Skateboarding first arrived in Belgium in the late 1970s. At first, it was seen as a sport for delinquents and, as a result, wasn't very popular.
Despite its negative optics at the beginning, the sport slowly became mainstream, and by the early 2000s, it experienced an explosion in popularity worldwide due to large-scale investments in the sport and the advent of competitions like the X-Games.
Today, Belgium ranks 8th globally and takes 1st place in Europe for skatepark accessibility, with 3.81 skateparks for every 100,000 inhabitants, equaling out to 449 skateparks in total, according to the world's largest independent skatepark directory and map, Trucks and Fins.
These great facilities aren't just sitting empty; they are turning local skaters into world-class athletes. Belgium proved how strong its scene has become when it sent two top skaters, Axel Cruysberghs of Poperinge and Lore Bruggeman of Deerlijk, to the sport's Olympic debut in Tokyo.
As far as Belgian skatepark density goes, Brussels is no exception; the city is home to a few of the country's most iconic parks and has spots for beginners and professionals alike.
Ride All Day Skateboard Shop
Yves Tchao at his store "Ride All Day Skateboard Shop" in Central Brussels. Credit: Vicente Torre Hovelson/ The Brussels Times.
We begin by talking to one of Belgium's skating godfathers. A little over 32 years ago, in April of 1994, Yves Tchao opened Ride All Day Skateboard Shop in Brussels, the oldest running skate shop in Belgium.
"When I first opened, skateboarding was not very popular," Tchao told the Brussels Times. He was still successful at the start, since he was the only shop in Belgium and was supplying most of the skateboarders in the country with their equipment.
Tchao also remarked that Brussels not only has good skateparks for people interested in riding ramps and grinding rails, but also great spots for riding downhill or what's referred to as "hill-bombing" among avid skaters.
"What I like best in Brussels, actually, is just cruising around and going down hills. I like to go fast down hills. I use a cruiser with softer wheels. And for that, in Brussels, especially in the south, Forest, Uccle, and Saint-Gilles have very nice hills," Tchao stated.
Despite his passion for the sport and the great accessibility to skate spots and parks in Brussels, Tsao explained that he has seen a decrease in people skating, specifically teenagers, who used to make up the biggest demographic in skateboarding.
“We have a lot of demand for kids' skateboards, even very young kids, 10 years and younger. We have a lot of girls also skating, that's a big difference from back in the days when only a few girls were skating," Tsao said.
"But the teenager is not interested in skateboarding. They are more interested in what's trendy, and for the moment, skateboarding is not. But it's for sure going to have a comeback. The waves of popularity, they go up and down, and it's going to come back," he continued.
The shop owner's words were true, as The Brussels Times toured the city's most popular public skateparks, we came to find that most were empty. That, however, can be a blessing in disguise, allowing skaters to practice freely and with space.
Skatepark de la Chapelle
An empty evening at Skatepark de la Chapelle in Brussels. Credit: Vicente Torre Hovelson/ The Brussels Times.
This is the historic heart of the Brussels skate scene. It's an outdoor, DIY-style concrete park built right in front of the Notre-Dame de la Chapelle church. It features colourful graffiti, a bowl, ledges, banks, and quarter pipes. It is also lit up at night, making it a popular spot for evening sessions among locals in Brussels.
The atmosphere of the La Chapelle is by far the most social out of any other park in Brussels. Most of the other spots mentioned are for less casual use and more geared towards progression, whereas La Chapelle is more meant as a meeting spot for skateboarders, dancers, graffiti artists, high school students, and the houseless.
When The Brussels Times spoke to skaters there, most of them just said things along the lines of "I'm not that good at skating" or "I don't skate."
Despite its laid-back, not totally skate-centric nature, the park is still definitely worth visiting.
Skatepark de l’Allée du Kaai
Skatepark de l’Allée du Kaai in Molenbeek. Credit: Vicente Torre Hovelson/ The Brussels Times.
Skatepark de l’Allée du Kaai is one of the largest outdoor parks in all of Belgium. Located in Molenbeek, this park features ramps, quarter pipes, ledges, rails, and its iconic bowl.
The park is not very beginner-friendly, but because of its expert-level obstacles, it attracts skaters like Stan Rojas Rivas, who told The Brussels Times that he comes from Ghent every week just to skate the bowl at this park.
"The bowl is perfect, man," Rivas stated when asked what he thought about the park.
Stan Rojas Rivas does a Melon backside air out of the bowl at Skatepark de l’Allée du Kaai in Molenbeek. Credit: Vicente Torre Hovelson/ The Brussels Times.
Address: Av. du Port 43, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium
Sk8 Port
The Sk8 Port in Brussels. Credit: Vicente Torre Hovelson/ The Brussels Times.
The Sk8 Port park is a small, modern outdoor concrete park built right along the canal in Brussels.
It features a small half-bowl section alongside a diverse street section with stairs, flat bars, down rails, and various ledges. The industrial landscape behind the park gives it the vibe of a map from the iconic video game, Tony Hawks: Pro Skater.
Address: Chau. de Vilvorde 98, 1120 Bruxelles, Belgium
Skatepark Demets
Skatepark Demets in Anderlecht. Credit: Vicente Torre Hovelson/ The Brussels Times.
Skatepark Demets is a decent-sized outdoor concrete skatepark located right by the canal in Anderlecht. It leans a bit more toward street elements but features plenty of smooth transition space, including a very fun pump track.
The pump track at the Demets skatepark in Anderlecht. Credit: Vicente Torre Hovelson/ The Brussels Times.
One of the most advantageous aspects of this park is the fact that it's covered, so even when it's raining, visitors can still skate there. The coverage also greatly helps protect you from the sun during heatwaves, like the one Brussels was experiencing when we were visiting.
Other features outside of the cover at the skatepark Demets in Anderlecht. Credit: Vicente Torre Hovelson/ The Brussels Times.
Address: Quai Fernand Demets 22, 1070 Anderlecht, Belgium
Evere Skatepark
The mini ramp, downrail, and 3 stairs at Evere skatepark. Credit: Vicente Torre Hovelson/ The Brussels Times.
Although this park is much less fancy or popular than the others that The Brussels Times visited, it has great features for people who have just started their skateboarding journey.
Ramps and small ledges at Evere skatepark. Credit: Vicente Torre Hovelson/ The Brussels Times.
These features include a mini ramp to get used to dropping in and learn basic vert tricks, regular sloped ramps for people who don't know how to drop in, and small ledges to learn how to grind.
Address: Avenue des Anciens Combattants 250, 1140 Evere, Belgium
