Rodney Mullen grew up in Florida and wanted a skateboard as a child, but his father resisted. His father perceived that older skateboarders were lousy role models who represented a counterculture way of life.
Finally, 10-year-old Rodney Mullen got his skateboard. It wasn't on Christmas, but on New Year's Day 1977. Still, Rodney's father warned that the first time he hurt himself, that would be it.

Sure enough, young Rodney Mullen took a spill. He could have twisted his ankle or scraped his knee or bruised his shoulder, but instead, Rodney knocked his teeth out. This wasn't the best "choice" for an injury. His dad placed a high value on strong, healthy teeth. His dad was a dentist! Somehow, Rodney Mullen managed to get his skateboard back. He started winning contests that same year, turned pro at age 14, and became a street skating legend.

Rodney Mullen has been called "The Thomas Edison of Skateboarding." At age 42, he's not forgotten by the younger crowd. He's known for inventing an array of tricks, such as the ollie and the kickflip, for his successors to build upon. Mullen was past his prime before skateboarders started showing their stuff all over the web, but his fans have produced tapes that have drawn as many as 1.5 million views on YouTube.

"I never really felt like I fit in (as a youngster)," Mullen once told an interviewer. "It's probably a common bond that a lot of skaters have, and I certainly felt that. I really liked the individuality of it, where you don't have to dress up all the time. You're really on your own. You didn't have a coach, no one's going to tell you what to do and it never ends in terms of the possibility of what you can do."

Despite the respect of his peers and the admiration of his successors, Rodney Mullen always will remain a sort of lone wolf. "I always like to skate at night," he said. "There's something about being alone to me that's so conducive of it all. Plus the practicalities of living in the city, because that's the time to hit things up, since no one's around."

Who knows what tricks Rodney Mullen has performed, that nobody has seen. However, he is willing to share some things, to the extent that he wrote an autobiography "The Mutt," published in 2003.

Sources:
http://www.rodneymullen.net/bio/
http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/2008/jan/16/q-skateboarder-rodney-mullen/

If you are a disciple of concrete then the Grand Haven Skatepark is for you. This park, which can be found at One Y Drive in Grand Haven, Michigan is a fantastic skatepark that is located near the entrance of the recreation attraction known as Mulligan's Hollow. Here you will have plenty of room, about 15,000 square feet, to perfect your skating skills, learn new tricks and just have fun.

Grand Haven Skatepark - The Basics
What makes the Grand Haven Skatepark great is that it has something for every type of skater. If you are a vert skater then there is a great full sized bowl and a quarter pipe to work with. On the other hand, if you are a street skater then you will appreciate the street course obstacles that are found in this park. For example, there is a hubba box, rails, c-rails, two sets of five stair sets, one seven stair set with a rail and various boxes and configurations.

Dressing for a Grand, Grand Haven Skatepark Experience
The Grand Haven Skatepark is an outdoor skatepark. This means that you are at the mercy of Mother Nature when you skate here. In order to stay comfortable while skating you will want to dress for the local weather conditions. In Grand Haven, Michigan you can expect the weather to be hot in the summer, cold in the winter and mild during the fall and spring. When picking out clothing to wear to this skatepark you will want to think about dressing in layers. Layers allow you to make adjustments to your clothing as your body temperature changes because of physical exertion or weather changes.

In addition to selecting clothing to protect your body from the weather, you will also want to select clothing options to protect your body from your skating. When the weather is cooler you can wear jeans and long sleeved shirts to help protect your legs and arms from road rash. When the weather is warmer you will want to focus on keeping your skin dry. This means selecting clothing made from cotton and other breathable materials is a good option, as is selecting materials designed to wick moisture away from your skin.

Many communities build skateparks in order to satisfy their residents' desire to skate. Most of the parks that are built are either built in existing community parks or they are built on virgin sites. In Virginia Beach, Virginia there is an amazing skatepark that was actually built using compressed clean soil and refuse. Yes, it was built on a landfill. The park complex is called Mount Trashmore and it is a great example of how communities can turn lemons into lemonade.

