1975 when Del Mar hosted one of the largest skateboarding competitions since the 1960s. The Del Mar National Championships, a two-day competition with up to 500 competitors, introduced the world to a new way of riding by the LA-based Zephyr team, which included Tony Alva, Jay Adams and Stacy Peralta. The team had developed their style in empty swimming pools during severe drought years in California. Instead of riding in the slick, gliding style of longboard surfers, they brought an aggressive, belligerent nature to their skating, similar to the style revolution that took place when shortboards were introduced for surfing. Known as the Z-Boys, they were featured in the 2005 film Lords of Dogtown.

That same year, a residential area in La Costa became the most popular local skate spot in history. After years of construction delays, the already-completed streets and sidewalks became a mecca for skaters from across Southern California.

In May 1976, the Carlsbad Skatepark opened to the public. It was one of the first two skate parks in the world, both opening this month.

As interest in skateboarding waned and high insurance costs forced most skate parks to close in the early 1980s, the Del Mar Ranch Skate Park became a focal point for California skateboarding, attracting a contingent of hardcore skateboarders from around the world.

Today, there are more than 35 formal skate parks in San Diego County, and you’ll see skateboarders young and old wherever you go. What began as a pastime when the surf died down is alive and well and has now become an iconic Southern California tradition.

SAN DIEGO NOTABLE

TONY HAWK

Skateboard legend Tony Hawk was born in Carlsbad, grew up in San Diego and now lives with Encinitas. At the age of 16, Hawk was considered the best competitive skateboarder in the world. During the 1997 X Games, he landed four 540s in a row, a feat that’s widely regarded as one of the greatest runs of all time. By 1998, Tony Hawk had won the National Skateboard Association World Championship twelve years in a row and had invented more than fifty tricks. In 1999, he cemented his legendary status by completing the first-ever Frontside 900, two and a half turns in the air. Riley Hawk followed in his father’s footsteps in 2013, on his 21st birthday, turning pro and winning Skateborder’s Amateur of the Year award.

SHAUN WHITE

Although Shaun White is best known for his snowboarding skills, he is also a skateboarder. Under the tutelage of Tony Hawk, whom he met at a San Diego skate park at age 9, White became a skateboarding pro at age 17 and winner of five Winter X Games metals. He is the only skater to land the Frontside Heelflip 540 Body Varial.

PATTI MCGEE

In 1964, Patti McGee of San Diego set the women’s speed record at 47 miles per hour. As the first Woman’s National Skateboard Champion in 1965, she was featured on the cover of Life and Skateboarder magazines and became the first woman to be inducted into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame.

DON’T MISS SAN DIEGO’S SKATE PARKS

Washington Street Skate Park is a free public park funded and maintained by local skateboarders. It is widely regarded as one of the best skate parks in the world.

The first skateboard park built by the City of San Diego, Robb Field Skateboard Park in Ocean Beach was designed with input from top local skateboarders like Tony Hawk.

Featuring a wooden bowl, concrete bowl, vert ramp, mini ramp, street course and BMX park, the 60,000 square foot Krause Family Skate and Bike Park in Clairemont has something for all ages and skill levels, and features many of San Diego’s best skaters train there regularly.

Memorial Skate Park in Logan Heights is a great all-free community skate park and one of the best skate parks in San Diego County.

Local skateboard pro Willy Santos was instrumental in getting the Rancho Penasquitos Skate Park approved and built in 2005. An impressive array of street and ramp features keep it challenging, but there’s something for everyone.

Carmel Valley Skate Park is a massive, world-class skate park designed with the help of pro skater Chris Miller.

Alex Road Skatepark in Oceanside (AKA Prince Park) is a local favorite and includes street features, two bowls and two snake runs and is great for all skill levels.

Featuring an 80-foot vert ramp from the 2003 X Games and two of the county’s best pools, Encinitas’ Magdalena Ecke Family YMCA Skate Park is challenging, fun, and a home base for many local pros over the years.

COMPANIES IN THE SKATE INDUSTRY

Gordon & Smith Surfboards began manufacturing skateboards in the 1960’s and became an industry leader with their Fibreflex skateboards. They are also known for their surf and skate wear.

Birdhouse Skateboards is a Vista skateboard company co-founded by former Powell-Peralta pros Tony Hawk and Per Welinder.

Since 1993, Sector 9 Skateboard Co. has been known for its longboards for surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding.

