skate park tours

'This is my skate park': Downtown Des Moines' Lauridsen Skatepark, largest in US, opens to the public

Eighteen-year-old Drake Plascencia, who has traveled to California for its notably expansive skate parks, says Des Moines' long-awaited Lauridsen Skatepark is the best he's ever seen.

The high school senior, who lives in West Des Moines, was one of about 300 people to attend Lauridsen's grand opening event Friday night. He was among dozens of scooter-riders there, and one of a handful to brave the 8.5-foot drop into the largest bowl on the north end of the Principal Riverwalk.

"This is insane to call my hometown skate park," Plascencia said. "I live here, and this is my skate park. It's insane."

Des Moines is now home to the country's largest skate park after more than a decade of planning, fundraising and building . Even after city and county officials cut the ribbon and officially opened the 88,000-square-foot park, about a dozen construction workers continued to paint and clean up in blocked-off areas while being surrounded by people on skateboards, scooters, inline skates and bikes.

Polk County Supervisor Angela Connolly , a co-chair of the long campaign for the skate park, noted that 17 years of work was not quite finished: Workers were sweeping the quarter-mile length of the park just minutes before the Friday afternoon ribbon-cutting ceremony, where she was joined by Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie, and Nix and Virginia Lauridsen, the park’s namesakes who donated $1.6 million toward the $6.1 million project.

"I have to admit this is one of the most exciting days of my career," Connolly said to applause and the drumming sound of skaters hitting the edges of their boards on the park's concrete in approval. "Nobody would really think that ... but it really is."

Several young pro skaters showed off at Lauridsen Skatepark

Eight-year-old Mila Bagon, of Waukee, was having an equally fun night. Within a few minutes of arriving, she'd met her "idol" — Sky Brown, the 12-year-old pro who Tony Hawk has said could become "one of the best, (most) well-rounded skaters ever, regardless of gender," according to ESPN .

Brown, an Olympic qualifier, was one of several young pros from around the world taking turns showing off their tricks.

Bagon, whose skateboard is covered in brightly colored flowers, has been learning from her dad, Mark Bagon, a former competitive cheer and gymnastics coach who has taken Mila to parks around central Iowa for the last year. Recently, she's been practicing "dropping in," which is how skaters shift their weight forward to ride down a steep ramp.

Now that she's seen Lauridsen, Bagon said, she wants to come back daily. Her message to other kids her age who want to try skating: "Go for your dreams!"

Another young girl, 8-year-old Luca Neil, said that after three years of skating, the park will provide her with a new challenge. She moved to Iowa from California, where she learned to skateboard, but said she got bored riding the same park features again and again.

"I'm excited for this skate park because I don't think I'm ever going to get bored," she told the crowd before the ribbon-cutting. "It has a lot of ramps. It has a lot of places to practice grinds. It has rails. It has a lot of stuff."

The Dew Tour comes to Des Moines' Lauridsen Skatepark from May 20-23

The park will be open from 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. this weekend, then closed to the public starting Monday to set up for the Dew Tour, an annual skateboarding competition planned for May 20-23. The Dew Tour is the only U.S.-based global Olympic qualifying event ahead of the summer Olympic Games in Tokyo and will bring more than 300 professional skaters to Des Moines.

More: Pro skaters say Des Moines' Lauridsen Skatepark, Dew Tour will elevate Midwest skate scene

Free tickets for spectators were quickly claimed from the Dew Tour's website , but the event plans to release another small batch of tickets at 10 a.m., Monday, May 10,  according to a tweet . The event will also be livestreamed in its entirety at DewTour.com , and on Facebook Live and YouTube. The tour is expected to generate at least $4 million for the local economy.

Shaun Thomas, a 28-year-old Des Moines skater, is still hoping to get a ticket to watch the competition. But if he can't, he's said he's just happy the park is finally open.

He's been anticipating the park's opening since he was 12, he said, and the real thing "blew away" his highest expectations.

"It's got a perfect flow to it," Thomas said. "This has been a goal for a long time, and it's going to make a huge difference for the Des Moines skate scene and for skaters of all different abilities."

• Des Moines Lauridsen Skatepark: Tracing a 17-year journey, from a nuisance to a metro treasure
• Pro skater Mike Vallely is living in Des Moines and he brought his company, Street Plant, with him
• A guide to downtown Des Moines events making a comeback from 2020's pandemic cancellations

Shelby Fleig covers Des Moines city government for the Register. Reach her at [email protected] or 515-214-8933.

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Opening in May: The nation’s biggest skatepark

By lindsey giardino.

Roughly 15 years in the making, the Lauridsen Skatepark is set to open at the end of May in the heart of downtown Des Moines. Located on five acres at the northern edge of the Principal Riverwalk, and just east of Wells Fargo Arena and the Iowa Events Center, the massive park — totaling 88,000-square-feet of skateable terrain — already has the attention of the Dew Tour and other pro skateboarding circuits. That’s sweet.

