Which cities have had the most influence on skateboarding throughout the years?

[ChuckRamone]

Wayne, New Jersey

[frontsideNECKTIE]

How has San Vanelona not been mentioned.

If you haven't been to Dueling Snakes are you even really a skater

[funeral_tuxedo]

Hensley is from Vista <3

[Fast_Freddie]

Hot take- San Diego deserves a higher spot that NY or LA. We had Del Mar in the 80s. We had H Street in the late eighties, Plan B in the early nineties, and Zero in the late nineties. Among others. Welcome to Hell was mostly filmed here. That’s most of the most influential early street skating.

In the early 90s San Diego was definitely influential... Mission Beach area... and Pacific Drive Skateshop was the hub... I remember being like 16, visiting my aunt... I took the bus to Mission Beach daily and met and skated with so many pros that month it was ridiculous... Met Tom Penny there... also remember trying to do lazer flips before they were called lazer flips with Dyrdek out on the curb cut in front of PD... ah the memories...

[GardenSkater77]

Wayne, New Jersey

Did you ever skate the fountains there?

[yungthug]

LA/NYC are such huge cultural and economic meccas in the US it’s not really necessary to even list them here because of course they’re influential.

I’m including regions and states in my list because certain states are more spread out or don’t have a singular city that is emblematic of a regional scene. Trying to look at cities’ contribution to the sport across time and different eras. I’m thinking about pros who have come out of the area, famous spots, video/photo output from local filmers and shops, independent companies or shops having a larger reach, etc.

S-tier: San Diego (100% agree with other posters in this thread), Philadelphia, SF/Bay Area

A-Tier: Orange County, CA suburbs (pick any one of them) Tampa/FL skate scene (these days Miami seems to be the bigger leader in Florida skateboarding but SPoT alone gets Tampa a seat at the table), Phoenix/AZ skate scene.

B-tier: Portland, DC, Minneapolis, Texas, Research Triangle area of NC, Boston.

C-tier: Seattle, Sacramento, Kansas City, Saint Louis, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Denver, Las Vegas.

Feel free to dissect, add, or modify this list! Great discussion point and I’m curious to hear others’ thoughts.

[Sizzle]

LA/NYC are such huge cultural and economic meccas in the US it’s not really necessary to even list them here because of course they’re influential.

I’m including regions and states in my list because certain states are more spread out or don’t have a singular city that is emblematic of a regional scene. Trying to look at cities’ contribution to the sport across time and different eras. I’m thinking about pros who have come out of the area, famous spots, video/photo output from local filmers and shops, independent companies or shops having a larger reach, etc.

S-tier: San Diego (100% agree with other posters in this thread), Philadelphia, SF/Bay Area

A-Tier: Orange County, CA suburbs (pick any one of them) Tampa/FL skate scene (these days Miami seems to be the bigger leader in Florida skateboarding but SPoT alone gets Tampa a seat at the table), Phoenix/AZ skate scene.

B-tier: Portland, DC, Minneapolis, Texas, Research Triangle area of NC, Boston.

C-tier: Seattle, Sacramento, Kansas City, Saint Louis, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Denver, Las Vegas.

Feel free to dissect, add, or modify this list! Great discussion point and I’m curious to hear others’ thoughts.

Tampa over DC is bananas

[frontsideNECKTIE]

LA/NYC are such huge cultural and economic meccas in the US it’s not really necessary to even list them here because of course they’re influential.

I’m including regions and states in my list because certain states are more spread out or don’t have a singular city that is emblematic of a regional scene. Trying to look at cities’ contribution to the sport across time and different eras. I’m thinking about pros who have come out of the area, famous spots, video/photo output from local filmers and shops, independent companies or shops having a larger reach, etc.

S-tier: San Diego (100% agree with other posters in this thread), Philadelphia, SF/Bay Area

A-Tier: Orange County, CA suburbs (pick any one of them) Tampa/FL skate scene (these days Miami seems to be the bigger leader in Florida skateboarding but SPoT alone gets Tampa a seat at the table), Phoenix/AZ skate scene.