The Muir Skate Longboard Shop, which started in 2005 in a store at UCSD’s John Muir College (hence the name) and is now located in Miramar, and the Soul Grind Skate Shop in Pacific Beach both offer a wide variety of skate products and accessories as well as free first-hand purchase advice.

FIGHT AT CLAIREMONT

Hosting more than 45 of the world’s top action athletes, the annual Clash at Clairemont is Southern California’s premier action sports fundraising celebration, bringing together the biggest names in skateboarding and BMX to end cancer and support the YMCA.

Check out the skateboarding scene in San Diego today, then grab your board and visit a San Diego skate park!

Canada has its own thing going.

“The only problem with the industry in Canada is that there aren’t that many people in Canada who support a purely Canadian company,” he says. “I mean, you can do it, but not at the level that they have in the United States.” “Colin McKay

“A lot of skateboarders go into hibernation here over the winter. This definitely causes a few people to drop out every year. And get a few more to start too.” ¿Bill Wilson, Full Tilt Boardshop

Yes, Canada is cold. And considering that winter lasts an average of six months in most parts of the country, Canada has produced an incredible number of talented skateboarders over the years – a number that continues to grow.

As everywhere, skateboarding in Canada is more popular than ever. In a country of just 30 million people, there are approximately 900,000 skateboarders in its ten provinces and three territories. They contribute to a market that spends an estimated $63 million annually on skateboard hardgoods, softgoods and shoes.

“Yes,” jokes Steve Greenidge of S&J Sales, one of Canada’s largest skateboard retailers. “Statistics say kids in Canada actually skateboard.”

Much of skateboarding’s vibrant and diverse history is alive today in the Canadian industry. Former Powell Peralta pro Kevin Harris founded Vancouver-based Ultimate Skateboard Distribution in 1985. S&J Distribution was also founded in 1985 by David Greenidge, who was Vans’ sales manager in the early 1980s.

Steve Harmish, the sole Canadian of the original Bones Brigade, founded Sk8-Skates in 1986. As the only skate shop in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Sk8-Skates continues to serve and support the prairie scene in central Canada.

In 1978 Peter Ducommun and his brother Rick founded the Skull Skates brand in Regina, Saskatchewan and later moved to Vancouver, British Columbia. Still alive and well, Skull Skates has always strived to offer an alternative to the mainstream. Based in Southern California for a time in the ’80s, the company sponsored skaters such as Christian Hosoi, Dave Hackett, Steve “Bulky” Olson, and Tod Swank. Canada’s oldest surviving skateboard company, Skull, continues to operate out of Vancouver with a line of black-and-white skateboard products and the same small business ethic that started it.

Like California, but not really

While skateboarding growth and trends in Canada parallel those of the US, most Canadian industry types and self-proclaimed skateboarding historians agree that Canada has traditionally lagged behind California, but only moderately.

Contrary to what was going on up until the late 80’s, today there are only a handful of distributors running the show in Canada. Because of this, the business often becomes very competitive. Major distributors such as Ultimate Skateboard Distribution, S&J Distribution, Four Star Canada, Timebomb Trading Co., and Center Distribution all have offices on the East and West Coasts. Four Star Canada is based in Whistler, BC and K-2 Canada (Planet Earth, Adio) is based in Toronto. Smaller distributors like Montreal’s Core Distribution (Relik Bearings, Tower Skateboards) are also growing fast.

Canadian skateboard companies are also benefiting from the sport’s growth. The Montreal-based company Premium Wood by Max Dufour, Mark Pelland and Mark Mohammed was founded in 1998 to offer skateboarding something unique in terms of board construction, image and a well-coordinated team. Although their OEM manufacturing company Woodchuck Laminates was founded in 1996, Dufour says that with Premium they wanted to express that “there is potential for companies to do something outside of California.”

“I thought I might offer something different,” he adds. “I am overwhelmed by the success of thcompany in recent years. A lot has to do with the fact that we are owned and operated by skaters. That’s pretty unique about it, and that’s pretty rare to find these days. With some of the big companies, it often gets to the point where they don’t have any skateboarders to work for them.”