The $7 million, Olympic-caliber skatepark, designed by California Skateparks, will be able to host amateur through world-class professional events, and since skateboarding is now an official Olympic sport, effective this summer at the Tokyo Olympics, the Lauridsen Skatepark could possibly even host future Olympic trials.

One of the park’s physical highlights includes the nearly quarter-mile Skate Promenade. This one-of-a-kind feature uses the previously existing Riverfront Road footprint to provide a 38-footwide space populated with street skating features, including flat-rails, curbs and quarter pipes. There’s also the amoeba pool and junior flow bowl, providing areas for skaters of all skill levels to master tricks in style. And to really impress skaters and spectators, there is a large sculpture that spells “WOW” that is designed to be skated on.

Amping up the local skate scene

In the past, Jasarovic, who’s been skating for 11 years, had to travel to skateparks in Knoxville or Oskalooska if he needed a certain obstacle to train on. What excites him most about the Lauridsen Skatepark is that now he won’t have to go far to find the elements he’s looking for.

“It provides the opportunity for skaters to learn every type of skating that they want to and allows for a lot more progression than was available before,” Jasarovic says of the skatepark.

The Lauridsen Skatepark features 88,000 square feet of skateable terrain. Photos submitted

And that’s really why he skates in the first place — the ability to progress. Jasarovic wants to feel he is better at his craft than he was the day before, and skating allows for the feeling of improving every day.

Lately, he and his friends tend to find themselves at the recently built skatepark in Valley Junction’s American Legion Park. At 5,000 square feet, the park is “kind of just holding us over until the new one is done.”

When the downtown park officially opens next month, “I’ll probably be there almost every day,” Jasarovic says, adding that he thinks the park will bring in lots of new skaters.

“I’ve already seen so many new skaters popping up just because the skatepark is about to open,” he says.

“Then, after it’s open, I’m sure there will be tons and tons more. So, in a way, I feel like the skate scene will explode after the skatepark is built.”

Local skater Seth Morgan agrees.

“I think it’ll bring a lot more skaters downtown and to central Iowa,” he says. Like Jasarovic, he often skates at American Legion Park or Walker Johnston Park in Urbandale. Morgan also hits up the streets of downtown or a parking garage if it rains or snows, so having the new park will offer him access to all the skating elements he enjoys in one spot.

A skater for about 14 years, Morgan loves it because it’s challenging.

“I was never really interested in sports as a child that revolved around other people,” he says. “I’d rather go at my own pace and work on myself as an athlete rather than focus on other people. With skateboarding, it’s just you and a piece of wood, and it all revolves around what you can do with it.”

With the Lauridsen Skatepark, Morgan believes skaters in Des Moines will get more attention.

“I’m mostly excited for more brands and more sponsors to come to Iowa, because Iowa has always had a relatively small skateboarding scene,” he explains. “We’ve only ever really had smaller brands come to Iowa, so it’s exciting to see newer brands, bigger brands come to Iowa and see what talent we have here.”

Ultimately, the Lauridsen Skatepark gets Morgan pumped because it’ll challenge him to grow at his craft, and he’ll get to practice what he’s passionate about at a best-in-class park right in Des Moines.

“I’m just excited to go skate this summer,” he says.

A long time coming

One of the features of the park is the WOW sculpture that is designed to be skated on.

So how exactly did this remarkable skatepark come to be?

In the early aughts, members of A Mid-Iowa Organizing Strategy (AMOS) had a retreat in which they debated critical and unmet needs in the community. One conversation, led by a youth group, focused on the need for skateboarding facilities in the area. A public skatepark quickly became a project to pursue, so AMOS put together a committee and sought support from the City of Des Moines, which donated two acres of riverfront property for the skatepark.

Doug Romig, who at the time served as a recreation manager with the City of Des Moines Parks and Recreation Department, was one of the folks in attendance at the retreat. Though the project took time to find its footing, perseverance from community members enabled the flame to stay lit.

“Over my career, I would hear bits and pieces of this project, but it was the local youth and their parents who kept this vision alive,” Romig says.

Romig now works as the deputy director for Polk County Conservation, which was recently approached by the Polk County Board of Supervisors to manage the skatepark moving forward. That agreement was approved by both parties last year.

“While not a traditional element of a conservation organization, it does meet our mission to promote outdoor recreation, and we are excited about this opportunity,” Romig says.

Since being given oversight, Polk County Conservation has issued bids for operational services at Lauridsen Skatepark, such as lawn care and custodial services. They also entered into an agreement to provide on-site WiFi and live streaming cameras throughout the park, which, in addition to being for security purposes, will allow anyone to watch what’s happening at the skatepark.

Kevin Jones, owner of Subsect Skateshop, has been a champion of the Lauridsen Skatepark from day one. Photo submitted

Romig explains that the benefits of having a world-class skatepark in Des Moines are numerous.

