The Newsletter is here to keep everyone in the Phoenix skate scene up-to-date and in-the-know about upcoming events and happenings. Below, you’ll find the February and March community calendar with detailed information about each event. If you have an event you’d like to add (or corrections for any of the events below), please e-mail the information to budstratford@aol.com. Thanks for supporting your local skate scene, and your local skate shops.
Active Rideshop in Tempe is closing in two weeks, ie, at the end of February. We’re wishing Steve and the crew all the best; they were doing some really good stuff over there, and had a solid program going. Stop in, say thanks for the memories, and grab some great deals before they close the doors forever.
On Deck in Tempe also seems to have closed recently as well. RIP.
Kids: please support the local skate shops that support your skate scene. Because if these shops die, so will our scene.
Freedom Boardshop, 1316 S Gilbert Rd, Mesa, AZ 85204,(480) 892-1707
Scottsdale Sidewalk Surfer, 2602 N Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85257, (480) 994-1017
Every Sunday morning at 9am:
Sunday Morning Mass
At various local skateparks, 9am every Sunday
(Typically Foothills/Union Hills Skatepark, 5752 W Union Hills Drive, Glendale, AZ 85308)
Contact: Prevent This Tragedy or Adam Richards on Facebook
Skaters of all ages congregate at local area skateparks every Sunday morning in and around
Phoenix. Free for anyone to come, skate, and have fun.
Every Wednesday, 3 pm – 6pm, and 6 pm – 9pm:
All-Girls Skate Session
91 West Skatepark
8550 N 91st Ave, Unit 54,
Peoria, AZ 85345
Phone: (623) 236-3033
Open to all girl skaters, $5 per participant, this is a chance for girls of all ages to skate together. Air conditioned comfort in the summer is an added bonus.
Every Thursday, 7 pm to 9 pm, $11.00:
Old-School Skate Night
Kids That Rip (aka KTR)
1927 N Gilbert Rd, Mesa, AZ 85203
Phone: (480) 844-9600
Open to all skaters, $11 per participant, 7-9 pm every Thursday.
Every Friday Night, 7 am to midnight, Free:
Friday Night Sessions at Gobber’s
Contact: Chris Gobber via Facebook
Free weekly skate session at Chris Gobber’s private backyard skatepark. Happens most Fridays. You must do this at least once, or you just haven’t lived. Fun for all ages and abilities. Friend him on Facebook to get updates and an invite.
Nemesis Skateboards and 91 West Skatepark Present:
The Stress Test Series
The next four (or so) Saturdays, mid-February to mid-March
At 91 West Skatepark, 8550 N 91st Ave, 54, Peoria, AZ 85345
(623) 236-3033
91westskatepark.com
Saturdays, 6pm to close
$5 entry fee (each week), $20 entry fee (for the whole series)
91 West Skatepark and Nemesis Skateboarding have partnered up to bring you the “91 West Stress Test”. This will be a “Game of SKATE” competition that will run over a few weeks. Entry fee is $5 per contest, or $20 for the whole four-week series; price also includes admission to the park (for spectators, non-competing skaters, and competitors that want to stay late and skate). Contact 91 West or Nemesis Skateboards for more info, www.91westskatepark.com, or www.nemesisskateboarding.com.
The Sk8 Haus Presents:
Learn To Skate Day
Sunday, February 25th, 2018, at The Sk8 Haus
13839 W Bell Rd, Surprise, AZ 85374
(623) 444-6329
thesk8haus.wixsite.com
All day, starting at 10 am, Free
Ever wanted to try skateboarding in an easy, mellow, safe, and supportive environment? Ever wanted to try skateboards from every era and generation of skateboarding? Ever wanted to try an old-school bowlriding pig, a mid-80’s street deck, a GS slalom board/LDP cruiser, a downhill race board, a steel- or clay-wheeled dinosaur, or a plastic banana board? Then you need to be at The Sk8 Haus’ “Learn To Skate Day”, where friendly instructors will be on hand to hold your hand through your first pushes, rolls, and turns. Bud Stratford of Everything Skateboarding Magazine will also be on hand with his immense collection of skateboards from every era of skateboarding for the attendees to try out. Experience skate history under your own feet.
