Image via Complex Original
It's been a long time since the days of Dogtown and the Z-Boys, when skaters had to jump fences and sneak into parks after dark to find the best surfaces. Skating is now an international hobby and industry, and pros like Bucky Lasek and Bob Burnquist are household names. The upside of this popularity? Anywhere you go—from Poughkeepsie to Prague—you'll find fellow skaters tearing up every kind of surface. To put it another way: There are a shitload of skateparks around the world. Here, we've narrowed down a list of hundreds to the 25 best. They represent the whole range—indoors and outdoors, commercial and public, from beginner to hardcore. Read on for The 25 Best Skateparks in the World.
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25. Livingston Skatepark (Livi)
Address: Northwood Park (opposite Almondvale Shopping Centre)
City: Livingston, Scotland
Features: Bowls, hips and quarterpipes
Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor
Website: http://livingstonskatepark.com
Probably the most famous skatepark in Scotland, Livi was built in 1981. It is a true, old-school skate landmark in Europe. Fittingly, it's hard to skate, but those who master it are legends.
24. Area 51 Skatepark
Address: Klokgebouw 51 5617 AB
City: Eindhoven, Netherlands
Features: Ledges, pyramids, hips, mini-ramps, bowls and handrails
Indoor/outdoor: Indoor
Website: http://area51skatepark.nl
"Eindhoven winters" sound worse than they are, but it's still good to have one of Europe's largest indoor skateparks to keep busy until spring comes. With nearly every kind of street bit, you may not even notice the tulips blooming outside.
23. Skatepark Los Reyes
Address: Ave. Presidente Balmaceda at Ave. Brasil
City: Santiago, Chile
Features: Multiple bowls, ledges, stairs, hubbas, quarterpipes, manual-pad and euro gap
Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor
Website: https://www.facebook.com
The biggest skatepark in Chile, Skatepark Los Reyes is situated on the banks of the Machopo River. It is one of the most scenic parks in the world. It has enough bits to keep you busy for days, plus lights for night skates in the Chilean summer.
22. Vans Skatepark
Address: 20 City Blvd W. Bldg. A. Suite 2
City: Orange, Calif.
Features: Ledges, bowls, hubbas, handrails, banks, quarterpipes, mini ramp, vert ramp, pyramid, euro gap and flatbars
Indoor/outdoor: Indoor
Website: http://www.vans.com
Vans has been making skateboard shoes for decades, and in 1999 the company decided to make a premium skatepark in Orange County. With the re-creation of the famous Upland combi-bowl and a massive wooden street course, this park does not disappoint.
21. Vancouver Skate Plaza
Address: Under the Georgia Viaduct at the intersection of Union and Quebec Streets and Expo Boulevard. Vancouver, BC V6A
City: Vancouver, Canada
Features: Ledges, pyramid, banks, hubbas, manual-pads, handrails, stairs and flatbars
Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor with covered bits
Website: http://vancouver.ca
Vancouver's famous Skate Plaza has everything a street skater could want. Centrally located in downtown Vancouver, it's been skated heavily since 2004.
20. Stockwell Skatepark
Address: Corner of Stockwell Rd. and Stockwell Park Walk SW9
City: London, England
Features: Bowls, quarterpipes, funbox and hips
Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor
Website: https://www.facebook.com
Aka "Brixton Bowls" and "Brixton Beach," Stockwell is one of the oldest public parks in England. Located right in the heart of London, it was recently resurfaced and is riding better than ever.
19. Hyeres Skatepark
Address: Carrefour de L'aygade, 83400 Hyres
City: Hyeres, France
Features: Pyramids, ledges, handrails, banks, flatbars, quarterpipes, hips, euro gap, funbox, manual pads, stairs and double-set
Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor
Website: http://skateparks.le-site-du-skateboard.com
An amazing skatepark in the south of France. With a street course that underwent a redesign in 2009, Hyeres will make you forget that beaches are nearby.
18. Skatepark of Tampa (S.P.O.T)
Address: 4215 East Columbus Drive
City: Tampa, Fla.
Features: The S.P.O.T. is constantly changing its setup, but there are always pyramids, handrail, quarterpipes, ledges, flatbars, an outdoor vert ramp and banks
Indoor/outdoor: Indoor and outdoor
Website: http://skateparkoftampa.com/spot/
S.P.O.T. has hosted annual pro and am contests since it opened in 1993, and it's been featured in loads of videos over the years. With both pro and beginner courses, it has something for riders of all levels.