“First and foremost, it provides a unique place for metro youth to develop and advance their sport,” he says. “It aids in attracting and retaining young business talent, and it provides an economic boost to the local economy from families vacationing to Des Moines to skate at the park, as well as our ability to host regional, national and international events, as two of the elements meet Olympic requirements.”

Polk County Conservation has also teamed up with Skate DSM, a local nonprofit founded in 2019, to develop and implement programming for skateparks across central Iowa and to provide on-site camps, clinics and exhibitions to aid in growing the sport of skateboarding.

The community’s backing of the Lauridsen Skatepark is evidenced by the combination of grants, private donations and public funding sources that made its existence possible.

Owner of The Dark Slide, Joel Jackson is excited to see the local skate scene grow because of the park. Photo submitted

A $50,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines helped secure the skatepark design by California Skateparks — which dubs itself the “world’s most recognized skatepark design and build firm” — and in 2015, a $500,000 challenge grant from the foundation was provided to encourage others to support the project, and people rose to that challenge.

In 2017, a Skatepark Campaign Cabinet was formed to provide leadership for fundraising efforts. Chaired by Brad Anderson, who’s now the state director of Iowa AARP, Polk County Supervisor Angela Connolly and retired Des Moines City Council member Christine Hensley, the cabinet, which also included community leaders and skatepark enthusiasts, helped secure a $1 million leadership gift from the Lauridsen Family Foundation.

In the past, Mirza Jasarovic has skated on whatever terrain was available. He looks forward to all the different elements the Lauridsen Skatepark will provide. Photo by Derrick Lambertz

Since then, numerous other individuals, corporations, foundations and nonprofit organizations have donated to the project.

Yet perhaps no one has championed the creation of the Lauridsen Skatepark more than Kevin Jones, owner of Subsect Skateshop in the East Village. Jones has been advocating for the Des Moines skate community for years, and while it was a long road to bring this new skatepark to fruition, he didn’t give up.

“I guess you could say I never would shut up about it,” he jokes. “I just kept pounding and saying the importance of it and would just never let it go.”

His resolve to get the Lauridsen Skatepark built certainly paid off. With its opening right around the corner, Jones, who’s been skating for 34 years, is thrilled that, after all these years of being involved, he’ll still be able to skate the park himself. He also believes the skatepark will help grow the local skate scene, especially since, in the last two years, he’s already seen a spark with more kids getting interested, including more females. Jones says even older skaters are dusting off their skateboards and hopping back on. He thinks that the Lauridsen Skatepark is serving to get people fired up, and since the park will bring events and crowds of people to town, it’ll help boost the local economy as well.

“I’m excited for what it can do for the city, especially after the year we’ve had,” Jones says. “The city could use a win, and I think this park will bring some wins.”

Park puts Des Moines on map

Though conversations about building this massive downtown skatepark began in 2004, a groundbreaking event wasn’t held until 2018. It’s been several years in the making, but now that the official opening is just weeks away, the local skate scene is one of anticipation. SportsTravel magazine even named the Lauridsen Skatepark one of its new sports venues to watch in 2021.

This dream of many is about to become a reality.

Joel Jackson, owner of The Dark Slide, a skateboard shop in Merle Hay Mall, moved to the area last fall, but he’s already dialed into the local skate community and can see what an advantage the skatepark will be.

From stairs to dips to sidewalks, the park has a variety of skate obstacles. Photo by Lindsey Giardino

“It’s just exciting that the country’s largest skatepark is coming to Iowa,” he says. “Especially right after moving here, it’s so amazing to find out how we’re going to be the new hotspot for skateboarding. You don’t picture Iowa and skateboarding hand in hand like that, but this will be the new Midwest mecca. That’s very exciting.”

Jackson helps lead a local skate club for beginner and intermediate skaters, and although they need to learn the basics before jumping into a skatepark as big as the Lauridsen, his mission is to get the kids skilled enough so they can soon maneuver the park.

“They’re anticipating 60,000 to 70,000 outside skaters a year visiting,” Jackson says. “That’s huge just because that’s potentially drawing in some pretty advanced skaters. When you skate with folks beyond your ability, that tends to push you and make you better.”

Getting more kids involved in and enthusiastic about skateboarding — an activity that has many benefits, from providing a cardio workout to encouraging social skills — is another bonus to having the skate park available.

Take it from 12-year-old Cash, who’s beyond thrilled to skate at the park and hopes to see skateboard legend Mike Vallely there — not a stretch of the imagination since Vallely just moved himself and his skateboard company, Street Plant, to Des Moines.

Young Cash sums up best why the Lauridsen Skatepark will be so great.

“I’m really excited because I get to be outside and have fun,” he says. ♦

When will there be pro tournaments at this park? Any bleachers?

I am thrilled that the skateboarders will have a this fantastic skate park. I applaud the Lauridsen family, Des Moines City Council and the Des Moines Parks & Recreation’s support. My son Clancy Maudsley opened the first skateboard shop back in 1985. He was an enthusiastic skateboarder and knew the interest in this sport and that it would grow and bring many young people joy. My thanks to all that go behind this sport and now it came to fruition. A dream come true for many.

