How do we rate them – Skatepark Rating System

This is a generalization of how we rate skateparks for our directory. So, your asking yourself, after reading the reviews of the skateparks, just who are these morons and how do they come up with the ratings for the skateparks? It just so happens that I’m gonna tell you. You may have noticed a Rating: 10 and a Reader Rating: 10. If it’s a reader rating, it’s based on some or one of our readers. If it’s a Staff rating it’s a more solid and believable rating. We put reader rating in there so you know that it may be the skatepark owner or builder and it might be biased. (We know we have to go back and add a lot more ratings to our older listings, don’t remind me).

The morons giving out the staff rating are skaters that contribute stories, photos, and review of parks to this website. Most of us have been skating well over 10 years and we are very passionate about exploring new terrain. We are very critical of the flaws of the skateparks, however we really enjoy riding through a new park that is built well and offers variety to all skateboarders.

How do we come up with that special little number landing somewhere between 1 and 10? Here goes…Beginning with park depth, a point is awarded for every foot up to 10 feet deep. Anything over is disregarded. If your park is only 3 feet deep, don’t expect anything over a 3. To maintain the highest rating # possible, what exists in the park must be built right. We immediately start deducting points for bad craftsmanship*, lack of flow, lack of amenities for all skateboarders levels (No beginners area, and no vert are the usual candidates). Another consideration is if there is a cost to skate. We understand the private parks need to make some money to stay open. That’s o.k. We subtract maybe a half a point if the fees are more than 5 or 6 dollars (like Vans’ parks) because it keeps out a lot of the underprivileged skaters who are out there dreaming of skating some sick terrain.

We don’t want to hear any crying about lack of funds or space. Cry to the city or builders or someone who cares. We, as skaters, only rate what’s ridable. The only way to increase your total rating over depth is to have some unique and challenging features. We want every skatepark to be a 10. Like every pro golfer we want an exceptional, challenging, world class course. It would contain a great beginner street course and small bowl, a unique middle sized bowl and street area, a decent bowl, and a vert area (ramp or within the largest bowl). If we were building your park we wouldn’t settle for anything less than exceptional, so why should you?

If your interested about quality builders/designers please click here to see who we awarded for their work history in 2001.

* bad craftsmanship – Lumpy concrete, kinked or inconsistent transitions, too much or too little coping, poorly placed obstacles, chipped concrete, warped lumber (ramps),