Mount Trashmore - The Park
Mount Trashmore is a multi-purpose park. It includes two amazing mountains that were made out of compressed trash and clean soil. This park also contains two lakes that are stocked with fish, and yes you can fish in these lakes. It also includes playgrounds, picnic areas and one of the best skateparks in the state.

Mount Trashmore Skatepark
The Mount Trashmore Skatepark can be found at 310 Edwin Drive in Virginia Beach, Virginia. It is primarily a street course skatepark with obstacles, stairs and rails. However, it also has a great seven foot bowl and a 13.5 foot by 40 foot vert ramp, which makes it competition size.

Skating at Mount Trashmore Skatepark is free. You can start skating here at 7:30 in the morning and you can skate until the park closes in the evening. In order to skate here you will need to sign in, get a skatepark wrist band and wear a helmet. Since this park is outdoors and made from wood and composite materials, it is important that you dress appropriately. You will want to wear clothing that protects your skin from sunburn and from abrasions and you will also want to wear padding.

The rules for skating at this park are similar to those found at other skateparks. You need to wear a helmet, you need to skate responsibly and you need to be respectful of other skaters and of the skatepark. If you break these simple rules you will be asked to leave.

Have a great time skating at Mount Trashmore and enjoy the scenery as you catch air!

If you're pro skateboarder Jake Brown, you might want a snazzy nickname to go with your oh-so-tame birth name. But you probably don't want to fall 45 feet to achieve this.

Australian Jake Brown, 34, became Jake "Unbreakable" Brown after he walked away from a horrific crash during the 2007 X Games at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Brown was on the mega ramp. In his usual fearless style - fearless even among pro skateboarders - he completed a daring 720 turn over the ramp's 70-foot gap, but he missed the quarter pipe lips. Medics say Brown saved his life by landing on his side.

"It might have been funny if it had not been potentially deadly," wrote Andrew Dalton for the Associated Press. "Jake Brown's legs churned in midair like he was trying to run. His shoes shot off in different directions when he slammed to the ground. His body looked like a rag doll as he slid to the base of the ramp." Dalton concluded, "It looked like a fall Wile E. Coyote would take," referring to the Road Runner's cartoon predator.

Jake Brown was motionless for about 8 minutes. Then he got up, walked off, waved to the crowd and asked buddy Jason Ellis, "Do I get another run?" Well, even Jake "Unbreakable" Brown is not unbreakable. He cracked several vertebrae, and he still has a metal pin in a wrist that was broken. He even bruised his liver; have you ever heard of a football player with a bruised liver? Jake Brown needed several months of rehab before he could return to smaller ramps and six months before he again challenged a mega ramp.

Even before the Staples Center fall, Jake Brown had a reputation for adverse risk. ESPN once reported: "Jake Brown has some of the hardest vert skateboarding tricks dialed in, like 720s and his double kick flip mute. However, in competitions, Jake Brown tends to go for the biggest tricks, which often backfires if he doesn't land them. But skating conservatively is not Jake Brown's style."

Reporters now want to know if Unbreakable Brown feels fear on the mega ramp. Jake affirms that this is true, but he adds a qualifier. He says he always has felt fear, even before the 45-foot freefall, because this is a natural emotion for a cutting-edge skateboard stuntman. Online viewers will note that Jake Brown was carted off in a wheelchair, not a stretcher. "I knew what happened," Jake explains in his trademark unflappable style. "I just wanted to test my body and see how wrecked I was, you know?"