Most distributors are based in Vancouver, which enjoys some of the most beautiful weather in the country – not to mention that the city has been the country’s skateboarding mecca since the mid-’70s. Colin McKay, pro skater and partner in skate shops Center Distribution and RDS, knows that the Canadian skateboarding scene is strongest in his native Vancouver. Peter Sullivan, head of Vancouver-based Center Distribution and investor in RDS skate shops, agrees. He also says Canada’s distributors are doing a good job of meeting the needs of the country’s skate shops, largely eliminating the need for shops to order directly from the US.

Although the RDS stores and the Red Dragon brand have enjoyed success both in Canada and internationally, McKay understands that not all Canadian businesses have done so. “The only problem with the industry in Canada is that there aren’t that many people in Canada who support a purely Canadian company,” he says. “I mean, you can do it, but not at the level that they have in the United States.”

West 49 is the largest mall skateboard shop chain in Canada. Founded in Ontario by Sam Baio in 1995, today there are 21 stores across the country, from Alberta to Nova Scotia. West 49’s first British Columbia store will open later this spring in a suburb of Vancouver. The exclusive suburban locations are aware, says Baio: “We stay away from urban areas. We target young skateboarders between the ages of six and sixteen. Malls are more our thing.”

Bill Wilson is the founding owner of Full Tilt Boardshop in Mississauga, Ontario, a suburb of Toronto. Full Tilt has been at the forefront of supporting Canadian skateboarding, particularly in the Ontario region, since 1989. It has sponsored the Toronto stop of the Vans Warped Tour qualifiers since the mid-’90s, and the shop’s team has inducted some outstanding local talent over the years, including Derek Kettella, Andrew Gordon, Dave Lapchuk, Ariel Stagni and Matt Pirog.

Wilson firmly believes that skateboarding in Canada mirrors trends in California. “It’s just that it’s usually a year or a year and a half later,” he says. “A lot of skateboarders go into hibernation here over the winter. This definitely causes a few people to drop out every year. And get a few to start too.”

Not France

Norm Macdonald runs Ultimate Skateboard Distribution’s East Coast operations in Peterborough, Ontario. As a distributor for skate shops in Quebec and New Brunswick, Macdonald is familiar with the common misconceptions Americans have about Canada, a country that is officially bilingual. “The common misconception is that Canada is French,” he says, adding that only 30 percent of Canadians consider, speak, or understand French as their first language. “Monolingual French speakers make up less than 10 percent of our population.”

The significant cultural differences between English- and French-speaking Canadians can affect the success of imported or domestic brands across the country. “You find that it’s more common for the French to support a Quebec-based company than in other regions of the country,” says Macdonald. “They still want and want anything that comes out of the US, but beyond that, they want to support an industry that’s being nurtured by their own people.”

According to Macdonald, the different economic climates across the country are having the greatest impact on skate commerce. “Areas that lack things like services, jobs, etc. tend to have lower expectations when it comes to skate-related sales,” he says. “The ‘have’ areas are those that account for the majority of sales, with the top performers being: Ontario, B.C., Quebec and Alberta.”

Canadian skateboard companies such as District Skateboards, Eternal Skateboards, True Skateboards, Olive Skateboards and Pride Skateboards are examples of companies that are making a significant contribution to promoting the sport and nurturing talent in Canada. They’ve served as a springboard for some of Canada’s best skaters like Rick McCrank and Gailea Momolu.

Two national journals

Another important factor in the development of skateboarding in Canada was the growing supply of native skateboarding media. “Zines like Switch and Nomads served a strong hardcore niche in the mid-’90s, and currently there are only two major national magazines. Founded in 1990 by Ultimate Distribution, Concrete Powder is a free monthly magazine focused on both snowboarding and skateboarding. Skate Canada video magazine, produced by Vancouver-based Mike Prangnell, is another excellent opportunity for Canadian talent to be featured regularly in an all-Canadian video magazine. SBC Skateboard Magazine has added a new perspective to skateboarding coverage in the country. The glossy, newsstand magazine was founded in the fall of 1998 by publisher Steve Jarrett through his Toronto-based action sports publisher SBC Media.

SBC Editor-in-Chief Ryan Allan first approached Jarrett in the fall of 1998 with a proposal for the magazine. “My theory was that they (SBC Media) had already established themselves as an action sports publisher,” he says. “Originally it was just going to be an Ontario-focused magazine. Being in Toronto, I’ve never really seen Concrete Powder, which is based in Vancouver. It hardly ever made it here. But Steve Jarrett and I talked and decided to make it a national magazine.”