B-tier: Portland, DC, Minneapolis, Texas, Research Triangle area of NC, Boston.

C-tier: Seattle, Sacramento, Kansas City, Saint Louis, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Denver, Las Vegas.

Feel free to dissect, add, or modify this list! Great discussion point and I’m curious to hear others’ thoughts.

I'm trying to nit-pick this take, but its pretty fuckin solid.

Maybe missing San Jose in B-tier? Could be part of the SF/Bay Area mention but its a rather distinct culture from the inner city, at least in skating.

[yungthug]

Expand Quote

LA/NYC are such huge cultural and economic meccas in the US it’s not really necessary to even list them here because of course they’re influential.

I’m including regions and states in my list because certain states are more spread out or don’t have a singular city that is emblematic of a regional scene. Trying to look at cities’ contribution to the sport across time and different eras. I’m thinking about pros who have come out of the area, famous spots, video/photo output from local filmers and shops, independent companies or shops having a larger reach, etc.

S-tier: San Diego (100% agree with other posters in this thread), Philadelphia, SF/Bay Area

A-Tier: Orange County, CA suburbs (pick any one of them) Tampa/FL skate scene (these days Miami seems to be the bigger leader in Florida skateboarding but SPoT alone gets Tampa a seat at the table), Phoenix/AZ skate scene.

B-tier: Portland, DC, Minneapolis, Texas, Research Triangle area of NC, Boston.

C-tier: Seattle, Sacramento, Kansas City, Saint Louis, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Denver, Las Vegas.

Feel free to dissect, add, or modify this list! Great discussion point and I’m curious to hear others’ thoughts.

[close]

I'm trying to nit-pick this take, but its pretty fuckin solid.

Maybe missing San Jose in B-tier? Could be part of the SF/Bay Area mention but its a rather distinct culture from the inner city, at least in skating.

Damn I knew I forgot something. San Jose in B-tier is really good.

[Grand Saber]

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LA/NYC are such huge cultural and economic meccas in the US it’s not really necessary to even list them here because of course they’re influential.

I’m including regions and states in my list because certain states are more spread out or don’t have a singular city that is emblematic of a regional scene. Trying to look at cities’ contribution to the sport across time and different eras. I’m thinking about pros who have come out of the area, famous spots, video/photo output from local filmers and shops, independent companies or shops having a larger reach, etc.

S-tier: San Diego (100% agree with other posters in this thread), Philadelphia, SF/Bay Area

A-Tier: Orange County, CA suburbs (pick any one of them) Tampa/FL skate scene (these days Miami seems to be the bigger leader in Florida skateboarding but SPoT alone gets Tampa a seat at the table), Phoenix/AZ skate scene.

B-tier: Portland, DC, Minneapolis, Texas, Research Triangle area of NC, Boston.

C-tier: Seattle, Sacramento, Kansas City, Saint Louis, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Denver, Las Vegas.

Feel free to dissect, add, or modify this list! Great discussion point and I’m curious to hear others’ thoughts.

[close]

I'm trying to nit-pick this take, but its pretty fuckin solid.

Maybe missing San Jose in B-tier? Could be part of the SF/Bay Area mention but its a rather distinct culture from the inner city, at least in skating.

[close]

Damn I knew I forgot something. San Jose in B-tier is really good.

If we remove San Jose from the Bay Area, then East Bay should also be it's own region too imo. East Bay, San Jose, and SF are all pretty different from each other. It would just make sense to either segregate them into different areas or just lump them as Bay area.

[nuyorican]

Miami, in recent years imo. Seems like every video nowadays has a couple tricks filmed down there.

Valid right here. A lot of credit goes to Miami's skate shop ... Andrew Downtown.

Andrew and Lot 11 put Miami on the map.

To be real the vibe in the 305 is unmatched, but hell all of Florida is putting on right now.

[yungthug]

Where would y’all put Chicago and Detroit on the tier list?