Sources:
www.dailyillini.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticlePrinterFriendly&uStory_id=6d7c665b-3f6e-412a-9c8d-1440173744ec
http://articles.latimes.com/2007/aug/05/sports/sp-xside5
http://skateboard.about.com/od/proskaterbios/p/ProJakeBrown.htm
www.lgactionsports.com/athlete.html?athlete_id=72&sport=skateboarding
www.grindtv.com/athlete/jake_brown/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_Brown

Finding great places to skateboard is a top priority for skateboarders. However, it is not always easy to find a skate park that is open when the weather is less than cooperative. Fortunately, if you live in or plan on visiting Bristol, Connecticut, you have an indoor option that will give you a place to skate even when there is snow and ice on the ground. It is called the Connecticut Bike and Skate.

Connecticut Bike and Skate - The Basics
The Connecticut Bike and Skate is an indoor skate park that can be found at 86 South Street in Bristol, Connecticut. Being an indoor skate park, it isn't the biggest or most versatile skate park on the planet, but it has enough variety to keep you entertained. It offers mini ramps, a basic street course and a few vert features. This is not a free park, so there are fees and membership requirements that will need to be met before you can use this park to hone your skating or biking skills.

Dressing for an Indoor Skate Park
When you dress for skateboarding, you are normally concerned with protecting your body from abrasions and weather hazards. However, since Connecticut Bike and Skate is an indoor skate park, your clothing needs to focus less on the elements and more on keeping your body from overheating and being soaked by your own sweat.

To dress for an indoor park, you will want to start with a great pair of skateboarding shoes. The soles of these shoes need to have good traction, as well as be slightly flexible. You will also want to pull on a thick pair of cotton socks. Runner's socks work well, because they will keep your feet dry and prevent chafing. If you are opposed to socks then you can prevent moisture problems by sprinkling talcum powder on your feet before putting on your shoes.

Next, you will want to select clothing options that cover your vulnerable areas like knees, elbows and back. Finally you will want to look for clothing options that are designed to wick away moisture from your skin and allow your body to breath. Natural fibers like cotton are always a good option for skateboarders.

Brazilian skateboarder Bob Burnquist has come up with so many fantastic original tricks, even Bob can't name them all. For example, in his childhood hometown of Sao Paolo last December, he clinched the 2008 World Cup Skateboarding vert season championship by performing a backside 360 stale fish and an indie 540 over the gap.

Although 32-year-old Bob Burnquist has many career claims to fame, most of his skateboard fans look first to the vert contest at the 2001 X-Games. Burnquist knocked off two-time defending champ Bucky Lasek with a final run that included "multiple tricks that had never been seen before." He received 98 points, still an X-Games record. Part of the memory is that Tony Hawk, as TV commentator, was screaming so loudly in disbelief that he nearly lost his voice. This is part of the reason why Bob Burnquist is featured in so many of Tony Hawk's video games.

If Bob Burnquist is from Brazil, why does he have two names instead of one, such as Pele? His mother is Brazilian, while his father is Swedish. His full birth name is Robert Dean Silva Burnquist. Bob Burnquist took up skateboarding at age 11, turned pro at 14 and has never looked back. He was 18 when he showed up at Seattle's 1995 Slam City Jam as a virtual unknown, dazzled the judges (and fellow skaters) and won first-place.

Burnquist now lives in Vista, California, as a dual citizen of Brazil and the United States. His significant other is pro skateboarder Jen O'Brien, and their daughter's name is Lotus. They have a world-class vert ramp in their backyard.

To make the most of his fame, Bob Burnquist spreads his personal social messages as an environmental activist and a vegetarian. The Bob Burnquist Foundation reaches out to schools with information about organic farming and gardening. These activities may seem down to earth for a high-flying skateboard trickster, but Bob Burnquist's motto sums it up: "Live your life, and be in control, by learning to let go."

Sources:
http://www.bobburnquist.com/
http://www.bobburnquist.org/
http://oakley.com/sports/skate/athletes/2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Burnquist

Alabama is a great state to be in if you love to skateboard. The weather here is perfect for skating year round. This means that unlike skate parks in the north, skate parks in Alabama are generally open year round. If you are in or near the town of Decatur, Alabama, you will want to bring your board and skating gear to the High Wheels Skate Park. This park offers some of the best ramp skateboarding in the state.