17. Zumiez Skatepark
Address: Vlamingstraat 6-B 8560
City: Wevelgem, Belgium
Features: Hubbas, quarterpipes, vert ramp, flatbars, pyramids, ledges, euro gap and banks
Indoor/outdoor: Indoor
Website: http://www.zumiez.be
No real frills here-just a very well-built, well-maintained, extremely diverse park 60 miles west of Brussels. It can get crowded at times, but if you have especially deep pockets, it's actually available for private sessions after hours. Skate this park every day and you'll be pro in no time.
16. Strasnice Skatepark
Address: Areal ZS Gutova 39, Prague 10 Strasnice
City: Prague, Czech Republic
Features: Bowls, handrails, flatbars, stairs, hubbas, banks, ledges and quarterpipes
Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor
Website: https://www.facebook.com
If you go to Prague to skate, check out Stalin Square for street and Strasnice for some transition action. Strasnice is all concrete and also one of the destinations on the Quicksilver Bowlriders circuit.
15. Marseille Skatepark (Bowl Marseille)
Address: 197 Avenue Pierre Mendes
City: Marseille, France
Features: Multiple bowls
Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor
Website: http://www.marseilleskatepark.fr.st
Probably France's most famous skatepark, Marseille Skatepark is an old-school gem with two huge perks: It's free and it's right by the beach.
14. Louisville Extreme Park
Address: 148 N. Clay St.
City: Louisville, Ky.
Features: Full pipe, bowls, ledges, hubbas, quarterpipes, manual pads, vert ramp, handrails and pyramids
Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor
Website: http://www.louisvilleky.gov
Famed for its 24-foot concrete full pipe, this public park has been around since 2002. It's easy to see why people travel hundreds of miles to skate this place.
13. Kona Skatepark
Address: 8739 Kona Ave.
City: Jacksonville, Fla.
Features: Bowls, snakerun, transitions, humps, vert wall, vert ramp, mini ramp, pyramids, ledges and quarterpipes
Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor
Website: http://www.konaskatepark.com
Kona's been around since the '70s, and it is the oldest private skatepark in the U.S. (a perfect place to take pops if he still rides). Take a nostalgic skate through the decades-old snake run, or head over to the newer street course for some more modern action.
12. Skatehalle Berlin
Address: Revaler Str. 99, Tor II, 10245
City: Berlin, Germany
Features: Pyramids, hips, wallrides, hubbas, manual pads, euro gap, vert ramp, bowl, outdoor tight-tranny bowl/mini, banks, ledges, handrail and fire hydrant
Indoor/outdoor: Indoor and outdoor
Website: http://skatehalle-berlin.de
Skatehalle has it all. A wooden park with a massive street course. Bowl and vert ramp indoors. And outside, a tight-transitioned concrete mini-ramp with bowled features. But don't fall on the target spot-if you do, you have to buy everyone at the session a beer.
11. Venice Beach Skatepark
Address: 1800 Ocean Front Walk
City: Venice, Calif.
Features: Bowls, hubbas, ledges, stairs, handrail, double-set, banks, channel, humps, quarterpipes and curvy flatbar
Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor
Website: http://www.veniceskatepark.com
Skateboarding has gone on in Venice Beach for decades, and it's the former stomping ground of Jay Adams and Tony Alva. Located right on the beach, the extensive street course is a great way to blow an afternoon. Don't forget your sunblock.
10. Micropolis Skatepark
Address: Nordenskildin-katu St., next to the Elintarha Sports Park in downtown Helsinki
City: Helsinki, Finland
Features: Ledges, banks, volcano, gaps and bumps
Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor
Website: http://www.visithelsinki.fi
Designed by local architect and professional skater Janne Sarrio, Micropolis is a street plaza and architectural wonder in the heart of downtown Helsinki. To the untrained eye, it might not even look like a skatepark, but that's part of the award-winning design. It's supposed to fit in with the local aesthetic, not stick out like a sore thumb.
9. Lake Cunningham Regional Skate Park
Address: 2305 S. White Rd.
City: San Jose, Calif.
Features: Multiple-sized bowls, ledges, banks, handrails, hips, pyramid, hubbas, vert wall, cradle, humps, fullpipe and flatbars
Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor
Website: http://www.sanjoseca.gov
Bob Burnquist made this park famous in the Aero Bubbles chocolate bar TV commercial, but Cunningham is much more than some marketing suit's idea of skate culture. There's a plethora of bowls to choose from, and you can even try your luck doing a loop on the full pipe.
