Portland: Burnside

The granddaddy of them all, the Burnside skate park kicked off the modern concrete skate park revolution, not through the get-rich-quick, bumper-boat-family fun center-style schemes of the '70s parks, nor by some long, drawn-out bureaucratic torture session with city parks and a rec department that marks today's facilities. What revived the largely dead-and-buried art of casting curves in concrete was something far simpler: a group of skaters who wanted something better and were willing to put the work in to make it happen. Starting as a crude patch of 'crete slapped against the base of a bank under Portland's Burnside bridge, the park grew slowly at first, then took off exponentially, the locals adding bowls, pools, spines and quarter pipes, the quality of which improved with every new pour. But what was really revolutionary about the Burnside Project, as it was originally called, was the city's reaction. Rather than rip out the rebar and charge the builders with a crime, they actually understood that a skateboard park (that didn't require a single penny of public funds, by the way) was preferable to the hookers and junkies who had previously held that particular piece of real estate. Fast, filthy and fun, Burnside is a hairy ride and you may want to come early (when the little kids and BMXers ride the park) the first couple of times. Lines can be elusive, so watch a local to figure out the flow, and don't be afraid to take a seat when it gets too hectic. Expect a handful of humbling visits up front, but sooner than you expect you'll be slashing the punk wall and hitting the pillars like a regular Choppy Omega. A few of the original Burnsiders have gone on to start their own professional concrete skate park construction companies (Dreamland and Grindline are the best), and the do-it-yourself model has inspired skaters the world over. FDR in Philly, Washington Street in San Diego, the Marginal Way in Seattle and Channel Street in San Pedro, California are all Burnside's spawn.

In short: Ride the original, then build your own.