High Wheels Skate Park - the Basics
High Wheels Skate Park can be found at 2052 Terry Way Parkway in Decatur, Alabama. It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. While it is not a free skate park, you can skate or bike at this park all day long for only $5, which is not a bad price. Bikes, roller skates, inline skates and skateboards are all welcomed here.

In order to use this park, you will need to follow a few basic rules. First of all, you will need to sign a liability waiver. This waiver basically states that you are responsible for your own safety while using the park. Next, you will be required to wear the appropriate padding for your sport. This means elbow and knee pads. Finally, if you will be riding your bike in the park, you will be required to wear a helmet with a chin strap.

High Wheels Skate Park - Features
High Wheels Skate Park is known for its extra wide ramps and skating surfaces. One of the best features at this park is their 6-foot-tall half pipe. This half pipe is elevated to seven feet, has 7.5-foot roll-ins and is 40 feet wide. This park also offers a 4-foot-tall spine ramp that is twenty feet wide. If you like street courses then this park has one of those as well, however, it is located on gravel and basically intended for bikes. Other skating and biking features found at the High Wheels Skate Park include a mini ramp and various skating obstacles. While this is not the most elaborate skate park in the world, it has a lot of good features that you will enjoy.

Gailea Momolu says he is a skateboarder first and a rapper second, and one fan says he is "more of a dancer than a rapper." Indeed, Gailea Momolu has a great pair of feet.

Gailea Momolu's parents are from Liberia, although he was born in Boston and he grew up near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Now 28, he makes his home in Vancouver, British Columbia. He lived for some time in Los Angeles, the informal capitol of skateboarding, in order to make connections and find sponsors, but he says he likes Vancouver better. "It's a good skate scene out here," Momolu says. "There is a lot of focus on the talent, but the scene could be a lot better when it comes to kids getting hooked up and getting their names out there." Besides, Momolu has a girlfriend in Vancouver. That might explain why he doesn't like L.A. as much as other skateboarders.

As for favorite places to skateboard, Gailea Momolu picks Shenzhen, China. Yes, China. "People in China really don't know what to do when they see me skate," Momolu says. "They just crowd around and watch. It's a new sport to them." He explains that his love for Shenzhen "is because it's all unique marble, the 10-out-of-10 top marble."

Gailea Momolu describes his skate style as "raw and relaxed." These two words may not seem to go together, but Momolu insists that he can remain relaxed and still get raw. "I'm a handrail skater, I guess, but pretty much I try to skate anything and everything," Momolu says. "The reason I say 'raw' is because of my pop. I don't like to flaunt myself too much, but I've heard so many people say that about me."

Gailea Momolu has a comparatively late start in skateboarding. He was more interested in basketball as a youngster, and he didn't get his first used skateboard until he was 13 years old. But he fell in love with that board and remembers taking train rides to Toronto and Montreal in order to get in on the action during the winter months. "I'll stay in skateboarding for as long as I can," Gailea Momolu says. "I just want to be a household name. I just want to keep doing what I'm doing."

Sources:
http://www.skaterrap.com/features.php
http://www.colormagazine.ca/print/feature/view/gailea-momolu
http://goskateboarding.ca/gailea_momolu?news_id=359&uniqid=
http://www.inqmnd.ca/site/#tableOfContents-more_39

While Chicago is a hot bed for cultural and urban attractions, sometimes you just need to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Champagne, Illinois is a charming city south of the Windy City. Here you will find a great little skate park called Spalding Skate Park. This park is a public skate park and free to use.

Spalding Skate Park - the Basics
Spalding Skate Park is a concrete skate park that offers about 18,000 square feet of skating terrain. It can be found at 900 Harris in Champagne, Illinois, and is open to both skateboarders and in-line skaters. Here you will find both vert park features and street course features. In the vert park, you will find three great bowls with easy bowl-to-bowl transitions and several quarter pipes. The street course offers a snake run, rails, stairs and obstacles.