“It’s national and it’s good that Canadian skateboarders can finally be showcased in their own country,” said SBC Editor-in-Chief Brian Peech. “They can have peace of mind knowing they don’t have to rely on an American magazine that’s awash with Southern California content. It’s also nice to see people supporting their own scene in their own country.”

Concrete Powder is another glossy magazine getting Canadians excited about their own scene. “We’re a great way for all amateurs in Canada to get exposure to the larger skateboard industry,” said Troy Blackmore, Art Director and Associate Editor of Concrete Powder. “Most of the guys in Canada went through us, got noticed and then rose from there.”

Blackmore is very pleased with the growth of the Canadian skateboard industry. “It’s definitely grown in the last few years,” he says. “It gives a lot of Canadian drivers the opportunity to drive for a big company. Through the distributors, the Canadian teams help these guys get boards, shoes, clothes and so on. It takes the stuff to keep a scene going in Canada.”

“The Canadian skate media keeps Canadian skateboarding alive,” says Dufour, himself a top pro vert skater.

These kids are okay

McKay is rightly fascinated by the unusual number of incredibly talented skateboarders emerging from a relatively small population in a generally harsh winter climate. He mentions Mark Appleyard, Andrew Gordon and Gailea Momolu, among others. They hail from provinces like Ontario, where the number of decent skate parks can be counted on one hand, and British Columbia, where the entire province is dotted with great parks in just about every neighborhood. The winter weather in Ontario is also absolutely inhospitable for skateboarding.

Laws and regulations governing the construction of skate parks vary across the country. Locals have lower expectations when it comes to skate-related sales,” he says. “The ‘have’ areas are those that account for the majority of sales, with the top performers being: Ontario, B.C., Quebec and Alberta.”

Canadian skateboard companies such as District Skateboards, Eternal Skateboards, True Skateboards, Olive Skateboards and Pride Skateboards are examples of companies that are making a significant contribution to promoting the sport and nurturing talent in Canada. They’ve served as a springboard for some of Canada’s best skaters like Rick McCrank and Gailea Momolu.

Two national journals

Another important factor in the development of skateboarding in Canada was the growing supply of native skateboarding media. “Zines like Switch and Nomads served a strong hardcore niche in the mid-’90s, and currently there are only two major national magazines. Founded in 1990 by Ultimate Distribution, Concrete Powder is a free monthly magazine focused on both snowboarding and skateboarding. Skate Canada video magazine, produced by Vancouver-based Mike Prangnell, is another excellent opportunity for Canadian talent to be featured regularly in an all-Canadian video magazine. SBC Skateboard Magazine has added a new perspective to skateboarding coverage in the country. The glossy, newsstand magazine was founded in the fall of 1998 by publisher Steve Jarrett through his Toronto-based action sports publisher SBC Media.

SBC Editor-in-Chief Ryan Allan first approached Jarrett in the fall of 1998 with a proposal for the magazine. “My theory was that they (SBC Media) had already established themselves as an action sports publisher,” he says. “Originally it was just going to be an Ontario-focused magazine. Being in Toronto, I’ve never really seen Concrete Powder, which is based in Vancouver. It hardly ever made it here. But Steve Jarrett and I talked and decided to make it a national magazine.”

“It’s national and it’s good that Canadian skateboarders can finally be showcased in their own country,” said SBC Editor-in-Chief Brian Peech. “They can have peace of mind knowing they don’t have to rely on an American magazine that’s awash with Southern California content. It’s also nice to see people supporting their own scene in their own country.”

Concrete Powder is another glossy magazine getting Canadians excited about their own scene. “We’re a great way for all amateurs in Canada to get exposure to the larger skateboard industry,” said Troy Blackmore, Art Director and Associate Editor of Concrete Powder. “Most of the guys in Canada went through us, got noticed and then rose from there.”

Blackmore is very pleased with the growth of the Canadian skateboard industry. “It’s definitely grown in the last few years,” he says. “It gives a lot of Canadian drivers the opportunity to drive for a big company. Through the distributors, the Canadian teams help these guys get boards, shoes, clothes and so on. It takes the stuff to keep a scene going in Canada.”

“The Canadian skate media keeps Canadian skateboarding alive,” says Dufour, himself a top pro vert skater.