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13 Best Skateparks in the US You Need to Visit

By: Author Ruben Vee

Posted on Published: September 4, 2020  - Last updated: January 25, 2024

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Nearly everyone has a bucket list numbered with things you hope to accomplish someday but, if you love skateboarding, you should fill yours with visits to a few of the unrivaled skateparks across the US.

The best skateparks in the United States can be found throughout the country, from Portland, OR, to California, and all the way over to the East Coast in Philadelphia, PA. You’ll find some of the most epic street courses alongside iconic locations and facilities designed for skaters and by skaters, including the largest full-concrete pipe and one of the oldest-running skateparks in America.

Many of the best skateparks are on the west coast, and with good reason given the outdoor weather is much more cooperative year-round. But, that’s not always the case, and there are a few you won’t want to miss on the eastern half of the map as well.

This list is subjective like many other things when it comes to skateboarding and I’m sure I missed a few. The 13 top spots below are in no particular order, but we’ll start on the West Coast, in Portland, Oregon.

1. Burnside Skatepark, Portland, OR

2. denver skatepark, denver, co, 3. vans skatepark, orange, ca, 4. kirtsis skatepark, lincoln city, or, 5. lake cunningham regional skate park, san jose, ca, 6. fdr skatepark, philadelphia, pa, 7. les coleman skatepark, new york city, ny, 8. skatepark of tampa (spot), tampa, fl, 9. kona skate park, jacksonville, fl, 10. rob dyrdek/dc shoes foundation skate plaza, kettering, oh, 11. david armstrong extreme park, louisville, ky, 12. courthouse, west l.a., ca, 13. venice beach skatepark, ca, final thoughts.

There’s plenty of reasons to visit Portland — from some of the best breweries to the largest bookstore in the world, there’s pretty much something for everyone from every walk of life, and skaters are no exception.

With the 30th anniversary coming up, Burnside has stood the test of time without any source of public funding. It is maintained and supported by dedicated volunteers and draws visitors from the US and across the world.

Burnside started illegally, essentially a DIY project that began with a large pouring of concrete that created a vertical transition obstacle in an empty parking lot, and it grew from there.

It has become a paradigm for other parks that followed across the US, leading to two of the largest skatepark construction companies, Grindline and Dreamland Skateparks.

Despite its seemingly unlawful start, the city eventually sanctioned the space and accepted its permanency. It is a public park, free to all, and located underneath the Burnside Bridge, providing protection from frequent rainfall, in downtown Portland.

Unlike many other parks, no protective gear is required, so it’s not for the faint of heart — it’s certainly infamous, and there is no shortage of challenges.

The park features a four-to-six-foot quarter pipe drop and seven-to-eight-foot raised quarter bowl drop-in, both leading to an adjacent bowl situated a bit lower and a wave that runs along the south side of the park.

It’s tough to describe Burnside with mere words — it may very well be one of the greatest skateparks in the world, according to many, and one you’ll need to see and experience for yourself.

Sticking with the West Coast, for now, our next stop is in Denver, CO, though don’t worry, we’ll be back in Portland shortly for another top pick.

Denver Skatepark is located on the Platte River. Not only is it one of the best because it features something for every style and level of skill, but also since the park has a beautiful view, particularly as the sun is setting over the Rocky Mountains.

It’s 60,000 square feet in size, offering challenging concrete bowls, covering the entire north side in a multitude of sizes fit for all levels.

Toward the east, a second section features huge hip ramps surrounded by ledges and rails. And finally, on the south side, you’ll find a street course with platforms, more ramps, rails, and stairs.

Regardless of your skill level and style, you’ll find something to keep you occupied for hours while you soak in the magnificent views at Denver.

Continuing south, our next top pick sits in Orange, CA — Vans Skatepark. Vans is both indoor and outdoor, so you’ll be able to check it out rain or shine. You’ll also likely rub shoulders with a few pros while you are there, namely Steve Salba or Jeff Grosso.

The park opened in 1999, reforming the famous Upland combi-bowl — a massive double bowl originally part of the Pipeline Skatepark in Upland, CA, and considered one of the best in skateboarding history — reason alone to add it to your list.

Vans has multiple sections, including a 20,000-square-foot indoor street course made from concrete and wood. It contains more than enough obstacles — stair sets, banks, rails, ledges, and manual pads — as well as a warm-up course specifically for beginners looking to develop their skills.

There’s also an 80-foot-wide mini ramp indoors that ranges in height from five to nine feet. Once you’ve mastered the indoors, head outside to an outdoor course that also features a mini ramp.

https://youtu.be/JdVvd_7Sdoo

With a few top-of-the-line skate parks in Oregon, it’s tough to choose, but this next one certainly deserves mention. Lincoln City is an ever-evolving grouping of five outdoor mini-parks in one, designed by Dreamland Skate Parks.

Each time you visit, and you should definitely do so more than once, you can likely expect something new with yearly upgrades and new designs. Originally built in 1999, the park added five separate sections over the course of 20 years.

