Skateboarding in Portland, Oregon

Burnside Skatepark, 2007

The American city of Portland, Oregon has been described as skateboard-friendly[1] and the "skateboarding capital of the world".[2][3] Portland Parks & Recreation operates multiple public parks with skateparks and there are other "do it yourself" (DIY) skateparks such as Burnside Skatepark. The city has seen skateboarding incorporated into school curriculum.[4]

In Portland, skateboarders "have the same legal status as bicycles, meaning they can be in the streets as long as they signal, wear front lights at night and obey the road rules", according to The Oregonian.[5]

Culture

Keegan Palmer skateboarding at the Rockstar Energy Open in 2024

Portland has an LGBTQ skateboarding group.[6] The local nonprofit organization Skate Like a Girl promotes participation by women and transgender people.[7]

In 2014, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) hosted the Tony Hawk-Rad Science exhibit, which focused on physics principles and skateboarding.[8] In 2025, the nation's largest mural of a skateboard was painted at Portland Dream Plaza.[9][10] Through My Board, a documentary film about a Black and deaf skateboarder at the Burnside Skatepark, premiered at the Hollywood Theatre as part of the Portland Panorama film festival in 2026.[11]

Skatechurch was established in 1987 in the parking lot of Central Bible Church in northeast Portland.[12][13][14][15]

Business

Cal Skate Skateboards in the Old Town Chinatown neighborhood has been described as "a steadfast fixture of skate culture in Portland".[3][16] The store has hosted an annual Oregon Skate Swap.[17]

Commonwealth Skateboarding has operated in southeast Portland for over a decade.[18] It sells skateboards and has an indoor skatepark.[19][20]

Events

Portland hosted the skateboarding event Rockstar Energy Open at Tom McCall Waterfront Park in 2024[21][22] and 2025.[23][24] The 2024 event saw 80 skateboarders compete and attracted approximately 25,000 people.[25][26] The three-day event in 2026 featured live music.[27][28]

Skateparks

The skatepark at Gabriel Park, 2010
The skatepark at Holly Farm Park, 2007

The following parks operated by Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) have skateparks:[29]

PP&R hosts skateboarding programs annually.[34]

Burnside Skatepark, located under the east side of the Burnside Bridge, is not operated by PP&R. It has been described as "one of the nation's meccas for skateboarding" and "part of the Portland lore".[35] As of 2026, other "do it yourself" (DIY) skateparks in the city are along the south side of Laurelhurst Park, at Dream Plaza in southeast Portland, and at the intersection of Southeast 7th and Sandy Boulevard.[36] Volunteers have also created "Feral Cat Cave"[37] in the Lents neighborhood, along the Springwater Corridor near Southeast 100th Avenue.[38][39][40][41] There is a DIY skatepark at Creston Park.[42]