Lifestyle Clothing Presents:
Chill and Grill
Saturday, February 24th, 2018, at Hudson Skatepark
1430 S Cedar St, Tempe, AZ 85281
2 pm to sundown, Free
A mellow skate get-together and bbq, everyone’s invited to come out, relax, and have a good time. Presented by Lifestyle Clothing Company.
For more info, contact Terrell “Blackfeet” Ward at Lifestyle Clothing Co., blackf33t@yahoo.com
Phoenix Skatercon 2018
Saturday, March 3rd, 2018, at Paradise Valley Skatepark
17642 N 40th St, Phoenix, AZ 85032
9 am to 5 pm, $20
One of the biggest and best skate events of the year, Phoenix Skatercon is scheduled this year on Saturday, March 3rd, all day (more than likely from 9 am to 5pm). Featuring too many old-school legends to list; music from D.I, Chuck Treece (of McRad), Steve Steadham, and Since We Were Kids, Skatercon also has a trade show with tons of vendors and exhibits from local, regional, and national brands; a bowl contest; a skate swap meet; a kids skate clinic; and tons of freebies for everyone. This is the don’t-miss event of the year, right here.
Sidewalk Surfer Swap Meet
Sunday, March 4th, 2018, at Sidewalk Surfer
2602 N Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85257
(480) 994-1017
sidewalksurfer.com
9 am to 3 pm, Free
Scheduled for the day after Skatercon, this is your chance to see some skate history up close and personal, and maybe even purchase a piece of it for yourself.
Everything Skateboarding Magazine Presents:
Weekend At The Wedge
Sunday, March 4th, 2018, at The Wedge (just south of The Wedge Skatepark in Eldorado Park)
2311 N Miller Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85257
4 pm to 7 pm, Free
Timed this year to coincide with Phoenix SkaterCon (on Saturday, March 3rd, 2018) and the annual Sidewalk Surfer Swap Meet (Sunday, March 4th, between 9am and 3 pm), “Weekend At The Wedge” is an all-ages, all-abilities, surf-skate session at one of the oldest continuously skated spots in the Phoenix Metro. “The Wedge” is a concrete embankment directly under McDowell Road in Eldorado Park in Scottsdale, Arizona, just a few dozen yards from The Wedge Skatepark. Now in it’s third year, Weekend At The Wedge brings generations of Phoenix skaters together to re-live the early days of skateboarding, with a modern twist! Bring your old-school skate setup, a broom, and a boom box, and join us for a great afternoon in the park!
Cowtown Skateboards and Vans Presents:
PHXAM 2018
Saturday, March 24th, 2018 through Sunday, March 25th, 2018
Desert West Skateboard Plaza,
6602 W Encanto Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85035
10 am Saturday, 11 am Sunday, $10 to attend both days
(or see the live webcast at www.PHXAM.com)
Cowtown Skateboards is as proud as ever to bring you the hottest (maybe literally?) amateur contest in skateboarding, PHXAM 2018 presented by Vans! The best Ams in the world will be rolling out to Phoenix’s original skatepark, Desert West Skateboard Plaza on March 24th-25th to try and bring home the 17th PHXAM title. Two hundred skaters will battle it out on Saturday for the top 40 spots that will take them to the Semi’s and Finals on Sunday where they will be able to win cash and prizes to the tune of $3,000 for 1st place, $2,000 for 2nd, and $1,000 for 3rd. Immediately following the Finals will be the traditional insanity that is the Red Bull best trick contest. Anyone entered in the contest will have a chance to take home $2,500 in cash for the one trick that can melt the most faces. Make sure you don’t miss any of it, starting at 10am on Saturday and 11am on Sunday. If you can’t make it, then you’re in luck, because our friends at Vans are providing a LIVE webcast on Sunday at PHXAM.com.