These kids are okay

McKay is rightly fascinated by the unusual number of incredibly talented skateboarders emerging from a relatively small population in a generally harsh winter climate. He mentions Mark Appleyard, Andrew Gordon and Gailea Momolu, among others. They hail from provinces like Ontario, where the number of decent skate parks can be counted on one hand, and British Columbia, where the entire province is dotted with great parks in just about every neighborhood. The winter weather in Ontario is also absolutely inhospitable for skateboarding.

Laws and regulations governing the construction of skate parks vary across the country. Local governments in Ontario are so concerned about liability issues that it is becoming very difficult to build parks. On the west coast, British Columbia and Alberta both have an excellent selection of free public skate parks, simply because local and state regulations are not as strict when it comes to liability and insurance issues. Toronto, Canada’s largest city with nearly five million people, is getting its first free public skate park this year. Cummer Park has a total budget of $162,000 — tiny compared to what some West Coast parks cost. There is also a great need for inexpensive indoor skate parks across Canada to accommodate skaters during the long, demobilizing winters.

Flip and Circa pro Mark Appleyard hails from Burlington, Ontario. Although he moved to Huntington Beach, California last year, he’s been to the Golden State frequently in recent years. When asked if he thinks it’s easy for Canadians to get sponsored in Canada, he’s quick to disagree: “I think it’s harder because the industry is based in California and not Canada. Nobody can be seen skating in Canada – they all have to come here if they want to be noticed by US companies and the media. Every Canadian’s first sponsor was a distributor. It’s not good or bad, but it’s better if you deal directly with the company rather than through a distributor. But the opportunities in Canada are getting better and it’s getting closer.”

“Skateboarding in Canada and the US or anywhere else is very similar,” says Peech. “We are definitely less spoiled here, having to deal with tougher winters and harder concrete. We don’t take things for granted like the people of Southern California might. There are neither skateboarders in Minneapolis nor in Michigan. But in the end, skateboarding doesn’t know many boundaries. Of course everyone is proud of where they come from, but it just boils down to skateboarding.”

Call the Mounties

SBC’s Allan sees the future of skate shops in malls: “Every other industry has gone this route and skateboarding will be no exception. You can still have a cool store in a mall. Just bring the small shop vibe and hire people who know what they’re doing – don’t hire ravers.”

Full Tilt’s Wilson sees no benefit in having skate shops in malls, and doesn’t believe the argument that they’re helping the sport grow by exposing it to young mall rats raised by the other lifestyle shops there to be attracted. “Maybe a small percentage of their business is like that,” he says. “But in Canada, skateboarding is so small that we’re all fighting for the same customers.”

As the owner of the country’s largest chain of mall skate shops, West 49’s Baio disagrees fundamentally. “We’re really helping the core businesses because a lot of these kids are going there next,” he says. “They might come to us, buy their first board and learn a few tricks, but once they have an ego, they go to the ‘core stores’.”

Baio understands that many skaters and businesses prefer not to be associated with mall culture, but he sees West 49 as an island of legitimacy in a sea of ​​retail sharks. When young people don’t go to his store, they support another industry. “It’s about doing what you believe in and we do what we believe in,” he says. “Some of the core brands don’t sell to us because they decided it would hurt them. They don’t want to be in malls, and that’s cool. I think the “core shops” are great and they serve a niche. That’s not the niche we’re looking for.”

Ducommun sees things differently. The skate shops in the malls, he says, cater to people interested in the skateboarding trend: “These non-skaters will be the first to lose interest because skateboarding is too difficult for them.”

Given the North American Free Trade Agreement and Canada’s proximity to the US skateboard industry, the idea of ​​ordering direct from US companies isn’t as common as one might think. Less than 10 percent of Canadian skate shops do, according to Wilson’s estimates. “We used to do a lot of that,” he says. “But we reduced it quite a bit because the Canadian dollar is doing badly and the Canadian distributors are doing a much better job.”

Baio agrees, “Getting skate stuff is easy in Canada. You can get it delivered the next day. Canadians are good at predicting things. They seem to know what we’re going to order before we do – not to mention that the service in Canada is really good.”

One thing Canadian businesses are not immune to is the relatively low margins that businesses in the US and internationally make from selling hard goods. “No one here can afford to sell a board,” says Wilson. “Because once you add duties, taxes and shipping costs, it’s not that easy to sell a board.”

All of the stores SKATE Biz contacted for this story generally agree that between twenty and thirty percent of their total sales come from skate shoes. As in other parts of the world, sales of skateboard hardgoods and softgoods are always strong leading up to Christmas. January and February are usually slower, or in Wilson’s words, “a complete write-off.” As spring arrives, business begins to pick up in March.

