Skateparks in Virginia

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The Commonwealth of Virginia has a spectrum of skateparks, from large parks with high budgets and designs that draw attention from the action sports community across the Mid-Atlantic to smaller DIY skateparks.

Contents

History of Skateparks in Virginia

It is hard to provide an exact number of skateparks that exist in Virginia, as skateparks in Virginia have taken many forms of development. As action sports (specifically skateboarding) exploded in popularity in the mid-1990s, enthusiasts didn't wait for the approval and financial support of their cities and counties. Do-it-yourself affairs led the charge of some of the first skateparks in many municipalities. However, even as communities have developed more public skateparks, building DIY skateparks has remained a significant aspect of the culture in the Virginia action sports community, it is not uncommon for areas to have multiple government-funded, public skateparks and DIY skateparks within the same areas. [1] The City of Richmond is a great example of this, as there are multiple public skateparks in the area; in addition, the DIY affairs of the action sports community became so popular that Richmond Parks and Recreation gave land to the Richmond Area Skateboard Alliance to pursue the legal development of a DIY skatepark in the Texas Beach area of the city. [2]

A few of the newest publicly funded skateparks throughout Virginia boast modern design techniques and the sheer acreage to make them noteworthy on an international scale. The Charlottesville Skatepark, the Woodstock Skatepark in Virginia Beach, and the Powhatan Springs Skate Park in Arlington, VA are a few of these contemporary skateparks that sit at the top of the list for anyone looking to explore the skateparks of Virginia. [3]

According to USA Today, one can skate "any season of the year at several indoor and outdoor parks across Virginia with a wide range of elements and levels of difficulty." [4] Indoor skateparks have been an extremely significant development for action sports enthusiasts. Virginia's climate invariably presents weather that can hinder people's ability to enjoy outdoor skateparks consistently throughout the year. The humid, hot days of summer, the frigid temperatures of winter, and the rainy periods that come and go all present obstacles for those looking to progress their skills. Throughout the 2010s, many of the indoor skateparks closed. As of 2021, Liberty Mountain Skatepark in Lynchburg, Virginia and Mekos Skatepark in Hampton, Virginia are the only two public indoor facilities that are still operating. [5] [6]

Virginia Skate Park Directory

SkateparkImageDatesLocationCity, StateNotes
Ashland Skatepark Ashland Skate Park.jpg 2004 openedPufferbelly Park

37.757433°N 77.473196°W

 Ashland Modular Ramps
Bedford SkateparkFalling Creek Rd.

37.312910°N 79.503928°W

 Bedford Concrete
Brown Park7461 Foster Road

Gloucester, VA 23061

 Gloucester Wooden halfpipe, concrete street section
Blacksburg Skatepark725 Patrick Henry Dr.

37.241902°N 80.410594°W

 Blacksburg Concrete
Powhatan Springs Skatepark6020 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22205 Arlington Concrete
Dulles South Skatepark24950 Riding Center Dr.

38.921631°N 77.526287°W

 Chantilly 5,600 square feet (520 m2)
Charlottesville Skatepark38.044745°N 78.477423°W Charlottesville Concrete
Chesapeake Skatepark36.751885°N 76.230201°W Chesapeake Blend of modular ramps and concrete features
Christiansburg Skatepark569 N. Franklin St.

37.137361°N 80.413312°W

 Christiansburg, Virginia Blend of modular ramps and concrete features
Fort Belvoir Skatepark38.694534°N 77.141497°W Fort Belvoir Modular ramps
Laurel Skatepark37.644071°N 77.508550°W Glen Allen Modular ramps
GBS Skatepark760 Main ST. Edgehill shopping center Gloucester Modular ramps
Woodland Skatepark37.026560°N 76.324537°W Hampton Metal modular ramps
Herndon's Skatepark38.978288°N 77.398188°W Herndon, Virginia Concrete
Hopewell Skatepark1022 Crestview Drive

37.300790°N 77.289604°W

 Hopewell Modular ramps
Cactonin Circle Skatepark39.106884°N 77.559263°W Leesburg Concrete
Rotary Centennial Riverfront Skatepark29 9th St.

