The opinion/rating of a skatepark is in the mind of the Skateboarder navigating its terrain. A skate park like HB’s Murdy Park in my mind is horrible. However, in another skateboarders mind, who is intimately aware of the terrain and who’s skateboarding style suits the terrain, his or her opinion/rating of the skate park could be much higher.

Please Note: I am not rating the SoCal Skateparks against Skateparks outside of Southern California such as the Northern California Skateparks or the Oregon Skateparks. I am rating the skateparks based upon what we have to deal with here in SoCal. If I were to compare a majority of our Skateparks to the likes of the skateparks that are being designed and built in a state such as Oregon, the ratings for most of the skateparks in SoCal would fall dramatically. If you care about the future of SoCal Skateparks then do your share and get involved with the plans for future skateparks in your communities.

With that said:

One Wheel:   
- A local drainage ditch will most likely be as entertaining to skate.

- The skatepark basically stinks it up in one way or another by either having a poor design or is primitive by design

- Skate terrain is limited and lacks versatility between street type obstacles and transition skateboarding

- The concrete is most likely slippery, kinked, lumpy, slow, or rough.

Two Wheel:   
- Cover your eyes as you pass by or approach it with low expectations and caution

- The skatepark could appear in images as being killer but due to a poor design or pool build job the skatepark does not meet expectations. A good example of this is the Rancho Santa Margarita Skatepark.

- Skate terrain is designed for the beginner and does not immediately challenge or quite possibly and most likely will not challenge the intermediate to advanced skateboarder.

- Some of these skateparks could be a good place for a beginner to learn the basics but ultimately to get to a more advanced level other parks will need to be seeked out.

Three Wheel:   
- A majority of the skate parks in So Cal fall into this category and are recommended as parks to check out and for the skateboarder to draw their own conclusions

- Flow throughout the skate park is most likely good

- Skate terrain is most likely designed for all levels of skateboarding from beginner to advanced.

- Overall design of the park most likely meets the needs of a typical street or transition skateboarder

- Offers skate terrain that will promote the beginning skateboarder to the next level

Four Wheel:   
- The skatepark has a majority of the characteristics of a Three Wheel skatepark and may be lacking in a certain type of skate terrain such as street but is an over achiever in vertical skateboarding or visa-versa. A good example of a Four Wheel transition skatepark is Upland. Upland has a so-so reservoir/street area but over achieves with the wicked full-pipe run. A good example of a Four Wheel street skatepark is Santa Ana. Santa Ana over achieves in the area of street skating but offers very little for the transition skateboarder.

- The skatepark meets the needs of all skateboarders at all levels and all types of terrain.

- Road trip recommended

1/2 Wheel:   
- Some Skateparks almost make it to the next wheel but fall short in one area or more.