Skateboarding tips, tricks, advice and encouragement from the Orlando underground

An outdoor pastime that is inextricably linked to long summer afternoons and the fearless bloom of youth is skateboarding. We wanted to write about it, but our firsthand experience with skateboarding begins and ends in early high school, when we hopped on a friend's board and immediately ate pavement. So we turned to some local underground music luminaries — skateboarding and underground sounds have long had a synergistic bond —and asked for their insights.

Tim Dukes: Experimental musician in Malverde and Cheeto Haze, recently longboarded 200 miles in one go

As a somewhat recent transplant from up north, what's your take on the skateboard-ability of Orlando?

Average, I guess. I do a bit of street skating, mostly on a local tennis court and in some parking lots. I am a casual, older street skater. I spend a ton of time longboarding on the rail trails. Orlando Urban Trail is nice, but short. Cady Way and Lake Baldwin are great. Cady Way leads to the Cross Seminole Trail that goes out to Sanford. From there, you can take the Seminole Wekiva trail back towards Orlando or go around Lake Monroe. I skated from Orlando to Titusville on rail trails — it was 83 miles and about 90 percent of the time was on very well-maintained, smooth, car-free paths. Rail trails are the best.

What are your favorite skateparks?

I go to Yucatan Skate Park in Azalea Park because it's a free county park. It's very small, but it's fun and somewhat shaded.

Aside from that, what parts of town are your favorites to skate?

The Colonial Plaza parking lot, behind Plaza Live, has a nice curb that people have maintained for skating. I longboard on the Cady Way trail every week. I usually skate on Cady Way and Cross Seminole trails between 20 to 60 miles each weekend.

Do you have any spots on your to-do list to skate in the Orlando area?

I would like to spend more time at the pump track at Candyland park in Longwood.

Where do you go to get replacement parts, etc.?

Plus Skateshop on Colonial. I buy longboard stuff online, directly from the manufacturers when possible.

Harryson Thevenin: One of the minds behind the SR50 zine, also an enthusiastic skateboarding documentarian

What are your favorite skateparks locally?

My favorite new skatepark is Barnett Park. It's free, the ground is good, and it's the closest thing to a new park downtown as we're gonna get. There were plans to build a skatepark under I-4 downtown but those plans have since changed. My hometown skatepark is Riverside Skate Park in Oviedo, down the street from UCF. I like the new St. Cloud park because it shows that the city cares and is trying to save the next generation — finally. CFL is good if it's raining and you want to skate an indoor park. I like Lakeside in Kissimmee because I have a lot of friends there and Kissimmee has heart; the city and the police are so oppressive and these kids really make the most out of having less. The new Bithlo park is good but it's far east. But overall, I'd say my favorite is Orlando Skate Park [in the Milk District] because it's in a great location and it's the most appropriate as far as a meet-up spot, especially if you're trying to go street skating. You can leave your car there, you can skate for a bit to warm up if a homie is late, it's a good universal place to meet up.

Aside from that, what parts of town are good places to skate?

It used to be Howard Middle School. Aside from the skateparks, there's a lot of spots. Downtown has a lot of good spots. UCF has a lot of spots with less kick-out. Lakefront Kissimmee is fun. The Zora Neale Hurston building on Robinson (nicknamed Brick Plaza), because it's the closest thing to a plaza downtown. The abandoned Ace Cafe is the new hot spot right now.

Where do you go to get replacement parts, etc.?

In this order: Plus Skateshop, Galactic G Skateshop, Catalyst Skateshop, OSP.

Are there any annual events or meet-ups and groups that you'd recommend?

Go Skate Day events are usually good — the next is on June 21. Tampa Am/Tampa Pro. Florideah Swampfest. Skate video premieres ... but they don't happen too often and it can be very IYKYK.

Amanda Little: Frontperson of local punks Vicious Dreams, owner of Chainkiller Jewelry, avid skater

What's your overall take on the state of skateboard-ability here?

As far as skate parks are concerned, we have a few staples in the city and that number is increasing with initiatives from the city, local skaters and skate shops who want to have great parks and make skating more accessible. I think skating is only going to continue to gain traction! Parks currently can get really crowded, especially on weekends. As far as street skating is concerned, I think that's much less widely accepted as I've been thrown out of almost every street spot by cops, unless I skate later at night.

What are your favorite skateparks locally?

I like Candyland in Longwood because it’s one of the few parks, I feel, that has obstacles which are great for beginners and more advanced skaters. That mini-ramp, while small, is one of the few places I feel comfortable trying new tricks. It also holds a special place for me because it’s where I learned how to drop-in.

Where do you go to get replacement parts, etc.?

Plus Skateshop on Colonial is my favorite shop in town. It’s skater-owned and ran by Keith Gibbs. He is always so nice to me and my friends! When I was just starting out skating, he,and his shop always made me feel welcome and I love what they are doing to advance our local community.

Are there any annual events or meet-ups/groups that you'd recommend?

Lady Skate Day in Jacksonville is a rad group that I've been itching to get to and skate with. They also recently had the one-year anniversary fest at Barnett Park with food and music. Milk Mart also puts on a skate event that they collab with Galactic G on, that has skate obstacles, music, food and vendors.

What advice would you give someone wanting to take up skateboarding here?

Yes, do it. Just try it. We have such an amazing skate community here and there will never be a lack of folks who want to help, support and skate alongside with you. Skateboarding changed my life. I didn't start until I was 31 and the only thing I wish I could change is starting sooner.

Does skateboarding feed into your music at all?

Totally! Music and skateboarding, skateboarding and punk and rock & roll have been intertwined since its origination. I love to listen to music while I skate because it makes me skate harder. Listening to cool music and moving my body invigorates me to write music. One of my favorite things is to put together skate clips and videos and try to piece it together with a perfect song. Watching skate videos is a great way to learn about new music too.