Pre-sale tickets can be purchased here for $5 per day. Math would lead us to understand that it only costs $10 for an entire weekend of insanity and some of the best skateboarding in the world, so save that allowance. As always, the first 500 people in line each morning will get a free gift bag full of PHXAM products, an event T-shirt, as well as raffle tickets to win boards, shoes, clothes and even a years supply of Vans shoes. Those pre-sale tickets and a strong cup of coffee will ensure that you’re one of the first 500 in line with one of those sweet bags of stoke in your hand. If you need to stretch the old legs in between all the shredding, you will be able to take a stroll through Tent City where all of skateboarding’s biggest brands will be set up with new products, games and prizes. Don’t be surprised if you run into some of your favorite Pros too. It’s not just the Ams who make it out to the desert every year.
On the 17th year of Cowtown’s PHXAM, we’re so thankful for the support of our partners who have helped to make this one of the most exciting and most respected contests in skateboarding. With the support of Vans, Volcom, Red Bull, Real, Pro-Tec, Mob Grip, Thrasher, Bones Bearings, Independent, Bones Wheels, Stance, Happy Hour and The City Of Phoenix, 2018 will be the best PHXAM yet!
Cowtown Skateboards and Volcom Presents:
Cowtown’s PHXAM After Party
Saturday, March 24th, 2018
The Pressroom,
441 W Madison St, Phoenix, AZ 85003
(602) 396-7136
thepressroomaz.com
8 pm, $17
A great Saturday night can make for a slow Sunday morning, but never at PHXAM. With Volcom bringing out Ho99o9 to play the After Party along with Petyr and A Happy Medium 4 Video Premier, you know that Sunday morning will be worth the late night! Doors will open at 8pm at The Pressroom in downtown Phoenix and you can pick up tickets at any Cowtown location or cowtownskateboards.com for just $17. All ages welcomed!
Everything Skateboarding Magazine Presents:
Phoenix CitySkate 2018
Saturday, April 14th, 2018
Meet at the Central and Camelback Lightrail Station/Park-and-Ride
9 am to Noon (or so), Free
It’s that time again! Time to announce the first of the CitySkate cruises for 2018. Just like last year, the date is set for mid-April; Saturday, April 14th, 2018, to be exact.
If you were at last year’s CitySkate cruise, the itinerary is almost exactly the same as last years’. If you weren’t, here it is:
We’ll be starting at 9 am at the Lightrail stop at Central and Camelback. We’ll make our way south on 3rd Ave, using the bike lanes of the Sonoran Bikeway, through the historic neighborhoods of Medlock Place, Pierson Place, Yaple Park, Midtown, and Park Central. At McDowell Road, we’ll traverse over to 5th Ave, and continue south through the Willo Historic District. We’ll stop for a rest and water break at Encanto Park, where you can feed the ducks and the pigeons (if you’re a birdfeeding sort of soul), then continue through the Encanto-Palmcroft, Kenilsworth, and Roosevelt toward the central city. For this year’s cruise, we might skate over to the Capitol Building before heading back to the Lightrail station at van Buren and Central. The Lightrail will take us back to our starting point; bring $2 (cash or credit/debit) for the train ride back.
The whole cruise is roughly 7-8 miles one way. The gradient is slightly (but imperceptibly) downhill the entire way, and the route is very skate-safe for all ages and abilities.
Lunch will (again) be at Joyride, 5202 N Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ. This is an “upscale Mexican” restaurant with excellent (and affordable) taco plates, delicious enchiladas and burritos, and awesome sides. It’s also remarkably vegan friendly.
This is the definitive list of every skatepark in the Phoenix Metro. It’s in geographic order, starting at the far west suburbs and working clockwise around the city.