Most skate shops in Canada rely on snowboards and related merchandise to keep business strong during the winter season. Garret Louie of Timebomb Trading Co. sums it up: “Honestly, there are only a handful of skate-only shops. Most stores now carry snowboards or girls clothing and maybe wakeboards or streetwear.”

In a country where the skateboard market is still relatively small and where summer only lasts about four full months a year for most of the nation, this is a reality for skate shops. But their future is simple, according to Ducommun: “Solid stores will continue to do business, and the seedy ones will eat shit.”

Ontario authorities are so preoccupied with liability issues that it is becoming very difficult to build parks. On the west coast, British Columbia and Alberta both have an excellent selection of free public skate parks, simply because local and state regulations are not as strict when it comes to liability and insurance issues. Toronto, Canada’s largest city with nearly five million people, is getting its first free public skate park this year. Cummer Park has a total budget of $162,000 — tiny compared to what some West Coast parks cost. There is also a great need for inexpensive indoor skate parks across Canada to accommodate skaters during the long, demobilizing winters.

Flip and Circa pro Mark Appleyard hails from Burlington, Ontario. Although he moved to Huntington Beach, California last year, he’s been to the Golden State frequently in recent years. When asked if he thinks it’s easy for Canadians to get sponsored in Canada, he’s quick to disagree: “I think it’s harder because the industry is based in California and not Canada. Nobody can be seen skating in Canada – they all have to come here if they want to be noticed by US companies and the media. Every Canadian’s first sponsor was a distributor. It’s not good or bad, but it’s better if you deal directly with the company rather than through a distributor. But the opportunities in Canada are getting better and it’s getting closer.”

“Skateboarding in Canada and the US or anywhere else is very similar,” says Peech. “We are definitely less spoiled here, having to deal with tougher winters and harder concrete. We don’t take things for granted like the people of Southern California might. There are neither skateboarders in Minneapolis nor in Michigan. But in the end, skateboarding doesn’t know many boundaries. Of course everyone is proud of where they come from, but it just boils down to skateboarding.”

Call the Mounties

SBC’s Allan sees the future of skate shops in malls: “Every other industry has gone this route and skateboarding will be no exception. You can still have a cool store in a mall. Just bring the small shop vibe and hire people who know what they’re doing – don’t hire ravers.”

Full Tilt’s Wilson sees no benefit in having skate shops in malls, and doesn’t believe the argument that they’re helping the sport grow by exposing it to young mall rats raised by the other lifestyle shops there to be attracted. “Maybe a small percentage of their business is like that,” he says. “But in Canada, skateboarding is so small that we’re all fighting for the same customers.”

As the owner of the country’s largest chain of mall skate shops, West 49’s Baio disagrees fundamentally. “We’re really helping the core businesses because a lot of these kids are going there next,” he says. “They might come to us, buy their first board and learn a few tricks, but once they have an ego, they go to the ‘core stores’.”

Baio understands that many skaters and businesses prefer not to be associated with mall culture, but he sees West 49 as an island of legitimacy in a sea of ​​retail sharks. When young people don’t go to his store, they support another industry. “It’s about doing what you believe in and we do what we believe in,” he says. “Some of the core brands don’t sell to us because they decided it would hurt them. They don’t want to be in malls, and that’s cool. I think the “core shops” are great and they serve a niche. That’s not the niche we’re looking for.”

Ducommun sees things differently. The skate shops in the malls, he says, cater to people interested in the skateboarding trend: “These non-skaters will be the first to lose interest because skateboarding is too difficult for them.”

Given the North American Free Trade Agreement and Canada’s proximity to the US skateboard industry, the idea of ​​ordering direct from US companies isn’t as common as one might think. Less than 10 percent of Canadian skate shops do, according to Wilson’s estimates. “We used to do a lot of that,” he says. “But we reduced it quite a bit because the Canadian dollar is doing badly and the Canadian distributors are doing a much better job.”

Baio agrees, “Getting skate stuff is easy in Canada. You can get it delivered the next day. Canadians are good at predicting things. They seem to know what we’re going to order before we do – not to mention that the service in Canada is really good.”