37.417171°N 79.141032°W

 Lynchburg Mostly concrete with wooden mini ramp, and modular ramps
Liberty Mountain Skatepark3700 Candlers Mountain Rd. Lynchburg Indoor, wooden ramps
Northside Skatepark8401 Tidewater Drive Norfolk Concrete
Mekos Skatepark3420 Von Schilling Dr, Hampton, VA 23666 Norfolk Indoor skatepark, wooden ramps
Carter Jones Skatepark Carter Jones Skate Park.jpg 2013 opened2813 Bainbridge Street

37.516519°N 77.460169°W

 Richmond Open 24 hours year-round; aka Fonticello Skate Park. Concrete
Texas Beach Skatepark Treasure Island Community Skate Park.jpg 2018 opened37.532143°N 77.468639°W Richmond DIY; open 24 hours. Concrete
RVA South Side SkateparkOld Carnation St.

37.499012°N 77.511927°W

 Richmond Wooden ramps now removed, fully renovated with concrete, modern design.
Rocky Mount Skatepark37.014112°N 79.894679°W Rocky Mount Metal modular ramps
Moyer Skatepark37.281781°N 80.057292°W Salem Array of concrete, wooden, and metal features.
Wakefield Park Skatepark38.817580°N 77.224438°W Annandale Two separate skate parks. One is of modular ramps, the other is new concrete.
Williams Farm Skatepark5269 Learning Circle

36.864023°N 76.159463°W

 Virginia Beach 25,000 square feet (2,300 m2). Concrete.
Woodstock Skate Plaza5709 Providence Road

36.812162°N 76.193230°W

 Virginia Beach 10,400 square feet (970 m2). Concrete.
Mount Trashmore Skatepark310 Edwin Dr.

36.830833°N 76.120424°W

 Virginia Beach 24,000 square feet (2,200 m2) Modular ramps.
WRV Skatepark1900 Cypress Ave Virginia Beach Wooden features on asphalt ground.
Warrenton Skatepark800 Waterloo Road

38.718844°N 77.819294°W

 Warrenton Modular ramps
James City County SkateparkLonghill Rd.

37.296587°N 76.738043°W

 Williamsburg Old concrete
Scott D. Eagles Memorial Skatepark38.641294°N 77.249846°W

14300 Featherstone Rd.

 Woodbridge Concrete
Lake Fairfax Skatepark1400 Lake Fairfax Dr Reston Concrete
Schuyler Hamilton Jones Skatepark3540 Wheeler Ave Alexandria Wooden modular ramps
Front Royal Skatepark100 Kerfoot Ave Front Royal Concrete
Luray Skatepark625 6th St Luray Modular ramps
Hawksbill Skatepark178 Karl Jenkins Ave Stanley Concrete
Westover Skatepark305 S Dogwood Dr, Harrisonburg Modular ramps
Stanton Skatepark10660 Western Ave Stanton Well kept modular ramps
Yowell Meadow Park230 W Piedmont St Culpeper Concrete
J. Frank Wilson Memorial Park502 E Church St Martinsville Metal modular ramps
Pole Green Skatepark8813 Pole Green Park Ln Mechanicsville Modular ramps
Bath County Skatepark65 Panther Dr,Hot SpringsModular ramps
Clifton Forge Skatepark1062 Vulcan Ave #814Clifton ForgeWooden modular ramps

See also

Related Research Articles

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Skateboarding is an action sport that involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry job, and a method of transportation. Originating in the United States, skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2009 report found that the skateboarding market is worth an estimated $4.8 billion in annual revenue, with 11.08 million active skateboarders in the world. In 2016, it was announced that skateboarding would be represented at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, for both male and female teams. Skateboarding made its Olympic debut in 2020 and was included in the 2024 games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skatepark</span> Park intended for skateboarding and similar activities

A skatepark, or skate park, is a purpose-built recreational environment made for skateboarding, BMX, scootering, and aggressive inline skating. A skatepark may contain half-pipes, handrails, funboxes, vert ramps, stairsets, quarter pipes, ledges, spine transfers, pyramids, banked ramps, full pipes, pools, bowls, snake runs, and any number of other objects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vans</span> American manufacturer of shoes

Vans is an American apparel, accessories, and skateboarding shoes brand, established in Anaheim, California, and owned by VF Corporation. The company also sponsors surf, snowboarding, BMX, and motocross teams. From 1996 to 2019, the brand was the primary sponsor of the annual Warped Tour music festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burnside Skatepark</span> Skatepark in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

The Burnside Skatepark is a DIY concrete skatepark located in Portland, Oregon, United States. Burnside was the first DIY skatepark project. It is located under the east end of the Burnside Bridge. The project was started without permission from the city of Portland before being accepted as a public skatepark. Its features include many hips, pools, pyramids, and vertical sections. The skatepark receives no funding from the city of Portland. The park is regarded as an on-going project that is funded by donations.

