The moment that the winter season comes around, but you still want to skateboard, you find yourself in a bit of a predicament. Depending on where you live it might rain a lot more, get a lot of snow, or just become straight up cold. Regardless, the result is the same; you probably can’t skate in the places you want to. Luckily, for those still wanting to skateboard all winter long, there are some tactics you can use to stay dialed with your tricks.
During the winter months, you can still skateboard in places such as parking garages, under bridges, or indoor skateparks. These locations keep you out of the rain or snow, but still offer a dry place to skate. If none of these options work, you can always skate in your garage as a last resort!
Now besides finding places to skate, there are other things to consider when you actually can skate. You also need to consider things like what you wear, and what type of things you should bring with you while skating. In this guide to skateboarding in the winter, I’ll touch on all of these things to help you make the most of the winter season.
Ways To Still Skateboard During The Winter
The first issue many of us face in the northern parts of the world is a lot of snow.
And skateboards and snow do not mix, obviously.
So where exactly can you still go skateboarding despite less than ideal weather conditions?
1. Go Skateboarding In Parking Garages
The first option is the most widely accessible since parking garages are found in just about every city. Parking garages have buttery smooth ground, banks, and parking blocks that are all skateable. Better yet, they are often heated giving you some sweet refuge from the snowy wasteland beyond its gates.
Although they offer the perfect place to skateboard, not all of them actually permit skateboarding. You may have to visit a few different locations to find one that doesn’t have any “no skateboarding” signs. Once you find the perfect one, try to visit after business hours or during a weekend when there are fewer cars inside.
With a more empty lot, you have more room to skate, and fewer people to even notice you there. Stopping by after dinner or early on a weekend morning has worked well for me in the past.
2. Visit An Indoor Skatepark
Indoor skateparks have been popping up in and around most major cities so there likely is one not too far from you. These facilities are great since they have every type of feature you could need, plus a great community of other skaters. If you aren’t sure if there is one nearby, take a quick google search for “indoor skatepark (your city).”
If you’re under the age of 18, youth centers often have some type of skate facility, and is an awesome alternate option. My local youth center used to have skate nights on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s which proved to be the perfect winter escape back when I was still in high school.
Now I’m just an old twenty-something man who occasionally skates by the doors of the facility with overwhelming jealousy that I can no longer skate there…
Anyways, indoor skateparks, if you can find one, they’re the best thing that will happen to you for skateboarding in winter months.
3. Go Skateboarding Under A Bridge
A lot of bridges have large concrete pads under them that stay permanently dry all year round. These can be great places to skate since nobody will bother you, you can stay as long as you want, and it’s totally free (unlike indoor skateparks).
If you plan to scope out an area to skate under a bridge, make sure to bring a broom with you. Most of these spots have pebbles and sand everywhere so a quick clean-up may be required your first time there.
4. Take A Road Trip To A Dryer Area
If you can drive (or convince your parents to take you), taking a road trip to somewhere with more ideal weather is a great way to skate in the winter. It is a lot of fun visiting new skateparks and finding new street spots you’ve never been to. Before you go, plan out which parks you want to visit and try to see if you can spot any plazas or other streets spots from google street view. That way you can go with a plan and waste no time if you only have a couple of days free.
Even if you live somewhere that the warm sunny weather is too far to get to, you could take an indoor skatepark tour instead. Driving around to find a handful of indoor parks within a few hours of each other is another great alternative.
5. Practice In Your Garage
Although not as glamorous as a road trip, your garage can be an awesome place to dial in your flat ground or skate a flat bar. Better yet, if you get too cold a warm shower is only a few steps away.
To do this might require a little bit of cleaning but if it means you can skate more during the winter, I’d say it’s well worth it.
6. Find An Old Deck And Make A SnowSkate
The last option to keep skateboarding in the winter is to cut your losses and make a Snowskate. Now there are actual “Snowskate” decks you can buy, but a (much) cheaper option I go for is using an old skate deck. You can still slide down hills or even skate a mini ramp at a snowed-in skatepark. Even though you can’t quite do the same tricks, it’s insanely fun and is worth trying out to scratch your itch to skate.
Before you try this, make sure you’re using an old skateboard deck. The snow, water, and ice will quickly ruin the deck for regular skateboarding which is why you should use one you don’t care about. I just want to make that abundantly clear before you go ripping your trucks from a new deck to use it in the snow.
How Cold Is Too Cold To Skateboard?
It’s best not to skateboard in temperatures colder than 23°F or -5°C. At or below this temperature can cause ice to build up on skate features or on any wet ground, creating potential safety issues. It’s difficult to stay comfortable in these temperatures while numb feet make it harder to skate.
This temperate is a good baseline to use when deciding whether or not you should brave the cold. Even with warm socks, skate shoes aren’t the most insulated footwear around. And once your feet go numb, landing tricks become a lot harder than before, which can be pretty frustrating.
What Do You Wear When Skateboarding In The Cold?
When skateboarding in the cold it’s important to wear several layers, with warm socks and glove liners. For the most comfort, wear long underwear beneath jeans or sweatpants, a long sleeve with a hoodie and jacket, along with warm wool socks.
Layering is a crucial part of this as your body will fluctuate temperature as you skateboard. When you first start the session you’ll likely be pretty darn cold, but as you start popping a few tricks your body will gradually warm up. Eventually, you can lose the jacket or hoodie and feel comfortable skating in just a long sleeve.
Now besides the warm socks, I would also recommend some kind of glove liner since they keep your hands warm without being bulky. You might be able to pull some from a pair of gloves you already own or find some for cheap on Amazon. I have used proper winter gloves in the past and found I got hot too quickly. Glove liners are the perfect in-between for skateboarding in the winter.
So with these tips, you’re ready to brave the winter with your skateboard in hand. Although skating at your local park may be off the table, there are plenty of other spots you can find refuge from the bad weather. Just make sure to dress for the temperatures and you’ll have a great skateboard session, regardless of the season! Now if you’re living in a place where rain is more of an issue than snow during the winter, this guide will help you beat the rain when skating!
Happy Shredding!