It’s also one of the largest in Oregon at over 40,000 square feet and was deemed the “ gnarliest skatepark in America ” with a rating of 9 out of 10 by Thrasher magazine.

There are four separate bowls, each distinct from the other — the Moguls Bowl, the Cradle and Half Pipe, partially covered to protect from the rain, the Swimming Pool, and, finally, the Snake Run.

Part of the country with the most beautiful weather year-round, California is perfectly suited for a striking outdoor skate park, which is exactly what you’ll find at Lake Cunningham Regional in San Jose.

It’s likely one of the most unique skateparks in the entire country with more bowls than most and the world’s biggest cradle at 70 feet long.

But that’s not all you’ll find here. The 68,000-square-feet concrete park is the largest in California, and it also boasts a monstrous mega wall, street obstacles, and plenty of rails, pipes, and pools — not to mention the world’s largest full pipe and tallest vert wall, too.

Quite a few seasoned skaters have agreed that this is among the most remarkable skate parks in the US, and one for those of you who are looking for something a bit more on the extreme side. In essence, we dare you to pass this one up.

Our next stop takes us to the other side of the country, the home of the National Constitution Center, and also what has been called a skateboarder’s paradise — FDR Skatepark. Its origins began with an unused piece of land that was part of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park beneath a highway overpass.

It was completely unfunded at the start, with the exception of volunteer labor and donated materials, and the same holds true today with hundreds of people working to add new features. So, if you’re interested in making new friends, new volunteers are always welcome — just bring yourself and be ready for a little bit of manual labor.

The park is home to some of the most remarkable graffiti art you’ll ever see, and it also functions as a venue for the arts, musical entertainment, and poetry. Many of these events are held to raise money for improvements to the park.

And while some of the rails and ramps aren’t exactly perfect — there may be a few cracks or pockmarks from the above highway traffic or other seeming imperfections — these are also what makes it special. It’s what many who have been there call a labor of love, much of this place built from the ground up by local skaters.

It is, in many ways, a quintessential park, created by skaters and for skaters. It has a 4-foot dome that ascends toward an 11-foot overhang and a 60-foot-long bunker. It’s challenging for both the novice and experienced. And if authenticity is what you’re looking for, FDR fills that aesthetic in spades.

Still sticking with the east coast, next on our list is the Les Skatepark in New York City. It’s also called the Chinatown Skatepark or Coleman Skatepark, depending on who you ask. There’s plenty of good reasons to visit NYC if you’ve never been there, and this skatepark is just one of them.

The park began underneath the Manhattan Bridge, providing protection from the elements. Local skaters initially created it on old abandoned basketball courts before the city provided funding to build the park that it is today. With additional financial backing from Nike SB, it was then remodeled in 2012.

Les has a mix of everything you might be looking for, and while the reno turned plastic ramps and rusty rails to smooth concrete, it still retains its classic feel with plenty of street obstacles, including ledges, jumps, rails, a pyramid, and a big apple — NYC’s well-known nickname. Nearly every skateboarding event central to NYC happens here, too.

What makes this one special, similar to the neighboring FDR park in PA, is the community feel. Walk onto this park, and you know that it holds the blood, sweat, and tears of some of the most talented skaters on the East coast — and many others who have been a part of this place since its inception.

Our next stop takes us South, toward the sunny beaches of Florida. The Skatepark of Tampa — otherwise known as “SPOT” — is an indoor and outdoor park intended for all experience levels, with both pro and beginner courses.

It’s known to be one of the best on the East Coast, and its street course is constantly changing with an annual redesign and yearly skate contests taking place since its opening in 1993, most notably the annual Tampa Pro contest held in March each year.

For the pros, the park features a terrain style pro-course with a pyramid, rails, and lots of transitions. And alternatively, the beginner course has smaller rails and ramps to help you hone your skills.

This particular park also extends as a music and arts venue as well and is featured in Tony Hawk’s Underground video game.

There is an entrance fee to skate, and you must wear a helmet regardless of age, but there are quite a few discounts on particular days, including ½ price fees for military, police, paramedics, and firefighters.

While you are in Florida, you may also want to check out this next one — purely given that it’s been in operation since the 1970s, and it is one of the oldest running private skateparks in the United States. Nostalgic is the feel you will get riding here, and it’s well worth the trip.

The park has been through quite a lot over the years, experiencing bankruptcy before reopening in 1979 with the Ramos family’s help.

The family provided a dedication to the youth of Jacksonville, stating that they wanted this park to be a safe place for kids to explore their passion. This is one of the many reasons this park is on the “best of” list.

It is also responsible for pioneering the modern vertical ramp reputed to have one of the most significant impacts on the sport. The vert ramp combined a half-pipe with a flat bottom portion that resulted in the first-ever vert competition. Quite a few professional skaters began their careers here, too.

Today, the park features a multitude of paths coursing through a snake run that has been featured in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 game, and there’s no shortage of concrete with a multitude of ramps and half-pipes as well.