Spalding Skate Park is open all week long from dawn until dusk. It is a part of a larger park called Spalding Park. This park offers open, grassy areas, ball parks and other recreational attractions.

Staying Safe in Spalding Skate Park
Skating is a lot of fun and is a good way to stay in shape, however, it can be hard on your body. To keep yourself from getting injured, you need to wear the proper clothing and the proper safety gear. During the hot months of the year, you will want to wear clothing that is breathable and that will wick moisture away from your skin. During the colder months of the year, you will want to dress in layers and wear the proper outerwear. Regardless of the time of the year, you will want to wear a well fitted helmet, elbow pads and knee pads. You will also want to wear a pair of skating shoes that will give you good traction on your board.

In addition to dressing properly for skateboarding, you will also want to take steps to stay safe on your board. First make sure the skating zone is free of hazards like broken glass and trash. Clear these things away before you start rolling. Next, check out who else is using the park. Get a feel for how they are skating and their skill level before you try to share the skating space. For example, if you notice a skater is wobbly on their board, you will want to keep a larger gap between you and them while skating as they obviously are a newbie and most likely will have troubles keeping their board under control.

Skateboarder Omar Hassan, 35, is known as one of the best in the world and as one of the smoothest. You wouldn't think a skateboarder as smooth as Omar Hassan would take a bunch of spills, but as Omar describes some of his travails, you can't help but think of Wile E. Coyote chasing the Road Runner.

So, read forward here only if you have a high threshold for pain.

Omar Hassan says, "One of my first injuries came when I was doing a front-side air. I fell in a straight Pete Rose slider position with the board still in hand. I broke my thumb and ripped off the nail, which is insanely painful in itself."

Ow-ooo-ch! (By the way, younger folks, Pete Rose is an old-school baseball player known for sliding head first.)

When Omar Hassan was 17, he says he dislocated his ankle. Not broke, but dislocated. An ankle? That doesn't sound good, Omar. He says he broke BOTH the tibia and fibula bones in his leg, and the medical fix-up included six screws that will remain for life.

Now, consider this one: "In Japan, I fell and slapped my hand so hard on the ground that it blew out my palm. My palm literally burst open. I had to get surgery to close up the pad of my hand."

Does Omar Hassan love skateboarding or what? Consider his handsome mug.

"I was doing a Rocket air off a jump ramp and held on too long," Omar says. "I broke two teeth, and the force of the fall shoved my braces through my lip ... I've busted my chin open about seven times. There are too many different stories that I don't care to elaborate on. Landing chin-first in pools, on ramps, in the street. All the same outcome: a busted chin and a lot of blood."

Omar Hassan even uses his injuries to make impromptu product endorsements: "While jumping off the back of a Dumpster into a bank, my board bounced up and hit me on the back of my head. Because Black Label wood is so strong, my board gashed open the back of my dome, and I had to get 14 stitches."

So, if you ever happen to bump into Omar Hassan, try not to REALLY bump into him!

Sources:
http://skateboardermag.com/skateboarder-news-features/magazine/Skateanatomy/omar-hassan-anatomy/
http://www.grindtv.com/athlete/omar_hassan/1068/bio/
http://expn.go.com/skt/s/010416_omarhassan.html

According to a recent news report, a group of teenagers were eager to enjoy some fun in the sun on the Sunshine Coast of Australia by jumping off the Coolum Beach's Esplanade rooftop - on skateboards.

The teenagers were practicing awe-inspiring leaps, twists and jumps on top of the roof and managed to catch the attention of shoppers and retail store owners over the weekend. The daredevils managed to pull off an impressive lineup of skateboarding tricks including vertical jumps, 360 degree leaps and 180s on top of an uneven rooftop.

Residents and shop owners confirmed that they were dong no harm and were just having some fun. The skateboarders simply enjoyed their practice session and adrenaline rush before heading home for the evening.