One thing Canadian businesses are not immune to is the relatively low margins that businesses in the US and internationally make from selling hard goods. “No one here can afford to sell a board,” says Wilson. “Because once you add duties, taxes and shipping costs, it’s not that easy to sell a board.”

All of the stores SKATE Biz contacted for this story generally agree that between twenty and thirty percent of their total sales come from skate shoes. As in other parts of the world, sales of skateboard hardgoods and softgoods are always strong leading up to Christmas. January and February are usually slower, or in Wilson’s words, “a complete write-off.” As spring arrives, business begins to pick up in March.

Most skate shops in Canada rely on snowboards and related merchandise to keep business strong during the winter season. Garret Louie of Timebomb Trading Co. sums it up: “Honestly, there are only a handful of skate-only shops. Most stores now carry snowboards or girls clothing and maybe wakeboards or streetwear.”

In a country where the skateboard market is still relatively small and where summer only lasts about four full months a year for most of the nation, this is a reality for skate shops. But their future is simple, according to Ducommun: “Solid stores will continue to do business, and the seedy ones will eat shit.”

nt and Canada’s proximity to the US skateboard industry, the idea of ​​ordering direct from US companies is not as common as one might think. Laut Wilsons Schätzungen tun dies weniger als zehn Prozent der kanadischen Skateshops. „Früher haben wir viel davon gemacht“, sagt er. „Aber wir haben es ziemlich stark reduziert, weil der kanadische Dollar schlecht läuft und die kanadischen Distributoren einen viel besseren Job machen.“

Baio stimmt zu: „Skatesachen zu bekommen ist in Kanada ein Kinderspiel. Sie können es am nächsten Tag geliefert bekommen. Die Kanadier sagen die Dinge gut voraus. Sie scheinen zu wissen, was wir bestellen werden, bevor wir es tun – ganz zu schweigen davon, dass der Service in Kanada wirklich gut ist.“

Eine Sache, vor der kanadische Geschäfte nicht immun sind, sind die relativ niedrigen Margen, die Geschäfte in den USA und international durch den Verkauf von Hardgoods erzielen. „Niemand hier kann es sich leisten, ein Board zu verkaufen“, sagt Wilson. „Denn sobald Zölle, Steuern und Versandkosten hinzukommen, ist es nicht so einfach, ein Board zu verkaufen.“

Alle Geschäfte, die SKATE Biz für diese Geschichte kontaktiert hat, sind sich im Allgemeinen einig, dass zwischen zwanzig und 30 Prozent ihres Gesamtumsatzes mit Skateschuhen getätigt werden. Wie in anderen Teilen der Welt ist der Verkauf von Skateboard Hardgoods und Softgoods bis Weihnachten immer stark. Januar und Februar sind normalerweise langsamer oder in Wilsons Worten „eine vollständige Abschreibung“. Wenn der Frühling hereinbricht, beginnt das Geschäft im März anzuziehen.

Die meisten Skateshops in Kanada sind auf Snowboards und verwandte Waren angewiesen, um das Geschäft während der Wintersaison stark zu halten. Garret Louie von Timebomb Trading Co. bringt es auf den Punkt: „Ehrlich gesagt gibt es nur eine Handvoll reiner Skate-Only-Shops. Die meisten Geschäfte führen jetzt Snowboards oder Mädchenbekleidung und vielleicht Wakeboards oder Streetwear.“

In einem Land, in dem der Skateboard-Markt noch relativ klein ist und in dem der Sommer für den größten Teil der Nation nur etwa vier volle Monate im Jahr dauert, ist dies für Skateshops eine Realität. Aber ihre Zukunft ist laut Ducommun einfach: „Solide Geschäfte werden weiterhin Geschäfte machen, und die schäbigen werden Scheiße essen.“

In the annals of So-Called Fads That Forever Changed the World, skateboarding ranks with rap music for its staying power in pissing off parents. The art of sports has come a long way in its 50+ year history, but it may still be at its loveliest when it’s at its simplest: four wheels, a board, and a hard surface.

Of course, it’s also pretty damn nice when someone (company, city, individual) spends a lot of money to create places where skaters can skate things that are built specifically for skateboarding. And that’s where skate parks come in. It has been around for decades, but in recent years there has been a proliferation of new installations around the world. And yes, skateboarding doesn’t rank (despite the X Games “medal winners”), but we went ahead and ranked the parks anyway (let the debate begin!). Still, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t visit all 25 and judge for yourself.

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