Continuing toward the north-central part of the country, we head toward Ohio to a frequently mentioned park for street skating, the Rob Dyrdek Skate Plaza. The park was founded in partnership with DC shoes by pro skater Rob Dyrdek, and it was one of the first skate plazas built in the US.

You’d be remiss not to take a road trip solely to experience this unique multi-purpose park with 42,000 square feet of urban terrain, particularly designed to resemble a public square in the center of town. You might even catch a pro here from time to time if you are lucky.

There are benches, rails, ramps, and lots of ledges with a mix of landscaping and artistry that gives it a unique aesthetic appeal.

It may not have tons of transitions, but it is ideal for pure street-style skating enthusiasts. With lots of stairs, ranging from 12 to 6 high mixed with 2 to 3 level stair sets, each has been custom built with aluminum and concrete.

David Armstrong Extreme Park, formerly Louisville Extreme, is precisely what its name suggests. Featured here is the largest concrete full pipe known to any skate park in the US at 24 feet.

There’s also a solid combination of styles incorporated into the design, offering a balance between street, transition, and vert skating. It’s roughly 40,000 square feet in size and located just outside of downtown Louisville.

The park gained national attention after being featured in Tony Hawk’s Gigantic Skatepark Tour, and while it is known for its monstrous full pipe, it also has two 11-foot bowls, two 8-foot and 6-foot bowls, as well as a street course, 6-foot flat bank, and plenty of ledges, lines, and rails.

Perhaps the most iconic skate spot in the US and recently featured in the movie Mid 90s . It’s where street skating was defined and refined and was featured in many iconic skate videos .

Obviously the Courthouse was never meant to be a skate spot and despite increased security, the spot only became more popular over the years. I wouldn’t say it’s a skatepark but because of its history, it deserves to be on this list.

Last, but certainly not least, we head back to the West Coast for one of the most iconically beautiful skateparks, given its location only a few steps away from the California coastline.

Venice Beach Skatepark is a widespread street course, just big enough at 16,000 square feet, and a perfect spot to spend your midday hours after mornings in the water.

There are two bowls, a snake run, and a street course — all overlooking the water. It’s also the former home of both Jay Adams and Tony Alva — both influential in their own right, inspiring free-form surf-style skating.

While this list certainly isn’t exhaustive, there are so many great parks to skate throughout the US and it’s a good place to start.

Remember, this list isn’t necessarily in any particular order with the exception of Burnside being collectively agreed upon as one of the top places in the country, if not the world.

I’m sure there are some to add to your bucket list, the tough part is deciding where to go first. Pick one and then find out for yourself why it is one of the best in the US.

I’m an aged skateboarder and still shred responsibly. Started skateboarding 25 years ago, peaked in the 2000’s, and still ride to this day. I am a total geek when it comes to skateboard gear, love test to stuff and share my findings.

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«check list», «bricsreport», grand skate tour, a renowned skateboarding event, takes place in gorky park.

More than 150 people from 40 countries will take part in the forum and competitions from 26 August to 2 September

Grand Skate Tour (GST), a renowned skateboarding event series, is thrilled to unveil the highly anticipated 2023 event, set to take place at Moscow's iconic Gorky Park from 26 August to 2 September 2023. The event is organised by the Russian Skateboarding Federation with grant support from the Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation of the CIS Member States (IFHC). TV BRICS International Media Network is the general media partner of the event.

The Forum will be attended by representatives of the Azerbaijan and Kyrgyz Republics, the Russian Federation, the Republics of Tajikistan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Belarus and far abroad - Brazil, Israel, India, Yemen, Colombia, Cuba, Lebanon, Uganda, Madagascar, South Africa and others - a total of more than 150 people from 40 countries aged 14 to 35 years old. The central theme of the event is the development and strengthening of international youth cooperation in the field of new Olympic sports and youth subcultures.

The educational programme of the Forum includes lectures by leaders of international social projects, who will analyse the activities of sports NGOs in different countries: this year representatives of India, Oman, Serbia, South Africa and other countries will share their experience; meetings with skateboarders - participants of the Olympic Games in Tokyo and representatives of the skate industry are planned. A new direction in the Forum's work this year is women's skateboarding, in the framework of which representatives of different countries will present their social skate initiatives.

Heads of international and Russian public organisations will talk about fundraising in social projects, talk about communication with youth audience, skateboarding and its connection with the development of cities, the process of creating and promoting their own skate brand, the features of action photography and video shooting. All the days of the tour the exposition "Skate Museum of the USSR" (Minsk) will be open on the central arch of Gorky Park for everyone to visit. A separate area of the tour's work will touch upon the issues of organising international mass events and building sports infrastructure for new Olympic sports.

One of the blocks of the programme is traditionally devoted to work with children and teenagers who are fond of skateboarding. In addition to the theoretical part, throughout the week in the stationary skate zone of Gorky Park there will be practical lessons for kids and master classes for teaching staff from the All-Russian project "Social Skate School".

