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.
History of Skateparks in Virginia
editIt 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
edit| Skatepark | Image | Dates | Location | City, State | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashland Skatepark | 
|
2004 opened | Pufferbelly Park
37.757433°N 77.473196°W |
Ashland | Modular Ramps |
| Bedford Skatepark | Falling Creek Rd.
37.312910°N 79.503928°W |
Bedford | Concrete | ||
| Brown Park | 7461 Foster Road
Gloucester, VA 23061 |
Gloucester | Wooden halfpipe, concrete street section | ||
| Blacksburg Skatepark | 725 Patrick Henry Dr.
37.241902°N 80.410594°W |
Blacksburg | Concrete | ||
| Powhatan Springs Skatepark | 6020 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22205 | Arlington | Concrete | ||
| Dulles South Skatepark | 24950 Riding Center Dr.
38.921631°N 77.526287°W |
Chantilly | 5,600 square feet (520 m2) | ||
| Charlottesville Skatepark | 38.044745°N 78.477423°W | Charlottesville | Concrete | ||
| Chesapeake Skatepark | 36.751885°N 76.230201°W | Chesapeake | Blend of modular ramps and concrete features | ||
| Christiansburg Skatepark | 569 N. Franklin St.
37.137361°N 80.413312°W |
Christiansburg, Virginia | Blend of modular ramps and concrete features | ||
| Fort Belvoir Skatepark | 38.694534°N 77.141497°W | Fort Belvoir | Modular ramps | ||
| Laurel Skatepark | 37.644071°N 77.508550°W | Glen Allen | Modular ramps | ||
| GBS Skatepark | 760 Main ST. Edgehill shopping center | Gloucester | Modular ramps | ||
| Woodland Skatepark | 37.026560°N 76.324537°W | Hampton | Metal modular ramps | ||
| Herndon's Skatepark | 38.978288°N 77.398188°W | Herndon, Virginia | Concrete | ||
| Hopewell Skatepark | 1022 Crestview Drive
37.300790°N 77.289604°W |
Hopewell | Modular ramps | ||
| Cactonin Circle Skatepark | 39.106884°N 77.559263°W | Leesburg | Concrete | ||
| Rotary Centennial Riverfront Skatepark | 29 9th St.
37.417171°N 79.141032°W |
Lynchburg | Mostly concrete with wooden mini ramp, and modular ramps | ||
| Liberty Mountain Skatepark | 3700 Candlers Mountain Rd. | Lynchburg | Indoor, wooden ramps | ||
| Northside Skatepark | 8401 Tidewater Drive | Norfolk | Concrete | ||
| Mekos Skatepark | 3420 Von Schilling Dr, Hampton, VA 23666 | Norfolk | Indoor skatepark, wooden ramps | ||
| Carter Jones Skatepark | 
|
2013 opened | 2813 Bainbridge Street
37.516519°N 77.460169°W |
Richmond | Open 24 hours year-round; aka Fonticello Skate Park. Concrete |
| Texas Beach Skatepark | 
|
2018 opened | 37.532143°N 77.468639°W | Richmond | DIY; open 24 hours. Concrete |
| RVA South Side Skatepark | Old Carnation St.
37.499012°N 77.511927°W |
Richmond | Wooden ramps now removed, fully renovated with concrete, modern design. | ||
| Rocky Mount Skatepark | 37.014112°N 79.894679°W | Rocky Mount | Metal modular ramps | ||
| Moyer Skatepark | 37.281781°N 80.057292°W | Salem | Array of concrete, wooden, and metal features. | ||
| Wakefield Park Skatepark | 38.817580°N 77.224438°W | Annandale | Two separate skate parks. One is of modular ramps, the other is new concrete. | ||
| Williams Farm Skatepark | 5269 Learning Circle
36.864023°N 76.159463°W |
Virginia Beach | 25,000 square feet (2,300 m2). Concrete. | ||
| Woodstock Skate Plaza | 5709 Providence Road
36.812162°N 76.193230°W |
Virginia Beach | 10,400 square feet (970 m2). Concrete. | ||
| Mount Trashmore Skatepark | 310 Edwin Dr.
36.830833°N 76.120424°W |
Virginia Beach | 24,000 square feet (2,200 m2) Modular ramps. | ||
| WRV Skatepark | 1900 Cypress Ave | Virginia Beach | Wooden features on asphalt ground. | ||
| Warrenton Skatepark | 800 Waterloo Road
38.718844°N 77.819294°W |
Warrenton | Modular ramps | ||
| James City County Skatepark | Longhill Rd.
37.296587°N 76.738043°W |
Williamsburg | Old concrete | ||
| Scott D. Eagles Memorial Skatepark | 38.641294°N 77.249846°W
14300 Featherstone Rd. |
Woodbridge | Concrete | ||
| Lake Fairfax Skatepark | 1400 Lake Fairfax Dr | Reston | Concrete | ||
| Schuyler Hamilton Jones Skatepark | 3540 Wheeler Ave | Alexandria | Wooden modular ramps | ||
| Front Royal Skatepark | 100 Kerfoot Ave | Front Royal | Concrete | ||
| Luray Skatepark | 625 6th St | Luray | Modular ramps | ||
| Hawksbill Skatepark | 178 Karl Jenkins Ave | Stanley | Concrete | ||
| Westover Skatepark | 305 S Dogwood Dr, | Harrisonburg | Modular ramps | ||
| Stanton Skatepark | 10660 Western Ave | Stanton | Well kept modular ramps | ||
| Yowell Meadow Park | 230 W Piedmont St | Culpeper | Concrete | ||
| J. Frank Wilson Memorial Park | 502 E Church St | Martinsville | Metal modular ramps | ||
| Pole Green Skatepark | 8813 Pole Green Park Ln | Mechanicsville | Modular ramps | ||
| Bath County Skatepark | 65 Panther Dr, | Hot Springs | Modular ramps | ||
| Clifton Forge Skatepark | 1062 Vulcan Ave #814 | Clifton Forge | Wooden modular ramps |
See also
edit- List of skateparks (world-wide)
References
edit- ^ Hodies, Eric (3 March 2020). "Woodstock Skate Park design taking shape". pilotonline.com. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Skate Parks in Virginia". Travel Tips - USA Today. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
- ^ "Liberty Mountain Skate Park". www.liberty.edu. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
- ^ "MEKOS Indoor Skate Park". MEKOS Indoor Skate Park. Retrieved 2021-12-12.