8. SMP Skatepark
Address: 2100 Songhu Road
City: Shanghai, China
Features: Fullpipes, numerous bowls, handrails, stairs and hubbas
Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor
Website: http://www.smpskatepark.com
Everything's big in China these days, and the SMP park is no exception: the world's biggest skatepark with the world's biggest ramp and the biggest concrete bowl. With so much to skate, the only drawback might be that it's too overwhelming.
7. FDR Skatepark
Address: Off of Broad St. in South Philadelphia, directly under Interstate-95, Philadelphia 19148
City: Philadelphia, Penn.
Features: Bowls, hips, vert walls, pyramids, quarterpipes and bowled corners
Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor but partially covered
Website: http://fdrskatepark.net
Similar to Burnside in Portland, FDR skatepark was created by a few enthusiastic skaters. Famous for its July 4th jams, FDR is a regular stop for skateboarders traveling up or down I-95 along the East Coast.
6. Lincoln City Skatepark
Address: NE 22nd St & NE Reef Ave.
City: Lincoln City, Ore.
Features: Bowls, over-vert cradle, transitions, quarterpipes, hips, bumps and wallrides
Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor with covered bits
Website: http://www.skateoregon.com/LincolnCity/LincolnCity.html%20 (website link not working) http://www.skateoregon.com
More like five parks in one, Lincoln City continues to get bigger and better. Designed by the guys at Dreamland, it's currently the largest park in Oregon. Every year, it seems like the skatepark enters a new phase and gets an upgrade with new concrete. Thrasher has even dubbed it "The Gnarliest Skatepark in the World."
5. Stapelbaddsparken Skatepark
Address: Stora Varvsgatan 17 21119
City: Malmo, Sweden
Features: Bowls, quarterpipes, cradle, stairs and hubbas
Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor
Website: http://stapelbaddsparken.se
The home of Quicksilver's Bowlriders Cup, the Stapelbaddsparken park in Sweden is a skater's summer wet dream. If you get caught in one of the infamous Malmo winters, though, check out the amazing nearby indoor park, Bryggeriet.
4. Burnside Skatepark
Address: 2 SE 2nd Ave.
City: Portland, Ore.
Features: Bowls, wallrides, quarterpipes, vert wall, curved tranny, hips and bumps
Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor but covered
Website: http://www.burnsideskatepark.blogspot.com
It's in skate magazines and Tony Hawk video games, and it's considered the quintessential skatepark by countless pros. Burnside was created in 1990 by a few Portland skaters with a hunger for a proper park in their town. After years of dealing with bureaucrats and roadblocks, Burnside was approved as an official public park and a permanent part of the Portland skate scene. Arguably the most famous do-it-yourself skatepark, Burnside has expanded and developed over the past 20 years and is now recognized by skaters all over the world.
3. Denver Skatepark
Address: 2205 19th Street
City: Denver, Colo.
Features: Multiple-sized bowls, ledges, banks, handrails, hips, pyramid, hubbas, bank-to-wall, bank-to-ledges, euro gap, humps, bumps and flatbars
Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor
Website: http://denverskatepark.com
Located right on the Platte River just north of downtown Denver, this massive, scenic park has bowls for every style and skill level, plus an extensive street course with ledges, hubbas, banks, and hips. It's open from 5am to 11pm, with lights for when the sun sets over the Rockies.
2. Stoke Plaza
Address: Chell Street, Sneyd Green, Stoke-on-Trent, ST1 6BB
City: Stoke-On-Trent, England
Features: Ledges, banks, steps, handrails, hubbas and quarterpipes
Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor
Website: http://www.visitstoke.co.uk
The Stoke-on-Trent city council put up half a million pounds to create this 34,000-square-foot behemoth in the north of England in 2005. It does not disappoint. A street-skater's mecca, it's one of the largest skate plazas in Europe.
1. Black Pearl Skatepark
Address: Grand Harbor, off Shamrock Rd.
City: Grand Cayman Islands, Cayman Islands
Features: Bowls, moguls, cradle, hips and some street bits like stairs, ledges and handrails
Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor
Website: http://www.blackpearl.ky
The largest outdoor skatepark in the world is a transition skater's dream, and it includes beginner, intermediate, and expert courses. The biggest drawback is the price: At more than $20 for a day skate, it's one of the most expensive parks in the world. But you're in the Caymans, so you've stacked a little paper, right?