The programme of the event also includes various competitive activities in skateboarding, scooter and roller skates.

“The Grand Skate Tour has once again proven its worth and demand among skateboarders all over the world. This year's event takes place in the iconic Gorky Park in Moscow - it's hard to think of a more iconic location for young people. More than 150 participants from 40 countries will have an opportunity not only to compete in a unique world-class skate park, but also to exchange experience, learn about industry trends, regional initiatives from different countries, prospects and problems of skateboarding in the Olympic movement. There is no other event in the world right now for our audience with such a rich cultural and educational programme for skateboarding activists from developing and developed countries,” commented Ilya Vdovin , President of the Russian Skateboarding Federation, on the eve of the event.

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Skateparktour.ca

Canadian skatepark directory, 1. find skateparks near me.

• Tap the target to find a skatepark near your current location,
• Enter a specific location to see skateparks within the radius you set of that location.

2. Search Skateparktour.ca

More results... generic selectors exact matches only search in title search in content post type selectors search in posts search in pages skateparks filter by categories bmx camps & lessons competitions & events new skatepark projects road trips roller blading scooters site news skateboarding skatepark advocacy skatepark community skatepark videos uncategorized, canadian skateparks.

Skateparktour.ca is a Canadian Skatepark directory focused on BC, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. If you’re looking for a skatepark in Eastern Canada, check out Spott Dreams of Skateparks

3. Canadian Skatepark Map

Zoom in on the part of Canada that you want to explore the skateparks, or narrow the list using your favourite criteria in the skatepark list (scroll down!).

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Ashbridges / Beach Skateboard Park * Toronto ON

From The Skateparktour YouTube Channel!

Here is a selection from the Skateparktour.ca YouTube channel .  Visit the channel to check out all of the skatepark related videos that Skateeparktour.ca has made!

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This video from the 100% SKate Club is a great reminder of the skatepark manners that help make skateparks great places to have fun riding.

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Delburne skatepark comp returns june 10, 2022.

Mar 13, 2022 | BMX , Competitions & events , Scooters , Skateboarding , Skatepark Community

5th Annual Ghost Ryders  Skatepark Competition Is a GO!!

After a 2 year COVID hiatus, The Delburne Skatepark will once again play host to BMXers, scooter riders, and skateboarders from central Alberta schools for an amazing, unique, and fun celebration of action sports.

Hosted by Delburne Centralized School , the competition is for any student currently in grades 7-12.  This year because of the 2-year break, there is a special category for alumni. This category is for any past participants in the Delburne comp who graduated in 2020 or 2021 and missed their last chance to compete.

The Delburne skatepark and this competition are both the result of an incredible relationship between the youth of Delburne, their school, and their community. Skateparktour.ca told this story in a 2017 post and video .

Students from ANY school or school district are welcome to come to Delburne and participate in the competition. Because it is a school-based event on a school day, schools will require certain paperwork to be completed. For more information on competing (or sponsoring!) contact @delburne_ghost_ryders on Instagram or email: sbanks at cesd73.ca

Check Out The New Leduc Localz Skatepark Tour Video!

Apr 11, 2021 | Site News , Skatepark Videos

At log last the Localz skatepark tour video of the awesome Leduc skatepark is complete! join Leduc Local Joe Weidmanas he shows you all of the best features of this outstanding skatepark, located just south of Edmonton and not far from the Queen Elizabeth 2 highway. Definitely worth the stop if you are driving Highway 2

Volunteer Skaters Age 14-17 Needed For Study

Jan 14, 2021 | Skateboarding

Skaters 14-17 Years Old Needed for Online Interview Study

A researcher from the University of Guelph wants to learn about skateboarders’ love for skateboarding, even though they have experienced injuries from the occasional slams that come with being a skater.

Specifically, they need:

• PASSIONATE skateboarders
• Have been injured skateboarding
• Willing to explain and discuss why skateboarding is important to them in a roughly 30-minute video interview

Volunteerskaters who do the interview will receive a gift card as thanks for sharing their time and insights for the study.

If you qualify and are interested or if you’d like more information, please contact the lead researcher Mackensie Seasons by email.

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Red Bull Local Hero BMX Hits Moscow

Local Heroes Hit Gorky Park in Moscow

© Daniel Kolodin

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Moscow and Kyiv swap prisoners of war as Ukraine marks independence anniversary

Russia Ukraine In this photo taken from a video released by the Russian Defense Ministry on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, a Russian soldier fires from D-30 howitzer towards Ukrainian positions in an undisclosed location in Ukraine. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP) (Uncredited/AP)

KYIV, Ukraine — (AP) — Russia and Ukraine exchanged over 100 prisoners of war each on Saturday as Kyiv marked its third Independence Day since Moscow's full-scale invasion.

Ukraine said the 115 Ukrainian servicemen who were freed were conscripts, many of whom were taken prisoner in the first months of Russia's invasion. Among them are nearly 50 soldiers captured by Russian forces from the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol .

