5 Best Concrete Skateparks in Tampa
Whether you’re new to skateboarding or are a veteran rider, the one thing most skaters can agree on is a good concrete skatepark will beat out a wooden park any day of the week. Tampa is home to some of the best concrete skateparks in the country so it was hard to narrow it down to pick only 5. There are so many different options for skateparks in Tampa, but I decided to put together a list of the five best concrete skateparks in Tampa.
When I travel somewhere new, I am always looking around for the best concrete skateparks even if it’s just to pop in for a quick 10-15 minute session. If the skatepark is wooden, it just doesn’t hit the same. Some might disagree with me on that, but riding a concrete park gives a more natural feel while a wooden park has more bounce and give when riding. Falling on a concrete park sure hurts more, but in this case, the risk is worth the reward.
Florida is home to two of the best skateparks in the country with the legendary Skatepark of Tampa (SPoT), which hosts many pro competitions throughout the year as well as Kona Skatepark located in Jacksonville.
“Bro Bowl 2.0” – Perry Harvey Park
Based on the original “Bro Bowl” built back in the 1970s, this was one of the very first skateparks built in Florida. Although the original bowl was demolished and relocated, this skatepark was the first skatepark to be added to the National Register of Historic Places. The original bowl was on an area of land with historic roots to the African American Community within Tampa. This park is one of many Team Pain parks in the Tampa area.
St. Petersburg Regional Skatepark
St. Petersburg regional skatepark just hit its 5 year anniversary and is one of the most central hubs for the skate community in the Tampa area. “Skateboarding is not like any other ‘sport’ as it is not limited to a field, a team or rules. All you need is a skateboard and a landscape and the possibilities are endless,” says Anchor Skate Supply. This park offers great bowls and transition lines to make it great for all rider levels.
Providence Skatepark
Known as the “Concrete Jungle”, Providence Skate Park is the very first skatepark in Hillsborough County. Coming in at over 14,500 square feet, this is the county’s largest skatepark and is made for intermediate to professional level riders. If you ask me, it has all the elements you’d dream of in a skatepark with handrails, pyramids, step-ups, quarter pipes as well as granite structures.
Jackson Springs Skatepark
Jackson Springs Skatepark is one of my personal favorites on this list. This park was designed to resemble many different street elements from roadside ditches to fun transitions. Designed and made by Team Pain, they took in requests from the local community to help design this park. I really like how you can flow through the entire skatepark, but also ride each portion separately so that it isn’t just one big loop. On the backside of the park there is an infamous mini ramp and makes it easily one of the best concrete skateparks in Tampa and Florida. It is free to the public and helmets are required if you’re under 17 years old.
Bradenton Riverwalk Skatepark
Ok, so this one isn’t IN Tampa, but it is close enough. Bradenton Riverwalk Skatepark got it’s name for literally being on the edge of the Manatee River partially located under a bridge. This park was created for the community through an effort to build a place where the community could share their art, culture and heritage of Bradenton. It offers ledges, hips, manny pads, stairs, rails, granite structures, moguls with a mini bowl and vert wall, and real tile pool coping in the pool area. This was one of my favorite parks to skate when I lived down in Bradenton.