Spohn Ranch is a skatepark design and construction firm based in Industry, California. The firm specializes in the construction and design of concrete skateparks and skate plazas, skateable art sculptures, several styles of ramps, and courses for skateboarding, BMX and motocross events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reedville Creek Park</span>

Reedville Creek Park is a municipal park in the Reedville neighborhood of Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. Opened in 2003, the 9.6-acre (39,000 m2) park is along Cornelius Pass Road at Francis Street in the southeast area of the city. The park includes basketball courts, children’s play equipment, a picnic shelter, tennis courts, and sports fields among other amenities. Reedville Creek was the first and is the only park in Hillsboro with a skatepark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lai Chi Kok Park</span> Public park in Lai Chi Kok, Hong Kong

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skateboarding in China</span>

Skateboarding arrived in China in April 1986 when an American skateboarder arrived in China to study Chinese at the Beijing Language Institute. He says, "When I arrived in China, there wasn't even a word in Chinese for skateboard. People were really interested in learning to ride, and in a few years Chinese skaters started appearing in almost every city I travelled to". Domestic skate companies and retailers began to appear at around the turn of the century, bringing the average price for a skateboard of ordinary quality down from an expensive 1000 yuan to around 280 yuan as of 2009. Skateboarding has been slow to develop in China because of the lack of a strong preexisting street culture and of skating infrastructure; nevertheless, it's estimated that as of 2009 there are 40,000 to 50,000 skateboarders in China.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">SITE Design Group</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carter Jones Skate Park</span> Skatepark in Richmond, Virginia, US

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas Beach Skate Park</span> Skatepark in Richmond, Virginia, U.S.

Texas Beach Skate Park, also known as Treasure Island Community Skate Park, is a DIY skatepark located within the planned Riverview Community Park in the Texas Beach riverside area on the north bank of the James River in Richmond, Virginia, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golconda Skate Park</span> Skatepark in Brooklyn, New York

Golconda Skate Park, known as Fat Kid, is a public skate park in the Downtown Brooklyn/Fort Greene neighborhoods of Brooklyn, New York City, that originated as a DIY skate spot. Built under the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, the 18,000 square foot professionally built skate park was completed in 2016 and sits within Golconda Playground.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Maher (parks commissioner)</span> Brooklyn Parks Commissioner

Martin "Marty" Maher is the Brooklyn Parks Commissioner for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, assuming the office in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Venice Beach Skatepark</span> Skatepark in Venice, California, U.S.

The Venice Beach Skatepark is a public skatepark located in Venice, Los Angeles. It opened in late 2009. It is also officially known as the Dennis "Polar Bear" Agnew Memorial Skatepark, named after famed Z-Boy skater Dennis Agnew. The 16,000 square foot park is located near Windward Avenue and Ocean Front Walk street. The skate park features steps, rails, and bowls that resemble empty swimming pools. The park cost $3.4 million to build, and the funds came from the sale of surplus city property in Venice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NYC Skateboard Coalition</span> Skateboarding organization

NYC Skateboard Coalition, established in 2017, is a community organization that advocates for New York City's skateparks and hosts NYC-based skateboard events. The NYC Skateboard Coalition supports the skateboarding community of New York City through hosting skate jams and skatepark clean-ups throughout the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transition Extreme</span>

Transition Extreme is a sports facility in Queens Links, Aberdeen. It is run by a charity.

References

  1. ↑ Hodies, Eric (3 March 2020). "Woodstock Skate Park design taking shape". pilotonline.com. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
  2. ↑ "After success in Southside, RVA skateboarding group eyes Texas Beach for new skate park - RVA Mag". rvamag.com. 5 May 2015. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
  3. ↑ Parker, Stacy (15 June 2021). ""It's the bombdiggity right here." A new skate park opens Wednesday in Virginia Beach and skaters are stoked". pilotonline.com. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
  4. ↑ "Skate Parks in Virginia". Travel Tips - USA Today. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
  5. ↑ "Liberty Mountain Skate Park". www.liberty.edu. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
  6. ↑ "MEKOS Indoor Skate Park". MEKOS Indoor Skate Park. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
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