Bigger cities that for sure have dedicated scenes, spots, and history but lack a larger presence in skating than they should.

The reasons are up for debate and this is all subjective but I’d put Chicago as a C-tier skate city and Detroit as maybe relegated off the list to D-tier.

On second thought bump them both up a notch. Chicago as B-tier and Detroit as C-tier.

[frontsideNECKTIE]

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LA/NYC are such huge cultural and economic meccas in the US it’s not really necessary to even list them here because of course they’re influential.

I’m including regions and states in my list because certain states are more spread out or don’t have a singular city that is emblematic of a regional scene. Trying to look at cities’ contribution to the sport across time and different eras. I’m thinking about pros who have come out of the area, famous spots, video/photo output from local filmers and shops, independent companies or shops having a larger reach, etc.

S-tier: San Diego (100% agree with other posters in this thread), Philadelphia, SF/Bay Area

A-Tier: Orange County, CA suburbs (pick any one of them) Tampa/FL skate scene (these days Miami seems to be the bigger leader in Florida skateboarding but SPoT alone gets Tampa a seat at the table), Phoenix/AZ skate scene.

B-tier: Portland, DC, Minneapolis, Texas, Research Triangle area of NC, Boston.

C-tier: Seattle, Sacramento, Kansas City, Saint Louis, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Denver, Las Vegas.

Feel free to dissect, add, or modify this list! Great discussion point and I’m curious to hear others’ thoughts.

[close]

I'm trying to nit-pick this take, but its pretty fuckin solid.

Maybe missing San Jose in B-tier? Could be part of the SF/Bay Area mention but its a rather distinct culture from the inner city, at least in skating.

[close]

Damn I knew I forgot something. San Jose in B-tier is really good.

[close]

If we remove San Jose from the Bay Area, then East Bay should also be it's own region too imo. East Bay, San Jose, and SF are all pretty different from each other. It would just make sense to either segregate them into different areas or just lump them as Bay area.

that's a fair argument as well - like i said, i was trying real hard to nitpick lol

[Grand Saber]

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LA/NYC are such huge cultural and economic meccas in the US it’s not really necessary to even list them here because of course they’re influential.

I’m including regions and states in my list because certain states are more spread out or don’t have a singular city that is emblematic of a regional scene. Trying to look at cities’ contribution to the sport across time and different eras. I’m thinking about pros who have come out of the area, famous spots, video/photo output from local filmers and shops, independent companies or shops having a larger reach, etc.

S-tier: San Diego (100% agree with other posters in this thread), Philadelphia, SF/Bay Area

A-Tier: Orange County, CA suburbs (pick any one of them) Tampa/FL skate scene (these days Miami seems to be the bigger leader in Florida skateboarding but SPoT alone gets Tampa a seat at the table), Phoenix/AZ skate scene.

B-tier: Portland, DC, Minneapolis, Texas, Research Triangle area of NC, Boston.

C-tier: Seattle, Sacramento, Kansas City, Saint Louis, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Denver, Las Vegas.

Feel free to dissect, add, or modify this list! Great discussion point and I’m curious to hear others’ thoughts.

[close]

I'm trying to nit-pick this take, but its pretty fuckin solid.

Maybe missing San Jose in B-tier? Could be part of the SF/Bay Area mention but its a rather distinct culture from the inner city, at least in skating.

[close]

Damn I knew I forgot something. San Jose in B-tier is really good.

[close]

If we remove San Jose from the Bay Area, then East Bay should also be it's own region too imo. East Bay, San Jose, and SF are all pretty different from each other. It would just make sense to either segregate them into different areas or just lump them as Bay area.

[close]

that's a fair argument as well - like i said, i was trying real hard to nitpick lol

Haha fair enough. Either way, I think SF/Bay Area as just one area in S tier is fine with me.

[SatanicPanic]

LA/NYC are such huge cultural and economic meccas in the US it’s not really necessary to even list them here because of course they’re influential.

