Cracks, cars, and cops: the unholy trinity of skateboarding since people first rolled down the street on four wheels. While all skaters deal with these elements on an occasional basis, the odds are stacked against new skaters. Thankfully, there are plenty of places to practice skating aside from busy streets — try these locations out the next time you feel like skateboarding!
Schools:
Schoolyards are staple favorites in a skater’s shortlist of practice areas. Some schools have even become famous in the skateboarding community, so that skaters will know of a school halfway across the globe by name!
Schools offer smooth asphalt, uncrowded space (particularly on weekends), and unique obstacles for skaters to improve their skills. You’ll routinely find skateable banks, stairs, ledges, gaps, and rails at schools — discovering a new spot transforms a skate session into a creative treasure hunt.
Weekends and late afternoons are ideal times to skate at schools. Teachers and other school staff are generally accepting of skateboarders, but take special care to behave with respect toward anyone you may encounter: you risk getting kicked out if you are rude.
There’s a reason why schools are such perennial favorites in the skateboarding community — go skate one and see what you find!
Parking Lots:
Skateboarding requires lots of work on fundamentals to make progress. Ask any pro: in order to land big, complicated tricks, skaters must be one hundred percent confident in their basic abilities.
Parking lots (and, more broadly, all open areas with relatively flat pavement) act as a training ground for skateboarders. Groups of skaters often meet up with one another at parking lots to play S-K-A-T-E, a game akin to H-O-R-S-E in basketball — if one skater performs a trick, the opposing player must copy the same trick, or else receive a letter. The game ends when one person forces the other skater to spell out S-K-A-T-E to win the game. Playing these types of games allow for skaters to hone their skills without growing bored; groups bring diversity and fun to practice sessions!
Aim to find parking lots (or covered parking garages if there’s rain) that aren’t crowded. Corporate offices are a great option for weekend skateboarding, and churches are generally accessible during weekdays. Remember: always be respectful to non-skaters when skateboarding — it’s always easier to find another skate spot than to argue with a Pastor!
Skateparks:
Skateparks offer skaters a way to push the boundaries of their abilities within a controlled environment — parks are often specifically designed with this in mind by experienced professionals in the skate industry. Skateparks serve as the epicenters of a vibrant community skate scene: skaters learn new tricks, make new friends, and are free to skate as much as they like in this community-sanctioned space.
Skateparks represent a double-edged sword to novice skaters. While parks offer obstacles that cater to skateboarders, some of these features are beyond the skill level of beginners — it’s important for new skaters to carefully approach new ramps, rails, and ledges with reasonable caution. Taking careful, calculated risks builds confidence in skating and reduces the chances of injury. When in doubt, ask a more experienced skater for advice!
Next Steps:
Skateboarders improve through the concept of progressive overload: beginners become experts by pushing themselves a little further over a long period of time. By practicing in a variety of different settings, skaters learn to adapt to their environment wherever they may find themselves skateboarding. Still, it’s helpful for everyone to have a handful of comfortable settings to skate as reliable “home bases” for practice. Hopefully this list helps you establish those places for yourself, and gives you some ideas of where you can skate next to develop your repertoire. Happy hunting!