There is a skatepark at Portland State University's Northeast Campus.[43] The Steel Bridge Skatepark is planned for Old Town Chinatown.[44][45][46] The Rachel Grace Skate Plaza is in northeast Portland's Concordia neighborhood.[47] A DIY skatepark in southeast Portland's Woodstock neighborhood, known as Appletree Park, was named the city's "best sidewalk skatepark" by Willamette Week in 2026.[48]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Daschel, Nick (2010-08-12). "Dew Tour finds an action sports sweet spot in Portland". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  2. ↑ Dougherty, Conor (2009-07-31). "How Portland, Ore., Became the Skateboard Capital of the World". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on 2015-01-13. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  3. 1 2 Nocera, Veronica (2026-01-16). "Old Town Portland skate shop — one of the oldest in the world — is celebrating 50 years with a brand new owner". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  4. ↑ Wixon, Ben (2009). Skateboarding: Instruction, Programming, and Park Design. Human Kinetics. ISBN 978-0-7360-7426-1.
  5. ↑ Rose, Joseph (2010-12-06). "'Yield' triangles on TriMet buses and skateboards in traffic: What's cool? What's not?". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  6. ↑ "'Queer Skateboarding': Photographer documents gay skater culture". NBC News. 2019-04-05. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  7. ↑ "Portland nonprofit works to make skateboarding more inclusive: 'All sorts of people are able to do this'". kgw.com. 2024-08-07. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  8. ↑ "Skateboarding grinds in physics lessons at OMSI". East Oregonian. 2014-01-24. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  9. ↑ "Largest skateboard mural in U.S. will be unveiled at Portland Dream Plaza". KOIN. Archived from the original on 2025-07-23. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  10. ↑ "Portland getting largest skateboard mural in U.S." KATU. 2025-06-20. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  11. ↑ "New documentary 'Through My Board' captures Portland's skateboarding soul". KOIN.
  12. ↑ "A Northeast Portland Church Combines Skateboarding and Bible Study". Portland Monthly. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
  13. ↑ Bynum, Nate (2017-04-08). "Skate Church Has Roof Blown Off". KATU. Archived from the original on 2017-06-18. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
  14. ↑ Dunn, Katia (2002-01-03). "THE BIG TONY HAWK IN THE SKY". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on 2025-08-26. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
  15. ↑ "The Urban Grind: Skateparks - Neighborhood The Urban Grind: Skateparks - Neighborhood Perceptions and Planning Realities". pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
  16. ↑ Perez, Guillermo Motta (2026-01-23). "Cal Skate, world's oldest skate shop, changes hands after 50 years". KATU. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  17. ↑ "Cal Skate Skateboards Gets New Owner". Willamette Week. 2026-01-13. Archived from the original on 2026-02-09. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  18. ↑ Seibold, Hannah (2026-02-19). "One of Oregon's longest-running indoor skateparks celebrates 15-year milestone in Portland". Portland Tribune. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  19. ↑ "SE Portland skate shop and indoor skatepark celebrates 15 years of community". KPTV. 2026-02-19. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  20. ↑ Buxton, Matt (2011-04-14). "Skateboarders have new shelter from the rain at Commonwealth Skateboarding's indoor skate park in Southeast Portland". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
  21. ↑ "Rockstar Energy Open brings Portland's skate scene to the big stage on day one". The Portland Tribune. 2024-08-24. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  22. ↑ Greif, Andrew (2024-08-22). "Portland's Waterfront Park to host Rockstar Energy Open, featuring Olympic-level skateboarders". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  23. ↑ Corser, Bobby (2025-08-15). "Rockstar Energy Open returns to Portland in 2025 with top skateboarders". KATU. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  24. ↑ Meagher, Sean (2025-08-12). "Portland's waterfront becomes a skatepark again this weekend". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  25. ↑ "Portland hosts inaugural Rockstar Energy Open skateboarding event". kgw.com. 2024-08-22. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  26. ↑ Seibold, Hannah (2025-08-13). "Portland's ultimate skateboarding weekend is back — and it's free". The Portland Tribune. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  27. ↑ "Rockstar Energy Open returning to Portland in August". kptv.com. 2026-05-19. Archived from the original on 2026-05-21. Retrieved 2026-05-20.
  28. ↑ Seibold, Hannah (2026-07-30). "Rockstar Energy Open returns to Portland: Here's what to know". The Portland Tribune. Archived from the original on 2026-07-31. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  29. ↑ "Skateboarding | Portland.gov". www.portland.gov. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  30. ↑ "Berrydale Park reopens in SE Portland with new skatepark, paths and more". KATU. 2025-08-08. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
  31. ↑ "Ed Benedict Skate Plaza now officially open « East PDX News". eastpdxnews.com. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  32. ↑ "An Essential Guide to Portland's Destination Parks". Portland Monthly. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  33. ↑ "A mini tour of skateparks in Portland — ground zero for the modern skatepark era". The Bulletin. 2024-09-26. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
  34. ↑ "Skateboarding with Kids in Portland - PDX Parent". PDX Parent. Archived from the original on 2026-01-24. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  35. ↑ "Iconic Portland skate park on the front lines of gentrification". PBS News. 2016-12-24. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  36. ↑ Smith, Corbin (2026-04-09). "A Place To Skate and Belong". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  37. ↑ "Community-built skatepark in Southeast Portland draws big crowds". kgw.com. 2022-03-04. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  38. ↑ "Volunteers build Lents 'Skate Cove' « East PDX News". eastpdxnews.com. Archived from the original on 2025-12-15. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  39. ↑ "DIY Skateparks Are a Proud Tradition in Portland. Can This One Survive an Angry Neighbor?". Willamette Week. 2021-06-30. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  40. ↑ "Skaters want to keep city from tearing down DIY skatepark in Portland's Lents neighborhood". kgw.com. 2021-06-15. Archived from the original on 2023-07-30. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  41. ↑ "Portland skaters start new petition to keep DIY skatepark from being torn down". kgw.com. 2023-03-15. Archived from the original on 2023-10-01. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
  42. ↑ "SE Portland to welcome new community skatepark". KATU. 2023-05-17. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
  43. ↑ "A love letter to Portland State's on-campus skatepark". Portland State Vanguard.
  44. ↑ "New $15 million skatepark aims to revitalize Portland's Old Town". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  45. ↑ Griggs, Taylor (2025-03-21). "Steel Bridge Skatepark Rolls Forward After Major Land Swap Approval". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  46. ↑ Dios, Austin De (2025-03-24). "Steel Bridge Skatepark project moves forward after land swap". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2025-07-25. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  47. ↑ "Local Chiropractor Opens New Skate Park – Concordia Neighborhood Association | Portland, Oregon". 2023-09-24. Archived from the original on 2026-07-14. Retrieved 2026-07-09.
  48. ↑ "Portland's Best Sidewalk Skatepark". Willamette Week. 2026-07-22. Archived from the original on 2026-07-22. Retrieved 2026-07-22.

External media

This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.