365PDX#115: Burnside Skate Park

Posted June 27, 2010

365 Things to do in Portland #115: Burnside Skate Park

I never really learned how to skateboard. I gave it a half hearted attempt in the early 80′s when skate board mania hit my neighborhood. Of course since we lived  in the woods in upstate NY, with very course paved roads, learning to skate board meant mostly learning how to dive off the board into the street when the board when the board flew out from under you without getting your hands all cut up from the gravel. It didn’t take me too long to decide that I’d stick with fishing and leave skate boarding for those a little braver than myself.

Even though I don’t skate board, I definately appreciate good skate boarding when I see it, and I”m pretty awed by amazing  feets of aerial dexterity on the skate ramps.  Occasionally when I’m in the area, I like to watch the skaters at the Burnside SkatePark, located underneath the Eastern side of the Burnside Bridge.

This skatepark was initially built by skateboarders without permission from the city in 1990 , and eventually the city approved it as a public skatepark.  The Burnside skatepark set the stage for public skateparks all over the country.

As far as skate parks go, Burnside is somewhat legendary, and on any given day, skaters of all levels and experience can be seen testing their skills under the Burnside Bridge.

Here is a good blog detailing the history of the Burnside Skate Park

Looking for more skate parks in Oregon, check out  skateoregon.com