Buckeye Skatepark
299 N 9th St, Buckeye, AZ 85326
8 am to 9 pm every day
El Mirage Skatepark/Gateway Park
10100 N El Mirage Rd, El Mirage, AZ 85335
6 am to 10 pm every day
Surprise Skatepark/Surprise Farms Skate Park
15798-15826 N 175th Ave, Surprise, AZ 85388
Goodyear Skate Park/Litchfield
3151 N Litchfield Rd, Goodyear, AZ 85395
7 am to 10 pm every day
Dust Devil Park
10645 W Camelback Rd, Glendale, AZ 85307
5:30 am to 10 pm every day
X-Court BMX Park
6101 N 83rd Ave, Glendale, AZ 85303
9 am to 10 pm every day
91 West Skatepark
8550 N 91st Ave, 54, Peoria, AZ 85345
(623) 236-3033
91westskateparkpeoriaaz.com
Desert West Skateboard Plaza
6602 W Encanto Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85035
5 am to 10 pm every day
Peoria Skatepark/Rio Vista Park
8866 W Thunderbird Rd, Peoria, AZ 85381
8 am to 10 pm every day
Foothills Skatepark/Union Hills
5752 W Union Hills Dr, Glendale, AZ 85308
9 am to 10 pm every day
Anthem Community Park
41703 N Gavilan Peak Pkwy, Anthem, AZ 85086
6 am to 10 pm every day
The Refuge Youth Center
401 W Deer Valley Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85027
(480) 226-2019
therefugeyouth.com
Paradise Valley Skate Park
17642 N 40th St, Phoenix, AZ 85032
8 am to 9 pm every day
McDowell Mountain Ranch Skatepark
15525 N Thompson Peak Pkwy, Scottsdale, AZ 85260
Fountain Hills Skatepark
10441 N Saguaro Blvd, Fountain Hills, AZ 85268
Open 24 hours
Eldorado Park/The Wedge
2311 N Miller Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85257
Reed Skate Park
1631 E Broadway Rd, Mesa, AZ 85204
8 am to 10 pm every day
Fountain Plaza (New!)
417 E Southern Ave, Mesa, AZ 85204
Open daily 7 am to 10 pm
Kids That Rip – Mesa, AZ
1927 N Gilbert Rd, Mesa, AZ 85203
(480) 844-9600
kidsthatrip.com
Apache Junction Skatepark
1097-, 1135 W Southern Ave, Apache Junction, AZ 85120
8 am to 10 pm every day
AZ Grind Skatepark
8743 E Pecos Rd #136, Mesa, AZ 85212
(480) 888-0499
azgrindskatepark.com
Queen Creek Skate Park/Founder’s Park
22360-, 22426 S Ellsworth Rd, Queen Creek, AZ 85142
8 am to 10 pm every day
Freestone Skatepark
1045 E Juniper Ave, Gilbert, AZ 85234
5:30 am to 9:05 pm every day
Chandler Bike Park at Espee Park
450 E Knox Rd, Chandler, AZ 85225
The Bridge
824 W Germann Rd, Chandler, AZ 85286
(480) 326-2247
bridgeccc.com
Snedigar Recreation Center/Chandler Skatepark
4500 S Basha Rd, Chandler, AZ 85248
8 am to 10:30 pm every day
Kids That Rip Chandler/KTR Family Action Sports Center – Chandler, AZ
1050 E Pecos Rd, Chandler, AZ 85225
(480) 718-5872
www.ktr-centers.com
Copper Sky Skate Plaza
44345 M.L.K. Jr. Blvd, Maricopa, AZ 85138
Tempe Sports Complex/Tempe Skatepark
8401 S Hardy Dr, Tempe, AZ 85284
Open 24 hours
Esquer Park
2407 E McArthur Dr, Tempe, AZ 85281
6 am to 9 pm every day
Hudson Park
1430 S Cedar St, Tempe, AZ 85281
6 am to 10 pm every day
Mitchell Park Skatepark (New!)
S Mitchell Dr & 9th St, Tempe, AZ 85281
Pecos Skate Park
17010 S 48th St, Phoenix, AZ 85048
7 am to 10:45 every day
Hermoso Park
2030 E Southern Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85040
Open 24 hours
Cesar Chavez Skatepark/Cesar Chavez Park
7858 S 35th Ave, Laveen Village, AZ 85339
5:30 am to 11 pm every day