The Russian Defense Ministry said the 115 Russian soldiers had been captured in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces launched their surprise offensive into Russia two weeks ago. The ministry said the soldiers were currently in Belarus, but would be taken to Russia for medical treatment and rehabilitation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post on X that the United Arab Emirates had again brokered the exchange, the 55th since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022.

Photos attached to Zelenskyy’s post show gaunt servicemen with shaven heads and wrapped in Ukrainian flags.

“We remember each and every one. We are searching and doing our best to get everyone back,” Zelenskyy said in the post.

Officials from the two sides meet only when they swap their dead and POWs, after lengthy preparation and diplomacy. Neither Ukraine nor Russia discloses how many POWs there are in total.

According to the U.N., most Ukrainian POWs suffer routine medical neglect, severe and systematic mistreatment and even torture while in detention. There have also been isolated reports of abuse of Russian soldiers, mostly during capture or transit to internment sites.

Last January, Russia and Ukraine exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war in the biggest single release.

Five people were killed and five others wounded on Saturday in Russian shelling of the center of the city of Kostiantynivka in Ukraine's partially occupied eastern Donetsk region, local officials said.

In the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, Russian shelling killed two people and wounded four on Saturday, including a baby, officials said.

Two people were killed in a Russian drone attack, and one further person in shelling, in the northeastern Sumy region.

Ukraine’s air force said it had intercepted and destroyed seven drones over the country’s south. Russian long-range bombers also attacked the area of Zmiinyi (Snake) Island overnight with four cruise missiles, while the wider Kherson region was also struck by aerial bombs.

In Russia, the Defense Ministry said Saturday that air defenses had shot down seven drones overnight.

Five drones were downed over the southwestern Voronezh region bordering Ukraine, wounding two people, regional Gov. Aleksandr Gusev said. Ukraine’s Military Intelligence Directorate claimed to have blown up a warehouse storing 5,000 tonnes of ammunition in the region's Ostrogozhsky district. News outlet Astra published videos appearing to show explosions at the ammunition depot after being hit by a drone. The videos could not be independently verified.

Two people were wounded in a drone attack in the Belgorod region, also bordering Ukraine, regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said. Local authorities did not report any casualties in the Bryansk region, where the fifth drone was intercepted.

In the Kursk region, regional Gov. Alexei Smirnov said Saturday that three missiles were shot down overnight and another four on Saturday morning.

Russian air defenses shot down two more drones on Saturday morning, Russia’s Defense Ministry said — one over the Kursk region and one over the Bryansk region.

Ukraine marked its 33rd Independence Day Saturday as its war against Russia's aggression reaches a 30-month milestone. No festivities are planned and instead Ukrainians will mark the day with commemorations for civilians and soldiers killed in the war.

Speaking at a ceremony marking the anniversary, Zelenskyy announced on Saturday that Ukraine has successfully used a new domestically produced drone for the first time against Russian forces.

“Today, we had the first and successful combat use of our new weapon — a completely new class of weapon, the Ukrainian missile drone ‘Palyanitsa,’” Zelenskyy said.

He did not give further details, but added that “the enemy was struck,” and thanked the developers and manufacturers.

Polish President Andrzej Duda arrived in Kyiv by train early Saturday in a symbolic show of support from one of Ukraine’s key allies.

Videos posted by his office showed him being greeted by Ukrainian officials and later paying his respects in a ceremony at the Wall of Remembrance of the Fallen for Ukraine.

Duda’s visit to Kyiv, his fifth since February 2022, sends a message that Warsaw’s support for Ukraine remains strong as the war drags on for the third year.

Poland, located to Ukraine’s west, has donated arms and become a hub for Western weapons destined for Ukraine. It has also welcomed tens of thousands of Ukrainians who fled the war. It hosts the most Ukrainian refugees outside of the country after Germany.

A trade dispute over Ukrainian grain that dragged down ties last year, and historical grievances between the two countries, sometime provoke bad feelings, particularly among Poles who remember a World War II-era massacre by Ukrainian nationalists.

Morton reported from London. Ahmad El-Katib contributed to this report from Beirut, Lebanon.

Follow developments at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Hours & Location

Cover photo by Mike Gustafson

SKATEPARK HOURS

Monday – Sunday | 6 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. No loitering after hours

The Lauridsen Skatepark is a shared public space. Have fun, be safe, respect others, & enjoy your ride!

The Lauridsen Skatepark is located in the heart of downtown Des Moines on five acres at the northern edge of the Principal Riverwalk and just east of Wells Fargo Arena and Iowa Events Center .

Address: 901 2nd Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50309

Parking: There is no dedicated parking lot for the skatepark. On-street parking is available along West River Drive, as well as access to city parking ramps and other site locations for when we are hosting special events.

More parking may be added in the future.

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Report any violations, damage, or submit a service request to: Polk County Conservation | [email protected]   | 515-323-5300 In case of an emergency, call 911.