Exploring San Diego’s Best Skateparks with a Mitsubishi Outlander Sport.
Prior to visiting San Diego in May, I came up with the idea that I wanted to create a guide to my favorite San Diego Skateparks. I fell in love with skateboarding as a scrawny kid in western Pennsylvania during the Regan Administration. In those days we only had the street, church parking lots (one of the few places that we didn’t get kicked out of) and homemade ramps. We consumed Thrasher Magazine and VHS skate videos, both of which filled us with golden dreams of the California skate scene, and idolized guys like Mike McGill who can be seen above still skating his local spot at the Encinitas YMCA (Look closely and you can see me in the group of kids.)
The early 2000s marked the rebirth of concrete skateparks in San Diego, It’s a movement that continues to this day, as new parks are still popping up around the county. I was lucky enough to be living in the city when the new era came in, and I stood in awe of all the fresh concrete lines and bowls, and thought: “Man, if only we had one of these near us growing up. What could have been?”
For this project I was able to secure extended test drives for two 2014 vehicles—a Mitsubishi Outlander Sport and a Kia Soul. One of the great perks of our job is having the ability to test new products where it matters most: on the road. To help keep things organized, and to save on gas and time, I broke the project into two parts with the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport taking on the first leg, in which I focused solely on skapteparks in the city of San Diego. We test drove the SE edition with All Wheel Control (AWC) and the “premium” factory package, which includes a Rockford Fosgate sound system, auto-dimming rearview mirror and power driver seat.
We picked up the Mitsubishi at the airport and I immediately noticed the small footprint the Outlander Sport seemed to carry. From the outside, it reminded me of my 3-door hatchback on steroids, as it feels like a happy medium between a hatchback and SUV. Once inside, the crossover felt much roomier than its silver exterior revealed. We had just flown in from a trip through southern Oregon and had accumulated a good bit of extra baggage, and the Outlander Sport swallowed up everything we threw at it, leaving the back seats free for two to three passengers.
Inside, Mitsubishi’s easy to use 6.1-inch next-gen audio system with touchscreen display took the spotlight, giving us an array of options to choose from including bluetooth, HD Radio and Sirius/XM. Honestly, the gorgeous display helped spruce up what was otherwise a fairly basic interior with cloth seats; though, it’s an interior that would be ideal for those who don’t mind getting a little dirty (or sandy) on their outdoor adventures. The model we test drove also contained power windows and locks, a Sportronic steering wheel paddles, and a nice selection of options for regulating the temperature throughout the vehicle, including adjustments for the passenger side and back seats. Another welcomed addition was the option to cool and heat your seats, which in San Diego, especially in the summer, is a real luxury.
It reminded me of my 3-door hatchback on steroids, as it feels like a happy medium between a hatchback and SUV. Once inside, the crossover felt much roomier than its silver exterior revealed.
From a driving standpoint, the car handled the freeways and city streets well, and was a breeze to park, in part because of its rear-view camera. On the road, the Mitsubishi felt beefer than it looks, making the crossover feel safe even among the large 18-wheelers and hummers that cruise the freeways. Overall, I felt well protected, especially since the Outlander Sport features seven airbags, including one around the driver’s knees.
Under the hood, you’ll find Mitsubishi’s pride and joy, a 2.0-liter aluminum engine which uses MIVEC technology to balance power with fuel efficiency that’s coupled with an All Wheel Control (AWC) drive train and a 10 year/100,000 mile powertrain limited warranty. Despite being just a 4-cylinder, the engine provided some nice extra power to the car and seemed as if it would be capable of pulling a light trailer or small boat. And while I didn’t hit the 31 mpg pinnacle that Mitsubishi claims the Outlander Sport can get, I wasn’t far off, coming in at about 28 mpg.
Since the car sits a bit higher off the ground than my hatchback, the tailgate gave me a nice place to seat in between skate sessions and for scoping out the surf. Despite this added clearance, I still think it would be the perfect fit for my grandparents, especially my grandmother who recently had hip surgery and now has a hard time getting into higher vehicles.
For the project, I visited four skateparks with the Mitsubishi, and I have laid them out below as sort of mini-guide. If you’re going to be traveling to San Diego, though, I’d recommend downloading our free Buggl travel guide: Skate Thru San Diego: 48 Hours in America’s Finest City. In it you’ll have offline access to all the parks I visited, plus recommendations for cheap eats and good times.
A Mini-Guide to San Diego’s Best Skateparks
Memorial Skatepark
Memorial Park is like the swiss-army knife of San Diego skateparks. It’s got a bit of everything, and does almost everything well. Among its features are a 10 foot keyhole pool, a huge snake run with an 8 foot bowl, and a mini-combo bowl with a volcano in the middle that’s perfect for beginner transition skaters. The street terrain consists of an eight stair-set with a rail in the middle, hubba ledges, rails, and three to seven foot trannys.
Address: 702 S. 30th Street San Diego, CA 92113
Cost: Free
Washington Street Skatepark
Washington Street is to Southern California what Burnside is to the Pacific Northwest. Built under a San Diego underpass, this concrete park is the ongoing work of a dedicated crew of skateboarders. The park consists of four primary sections: the flow bowl section, a snake run, a center bowl, and the pool. Its considered one of the best parks in SoCal. The park is open to the public; though, opening times vary–basically when one of the crew shows up with the key.
Address: It doesn’t really have one, so here are the directions instead. Exit I5 @ Washington St. Head West on Washington about 2 blocks and you’ll see it under the next overpass.
Costs: Free
Ocean Beach Skatepark
It’s here that the rebirth of concrete skateparks in San Diego began back in 2000. At 40,000 sq. feet, the OB Skatepark has something for everyone, from beginners to pros. It features a handful of 4-5 foot banks and bowls with and without metal coping. There are two snake runs that are separated by a spine, where you’ll find more hips and bowls; though, at 14-years-old the concrete isn’t as smooth as other parks in the city.
Address: 2525 Bacon St. San Diego, CA 92107
Cost: Free
Krause Family Skate and Bike Park
The pool is worth the price of admission alone. It’s gorgeous, and considered by many to be one of the best in existence today; some even say its like “a tamer sibling of the Orange Co. Combi-pool. Gnarly but not too gnarly.” In fact, it is so nice, that local pros regularly session its smooth lines. Inside the pool, the square is roughly 7 feet up into vert and the round is about 10 feet with approximately a foot of vert. Additionally, the park features beginner and intermediate street sections, mini ramps and an X-Games Vert Ramp.
Address: 3401 Clairemont Drive San Diego, CA 92117
Cost: $10 for non-members (3-hour session)
Carmel Valley Skatepark
One exit off the I-5, you’ll find one of the county’s best legal pools, ranging from 6′ to 11′ deep. Additionally, there is also a small ditch-style run and a street area next to a street area with a banked ledge stair case, brick banks, a marble top ledge, and an inset quarter pipe inside a bank.
Address: 12220 El Camino Real, Del Mar, CA 92014
Cost: Free
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Disclosure: We were provided complimentary access to the vehicle to review it. As always, our thoughts and opinions are entirely our own.