#FreedomToFind - 10 Skate Spots You Need To Find.
Amanda Caloia, Kala Fernandez & Zara Percy / Photo Elise Crigar
Summer is for adventure. It's for finding the ultimate skate spots and stops along the way.
It gives us time to have the
#FreedomToFind
. Maybe it's the ultimate spot you have been dreaming of, or maybe it's skating with friends and a fist full of donuts.
It's summer, and the time for a little sun on your skin and dirt on your knees is now.
Are you ready to do this?!
We are kicking off Summer 2017 by sharing 10 of the raddest summer skate spots! Check out these spots for an epic road trip or a day trip for the books.
Use hashtag
#FreedomToFind
to share your favorite summer skate spots with us for a chance to be featured on our website.
Meanwhile, we will be counting down the days to our summer
#FreedomToFind
lookbook release!
Photo Ian Logan
1. The Vermont Drop - Los Angeles, California
. Also known at
The Funnel
. This skate spot has been around since the 70's and has been featured in countless magazines. The transition is not smooth and the ride is rough. You'll need to hop a fence to get in, and you should bring a broom because there is always debris, but it's a hell of a lot of fun and takes you back to the 70's for sure. As with any good, renegade, skate spot, we're not going to blast the location out here, because you gotta respect old school skate spots and find them yourself - so do a little research and have an adventure.
#FreedomToFind
Photo @alias_wndrlnd
2. Wndrloop
- Christinia, Copenhagen, Denmark.
This spot is totally DIY and has a huge cult following among European skaters. Picture a Hot Wheels track loop, but for skateboarding - yep - a
death
loop. Make sure you have some speed and don't try it if you're stoned, drunk, or unsure of your abilities. If you're lucky, you may be the first female skater to complete the loop and have total bragging rights.
#FreedomToFind
3. Garvanza Skatepark
- 6240 Meridian Street, Los Angeles
- this park is just badass and makes for some great photos. The pool is gnarly and the graffiti changes often, best to get there early in the day before the summer heat and the crowds. Have some respect for the locals and they will respect you back. It's gnarlier than it looks.
#FreedomToFind
4. Otro Skatepark - Brussels, Belgium.
The worlds first glow in the dark skatepark created artist Koo Jeong. It solves all those pesky issues like shadows at night and not having lights at your local park. How does it work? It's built with green phosphorescent concrete and glows once it's dark outside. How many people can say they've skated a glow in the dark skatepark? Not many.
#FreedomToFind
5. Burnside Skatepark -
SE 2nd Ave,
Portland, Oregon.
Skaters talk about Burnside for a few reasons - it was built 26 years ago, bit by bit, by local skaters in a extremely rough neighborhood, under a bridge. The locals used to be pretty territorial so skating there was iffy at times if you didn't know someone. But now it's 2017 and gentrification has taken over - there are lofts directly behind the park, Eco friendly vehicles park in lots nearby and they serve a burger called The Burnside at the restaurant near the park. Not so sketchy of a neighborhood anymore.
Our advice is; take a road trip and skate it while you can, because when gentrification takes over it sometimes means that we as skaters, lose our DIY spots to developers. Hoping this doesn't happen here...
#FreedomToFind
Photo via SkatePunk.com
6. Mt. Baldy Pipe - San Bernardino, California
- still one of the gnarliest and hardest spots to reach, Baldy a throwback from the 70's where skaters like Kevin "The Worm" Anderson helped made it famous. Baldy is the stuff dreams are made of. But not for the feint of heart - you'll have to trek in and it's not easy - the paths have washed away over the last few years so be prepared to scale almost impossible terrain. Once you get there, there used to be a rickety, narrow board you had to carefully walk across to get to the actual pipe. We've heard it's gone missing, so you may need to bring your own. If you get in and skate it, take pics, post and hashtag
#FreedomToFind
because we've got a special surprise we will send your way.
*Bring a current newspaper with date showing in photo with pipe in background for proof that it's a recent pic.
#FreedomToFind
Photo via Red Bull Media
7. Kaos Temple - llanera, Spain.
What could be more inspiring than skateboarding in a 100 year old church? Not much. Street artist Okuda San Miguel is credited for turning the walls and domed ceilings of the abandoned and crumbling church into a bright, isometric, paintings. Besides being beautiful to look at, this skate spot has some rad half-pipes to skate, and if you take a slam, just lay back and look at the art work above. While you are there, make sure to thank the crew from La Iglesia Skate for transforming this space into an amazing skate spot.
#FreedomToFind
8. Venice Skatepark, Venice, California.
If you're a skateboarder this is the spot everyone you meet in the world will ask you if you've skated. Summer is great here, a soft ocean breeze, sunny warm California days and the ocean just steps away. This park has something for everyone - snake run, bowls, pool, street. The locals are cool and if you give respect, you get respect. Skate from sunrise to sunset for free. Pads are supposed to be worn but rarely enforced. The trick here is if you are given the $50 ticket for not wearing your gear - you can only get ticketed once per day, so just suck up the cost and keep on skating. (You didn't hear that from us).
#FreedomToFind
Skater Natlaie Krishna Das - Las Chicaz Crew / Photo Tim Vasquez
9. The Nude Bowl - located in the desert outside of Los Angeles, California.
Another iconic skate spot where we're not going to give away the exact location - you gotta work for this one. You'll thank us later. Promise. It's a insane pool in the middle of nowhere. The Las Chicaz all female skate crew just did a rad trip out there and posted some insane photos - total respect to these badass chicaz! Word of warning, the desert gets extremely hot in the summer so bring lots of water and sunscreen. Best time is an early morning or early evening sesh before the sun goes down.
#FreedomToFind
Photo via Kona Skatepark
10. Kona Skatepark -
8739 Kona Ave,
Jacksonville, Florida.
Saving one of the best spots for last. Kona just turned 40 years old this past weekend, making it the oldest skatepark in the world. Other famous parks (Marina, Cherry Hill, Apple) are buried under mounds of dirt since they were demolished or covered over in the early 80's. Only Kona lives on. Thanks to the Ramos family who has been running Kona since 1979, as well as die hard local skaters who are loyal and whose kids and grandkids now skate at Kona, this awesome skatepark has kept the dream alive! Make sure you hit their massive, and well known snake run - it's a rush!
#FreedomToFind
Stay tuned our new
#FreedomToFind
Summer Lookbook is dropping SOON!