Ramping Up Your Skateboarding Skills

Skateboarding tricks and stunts can take months, even years to master, but the gurus of the skateboard have learned how to ride, maneuver and balance properly to avoid serious injuries.

Beginners may need to wear protective gear such as knee and elbow pads, the right shoesand even a helmet to reduce injury from a skateboarding mishap. Getting just the right angles and balancing the body just right before performing a jump or leap can be difficult for the beginning boarder; still, there are some ways to improve your skills.

First, you'll be better off practicing at an actual skate park before venturing onto the rooftops of buildings in the near future. Skate parks are designed with special edges and tracks that cater to the wheels of a skateboard. This will make it easier to practice those ollies, grinds and 180s without running into walls or other skaters. Well, at least for the most part.

You'll also need to practice good form. Keeping your weight balanced by bending your knees slightly and relaxing the body will help you maneuver the board easily and help you execute each move with ease. Keeping your eyes focused on the ground ahead (and not on your feet) will also help you navigate better and plan your next move.

Finally, don't forget to use skateboard wax. You'll need to rub this on the ledge you are working against so that you can ride up to the edge and make your turns with ease. A block of hard wax is fairly cheap and will likely last you through an entire skating season.

Castle Rock is a city between Denver and Colorado Springs, Colorado. This quaint little urban center has an amazing backdrop to skate against, as well as one of the better skate parks in the state. This skate park is called the Castle Rock Skate Park, and if you enjoy bowls or street courses, you are going to love it.

Castle Rock Skate Park - the Basics
The Castle Rock Skate Park can be found at 4420 Front Street in Castle Rock, Colorado. This park is less than an hour from both Denver and Colorado Springs, so it is the perfect place to go if you are visiting either of these cities. This is a skate-at-your-own-risk park, which means that you are responsible for your own safety. You will want to wear a helmet, padding and the appropriate clothing for the weather. Also, this park has easy transitions and roll-ins into the bowls, which means a lot of people who don't really have the skills to handle bowls will be trying their luck. Keep this is mind as you roll in and be aware of who is skating around you.

Castle Rock Skate Park - The Bowls
The Castle Rock Skate Park has a great collection of bowls. The largest bowl has an estimated depth of 9.5 feet. There is also a tri-bowl with depths of three, four and five feet, a fish bowls, a mogul bowl and a handicap bowl. Most of the bowls in this skate park have roll-ins, and some bowls are connected to one another with spines.

Castle Rock Skate Park - Street Terrain
While the bowls at this park are great they are not the main attraction. The street course at this park is super cool and super big. In fact, the square footage dedicated to the street course is larger than most skate parks in Colorado. The street course is made up of banks, rails, stairs, trannies, curbs, planters, ledges and a great new snake run. Again keep in mind that there are skaters of all skill level using the park and some may not have the skills to maintain control of their boards and bodies. To protect yourself and them from injuries keep your eyes open for other skaters as you navigate your way around the street course.

New York is a state this has just about everything you could ever want from urban attractions to wildlife adventures. If you are a skater and touring the Catskill Region of New York then stop by the infamous Skate Time 209 for a great time. This skating site not only offers a 10,000-square foot skate park, but it offers a retro roller rink, an arcade and a snack bar. If you are ready for a skating caper, pull on your hoodie and head to Skate Time 209.

Skate Time 209 - the Basics
You can find Skate Time 209 at 5164 Route 209, Mettacahonts Road in Accord, New York. This is in the Catskill Region of New York. It is a little off the beaten trail but well worth the effort to get there. The fee for using the skate park will be about $9 for a single session or about $20 for a day pass.

The schedule for Skate Time 209 is broken up by season. The winter schedule will generally offer two sessions, an afternoon session, which runs from 1:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m., and an evening session, which runs from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. The summer season will generally offer three sessions. It is a good idea to call ahead to see if a session is open to the public or if it has been rented for a party, which is particularly important during the summer season.

