Skatepark

The first skatepark in the world, Surf City, opened for business at 5140 East Speedway Road in Tucson, Arizona on September 3, 1965.

Due to time, wear, and the current needs of skaters, the old bowl and ramp were torn down in the Fall of 1997 and the new park opened in July 1998.

The competition held at the Pier Avenue Junior High School (now a city museum) was organized by Dewey Weber across the street from his surf and skateboard shop.

[8] CT Bike is where Tony Hawk made his debut when he was a young boy on his first East Coast tour.

A downturn in the overall skateboard market in the 1980s, coupled with high liability insurance premiums, contributed to the demise of the first wave of skateparks.

Skateboarders used an area populated primarily by the city's "undesirable elements" to create a skatepark, building one section at a time.

Skate parks, related obstacles/ramps and locations designed for extreme sport utilization have made their way into the media over time, such as with the aforementioned Burnside Skatepark being included in the movie Free Willy.

Skate-able art allows for the creation of thriving multi-use areas, as installations often become picturesque destinations for skaters and non-skaters alike.

Unlike organized sports, like basketball or football, skateboarding has no set arena or rules and skateparks have no standard design template.

Many privately owned skateparks are indoors, usually in warehouses, roller rinks or buildings with high ceilings, especially in areas with snowy winters.

[citation needed] In reality, custom built concrete skateparks can be quite cost competitive with prefabricated skate ramps.

[citation needed] According to an editor of Transworld Skateboarding magazine, concrete parks are now "pretty much the industry standard" as they require fewer repairs and less maintenance.