Especially thanks to our Best Foot Forward tour, we get to experience many different cities. In most of them, we also have one of our shops and therefore also local knowledge about skateable spots - both through our colleagues and our local team riders. To make this vast knowledge accessible to all of you, we are creating this little skateboard travel guide to show you cities worth visiting for a skateboard trip outside of the beforementioned well known "skate-meccas".
This article is a work in progress and will be updated regularly with new spot checks.
Table of content:
Utrecht
The city of Utrecht is essentially a scaled down version of its close neighbor Amsterdam. Fewer tourists, but just as beautiful, it features the same style of canals going through the city (so watch out for your board, when skating close to them), similar vibes in the old town, but lot less crowds, no steamy red-light district and overall less stress. As most of the cities in the Netherlands, Utrecht is very bicycle-friendly, with loads of dedicated bike lanes. Most of those work well with a skateboard, but especially in the old town district, it makes sense to switch to a (rental) bike, as there are many cobblestone roads. There are also tons of options to rent bikes, many hotels and hostels offer bike rentals, etc. Definitely the best way to get around town!
Skateparks
Utrecht features quite a few skateparks, both indoors and outdoors. The most notable ones are Jaarbeursplein, Griftpark, Skatepark Utrecht, Ruigenhoek and Leidsche Rijn. All outdoor skateparks are free to use, Skatepark Utrecht currently costs 6,50€ per day. There are a couple more smaller outdoor parks spread all over the city. All bowl riders will find their jam at Skatepark Utrecht or Griftpark, miniramps can be found at Skatepark Utrecht as well as at the Rhino Ramp.
Streetspots
The best part of the city for street skateboarding is the area around Jaarbeurs - you can find many ledge spots, a couple of gaps, stairs and much more. Also the bust factor is relatively low - of course you should avoid spots in front of office buildings during their working hours, but everything else is pretty much fair game. We met a police officer on a bike during one of our sessions and he didn't even glance at our crew. Bypassers are not surprised by seeing skateboarders around the city, and are not annoyed by us either.
Snacks and drinks
There are many supermarkets all around the city, where you can get quick snacks and drinks, and our local guides swear on Febo as their snack of choice after a good session or to bring to the spot.
Nightlife
As mentioned above, Utrecht is not as touristy as Amsterdam, but people know how to party! The old town district has numerous bars and clubs to check out. If you want to make sure to meet other skaters, your best bet is the Teatro bar, skateboarder-owned!
Skateboard Shops
Despite a not-so-small scene, there are not many skateshops in Utrecht. Blue Tomato Shop Utrecht and Skatestore Utrecht are both very central, Noble Goods Co. is a little further north.
Sightseeing
A beautiful city with many different opportunities - from modern buildings around Jaarbeurs to a cute old-town with classic canals, a huge clocktower and both futuristic and artsy architecture. So whenever you don't feel like skating, there's tons to see and find. Of course also museums, exhibitions and more for the more culturally interested visitors.
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Trondheim
The city of Trondheim is a beautiful harbor city, located way north of Oslo, but is still considered to be in the south of Norway (you won't believe how long the country actually is until you try to plan a trip to the actual north). It features canals through the city and picturesque houses that seem to be built into the water. With lots of culture like Museums, a "miniature-Christiania" and a huge cathedral, there is lots to explore in this little city. Unfortunately, it's not great to get around on a skateboard - the streets and sidewalks are often broken, the asphalt is rough, lots of cobblestone-like surfaces, ... There is a decent amount of bike lanes, so bicycles or public transport are the easiest ways to get around, a car will help as well, parking is not very easy though.
Skateparks
After many years of fighting, Trondheim got a brand new skatepark in 2022, Regnbueparken in the South-West of the city. It's divided into two sections, one smaller one which is great for beginners or working on a new trick, and a bigger section with all kinds of rails, stairs, gaps, loads of transitions and a bowl. Trikkestallen Skatepark is a indoor skatepark on the North-East of the city, closer to the harbour and city centre, that features a miniramp and bowl as well as a vast skatepark. A daypass costs 75 norwegian crowns when you pay by card, cash is more expensive! Make sure to bring your credit card, you will be able to use it everywhere. Trondheim also has a small plaza-like area called Finalebanen with a dozen or so obstacles spread on an old basketball court. It's very rough, but great to hang out with friends and meet new people. In front of the Rockheim museum are a couple of skateable obstacles as well, it's more the surroundings that make this special and worth checking out.
Streetspots
As mentioned before, the city is pretty rough and hard to skate, nevertheless there are a couple of spots to check out - most notably the "BK" stairs right next to a Burger King (and our Blue Tomato Shop Trondheim), the big stairset in front of the "Trøndelag Teater" (be quick though), and the Strinda high school yard with loads of ledges and great terrain for lines (a little outside of the city). There's a lot of building going on in the city, so keep your eyes open for new spots popping up.
Snacks and drinks
There are many supermarkets all around the city, where you can get quick snacks and drinks, a traditional fish soup will give you energy without filling you too much, but there are literally hundreds of great places to get food.
Nightlife
Trondheim is a rather small city compared to i.e. Oslo, so don't expect a great nightlife. There is pretty much one location everyone flocks to on the weekends: the Lokal Bar - Scene - Klubb. As the name suggests, it's a combination of a bar, a lounge and a proper club in the basement. So choose your style and enjoy. To get fueled up before, it's worth checking out Sot Bar & Burgers at the Solsiden area - very skater friendly and you'll very likely meet some familiar faces.
Skateboard Shops
Trondheim has a decent skateboarding scene for its size, but pretty much only two shops: Blue Tomato Shop Trondheim (city centre) and Session Trondheim (a little further out than Trikkestallen)
Sightseeing
Some of the main sights to at least give a quick stop are the old town bridge, Nidarosdomen (huge cathedral), the harbour and especially the Rockheim Museum (music, not stones). Trondheim also has their own kind of Christiania, called Svartlamon. Its beautiful murals and art installations are great for a little stroll and you should definitely read into its history as well. For those who still have lots of energy left, there are many hikes along the coastline. And as soon as it's operating again, make sure to visit the unique Trampe Bicycle Lift.