In order to skate at Skate Time 209 you will be required to wear a helmet. You can rent helmets at the rental counter. Also this is a BYOB (bring your own board) skate park. However, if you want to use the roller rink, you can rent roller skates (the old fashion kind) at the rental counter.

Skate Time 209 - Features
Skate Time 209 has both vert features and street course features. Its top attractions include a half pipe with a berm and drops of six feet and eight feet. The street course features include things like rails, lots of great boxes, stairs and hubbas.

Maryland is an interesting state if you are a skateboarder. It contains several opportunities to skateboard; however, your best bet is always going to be a local skate park. If you live in Ocean City, Maryland, or if you will be visiting this city, grab your board and skateboard shoes and head to the Ocean City Skate Park.

Ocean City Skate Park - The Basics
The Ocean City Skate Park can be found on the corner of St. Louis Avenue and 3rd Street in Ocean City, Maryland. It is a good sized concrete skate park with about 17,000 square feet of terrain to explore. Four thousand square feet of this park are dedicated to a bowl park. Here you will find smooth transitions, a pool bowl, a large vert ramp and a mini vert ramp. The remaining 13,000 square feet of this park are dedicated to a street course that contains everything that street skaters enjoy such as hips and hit walls. This park was designed by the well-known skate park designer Tim Payne, so you know the layout is going to be skater-friendly.

Ocean City Skate Park - Hours and Fees
This is not a free skate park so you will have to scrounge together some dough before skating here. However, the fees are reasonably affordable. Your best deal is an annual membership which costs $45 for local residents and $90 for everyone else. To get the most from this membership buy it as close to July 1 as possible. Daily passes range between $10 and $12, and weekly passes cost around $40.

The Ocean City Skate Park has two skateboarding seasons. The spring season runs from March until May. During this season, the park will be open Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. until it gets dark, on the weekend from 9:30 a.m. until dark and on "no-school days" from 9:30 a.m. until dark. The summer season runs from June until the end of August. During this season the park is open everyday from 9:30 a.m. until dark.

In order to skate here you will need to sign up for membership. This will include a liability waiver. If you are under 18 years of age, your parents or legal guardians will need to fill out your paper work for you so you can skate at the Ocean City Skate Park.

Ocean City is known for many things including its boardwalk and its surfing. However, it is also a great city to visit if you are a skateboarder. If you are looking for a great vacation destination and you are a skater, pack your bag, board and head to Ocean City, Maryland.

Ocean City Skate Park
As a skater, you naturally want to know where you can skate on your vacation. In Ocean City the premiere skate park is the Ocean City Skate Park. This skate park can be found on the corner of 3rd Street and St. Louis Avenue. It is a concrete park that offers 17,000 square feet of obstacles, bowls and ramps for you to shred. This is a dual skate park, with one section dedication to a bowl park (pool bowl design), and one section dedicated to a street course. This park requires you to pay a fee and wear safety equipment; however, the rules and fees are both reasonable.

In order to skate at the Ocean City Skate Park you will need to visit the city between March and August. These are the only months when it is open. If you visit the park between March and May you can get into the park weekdays between 11:30 a.m. and dark and on the weekends from 9:30 a.m. until dark, and if you visit the park between June and August you can get into the park any day from 9:30 a.m. until dark.

Ocean City Skate Shops
When you aren't skating at the local skate park, you can spend some time shopping at the local skate shops. There are at least two spots in Ocean City where you can find great gear and clothing for skaters. They are the Atlantic Skate, Inc., found at 12632 Sunset Avenue and Chat Street, found at 1215 Atlantic Avenue.

Ocean City Attractions
While skateboard themed attractions are going to occupy most of your time, don't forget to check out the other tourist attractions offered by Ocean City, Maryland. The most popular attractions in the city include the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum, the Ocean City Boardwalk, the Jolly Roger's Amusement Park, the DiscoverSea Shipwreck Museum and the 65th Street Slide and Ride. You will also want to check out the local seafood restaurants, stands and eateries.