Burnside Skatepark, Skatepark under Burnside Bridge in Portland, United States.
Burnside Skatepark is a DIY concrete skatepark beneath the east end of the Burnside Bridge in Portland, Oregon. Its smooth grey surface forms interconnected bowls and ramps: a deep rounded basin in the foreground, a shallow bowl beside a low ledge and concrete steps on the left, and a tall vertical wall with metal coping on the right. Steel and concrete bridge beams overhead cast shadows across the park.
The project began in 1990 when local skaters poured concrete under the bridge and expanded it gradually using leftover materials from nearby construction sites. This unauthorized construction grew into an influential model for skateparks worldwide.
The park takes its name from the Burnside Bridge above it. Its features carry names given by the skaters who built them, such as the original bank and the mini bowl pocket along the north support beam. The site appears as a playable level in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 and Grind Session and as a filming location for the films Free Willy and Paranoid Park.
The park sits under the east end of the Burnside Bridge, so the bridge deck shelters it from Portland's rainy season and riders can skate through the year. The concrete is maintained by the skaters themselves, and the Yard apartment block west of the park blocks much of the daylight, with lights installed to compensate. Access is free and needs no registration.
Burnside appears as a playable level in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 and Grind Session, and served as a filming location for Gus Van Sant's Paranoid Park and for Free Willy. The park's founders convinced Ross Island Cement workers building the I-84 on-ramp to hand over leftover concrete, which let construction expand.
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