I’m including regions and states in my list because certain states are more spread out or don’t have a singular city that is emblematic of a regional scene. Trying to look at cities’ contribution to the sport across time and different eras. I’m thinking about pros who have come out of the area, famous spots, video/photo output from local filmers and shops, independent companies or shops having a larger reach, etc.

S-tier: San Diego (100% agree with other posters in this thread), Philadelphia, SF/Bay Area

A-Tier: Orange County, CA suburbs (pick any one of them) Tampa/FL skate scene (these days Miami seems to be the bigger leader in Florida skateboarding but SPoT alone gets Tampa a seat at the table), Phoenix/AZ skate scene.

B-tier: Portland, DC, Minneapolis, Texas, Research Triangle area of NC, Boston.

C-tier: Seattle, Sacramento, Kansas City, Saint Louis, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Denver, Las Vegas.

Feel free to dissect, add, or modify this list! Great discussion point and I’m curious to hear others’ thoughts.

This is well done. I might put Portland in A because it was the first place to feature a notable DIY, but otherwise great list.

[Sizzle]

guys i think he just realized Atlanta is not on that list

Starting to think it should be b-tier.

[SatanicPanic]

guys i think he just realized Atlanta is not on that list

But where is Atlanta? I thought it sank into the ocean like thousands of years ago

[CAPTAIN NOBODY]

Colville, Washington! If you know, you know

[yungthug]

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guys i think he just realized Atlanta is not on that list

[close]

But where is Atlanta? I thought it sank into the ocean like thousands of years ago

I see you too have heard the myths and legends of the lost city of Atlanta

[wilog]

Hull Quebec

[frontsideNECKTIE]

Colville, Washington! If you know, you know

there's a hell of a drop

Surprised you didn't say Kettle Falls or Sandpoint, ID

[DannyDee]

Philly and Barca immediately jump to mind. In recent years London has been big between Atlantic Drift and Palace. For years, Vancouver would often show up in major videos from Crail or Plan B, and became the designated spot for Canadian's trying to break out to move to if they didn't want to go to the States but its influence has wained over the years.

[gsosa]

Hard mode: Not LA, NY or SF

Legend mode: Pick any city not in the US that's not Barcelona.

[shotvx]

Philly / Barcy / Madrid

[frontsideNECKTIE]

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Hard mode: Not LA, NY or SF

[close]

Legend mode: Pick any city not in the US that's not Barcelona.

London, Toyko (in the modern era), Vancouver, Copenhagen, Melbourne

um... somewhere like Beijing probably influenced a fuck ton of Chinese kids but might not have had much impact on our Western view of skating.

[DannyDee]

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Hard mode: Not LA, NY or SF

[close]

Legend mode: Pick any city not in the US that's not Barcelona.

London currently. Vancouver in the in the 90s.

[TheLurper]

Phoenix for the US. Price's influence on skateboarding as a photographer; Milic's influence via Frog/OIAM, and as much as I don't care for terrible shit PC's editor/filmer said about gay people (i.e. that they love the smell of shit and get turned on by it and a gay guy wanted to fuck him cause he took a big shit before the guy went into bathroom) I can't deny that he has made an impact on skateboarding.

[modern life is war]

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Hard mode: Not LA, NY or SF

[close]

Legend mode: Pick any city not in the US that's not Barcelona.

I desperately want to name an Australian city but I just can't think of the influence any of them have had on skateboarding as a whole. Sydney and Melbourne have always been super sick but their scenes generally seem kind of insular and the trends/styles they form don't really leave the cities.

[Grand Saber]

guys i think he just realized Atlanta is not on that list

Haha, I tried responding and the site gave me an error. I came back today to see that the message had been duplicated for some reason

[SatanicPanic]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

guys i think he just realized Atlanta is not on that list

[close]

But where is Atlanta? I thought it sank into the ocean like thousands of years ago

[close]

I see you too have heard the myths and legends of the lost city of Atlanta

Raddest spots ever. RIP