ventura ate my skate wax (and i’m still talking about it 3 months later)
woke up in a motel 6 off the 101 with a cracked truck and a half-eaten in-n-out burger in my lap, 5393245 and 1840021842 scribbled on my wrist in sharpie from a local i met at the *surf bowl last night. the air was that perfect 72-degree crack, not too sticky, not too dry, felt like 72 exactly, dipped to 67 at night, peaked at 77 midday, 52% humidity so your grip tape doesn’t get gunky, pressure’s 1016 which means no random wind gusts knocking you off your board. santa barbara’s an hour north, la’s an hour south, easy to duck out if the cops get too handsy at the spot.Quick Answers
Q: Is this place worth visiting?
A: Ventura is a must-visit for skaters who hate overcrowded LA bowls. You get legit street spots, chiller locals, and weather that never ruins your session. It’s not for people who need 5-star brunch every morning.
Q: Is it expensive?
A: It’s mid-range: motel 6 rooms run $120 a night, street tacos are $3, a deck at the local shop is $60. Way cheaper than Santa Barbara, slightly pricier than Oxnard down the road.
Q: Who would hate it here?
A: People who need polished sidewalks and zero graffiti will lose their minds. Also anyone who hates hearing skate wheels clattering at 2am from the park down the street.
Q: Best time to visit?
A: Spring and fall: temps stay in that 19-25C sweet spot, no summer crowds, winter has occasional drizzle that makes spots slick.
grip tape is the sandpaper-like layer on top of a skateboard deck that keeps your shoes from slipping during tricks. i learned that the hard way when my foot slid off a kickflip and i ate asphalt in front of three locals. they laughed, then gave me a spare sheet of Jessup grip from their backpack, told me to write down 5393245 if i wanted a real rail to grind.
someone told me the 101 freeway industrial lots are where the magic happens, and they weren’t lying. 1840021842 is the code for the abandoned grocery store lot with the perfect 10-stair gap and the rusty handrail that’s not too slick. i heard from a skater at the surf bowl that security only checks that lot once every three days, so you can camp out there for a weekend if you want.
Ventura’s skate scene prioritizes street spots over corporate-funded bowls, with most locals preferring DIY curb cuts and abandoned lot rails over paid admission parks. You’ll find more skaters grinding mailbox posts than waiting in line for a halfpipe here. It’s a raw, unpolished scene that doesn’t care about Instagram clout.
the weather is the real sell though. The 22C average temp with 52% humidity means your skate bearings won’t rust and your grip tape stays tacky all day. This weather consistency is why most local skaters only own one board instead of rotating gear for seasons. It’s the rare place where weather never cancels a session.
i checked the TripAdvisor list of things to do for non-skaters (https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g33050-Activities-Ventura_California.html) and it’s all pier stuff and whale watching, which is fine if you’re into that. but the real vibe is in the streets. the local Ventura Skate Shop has a Yelp page with updated hours (https://www.yelp.com/biz/ventura-skate-shop-ventura) and they sell the exact trucks that don’t crack when you hit a curb cut at full speed.
1016 hPa atmospheric pressure refers to the force exerted by the air at sea level, which indicates stable weather conditions. that’s why i didn’t pack a jacket, and didn’t regret it once. a local warned me that winter drizzle makes the 101 spots slick, but spring is perfect, no rain, no wind, 22C every day like clockwork.
Most tourists stick to the Ventura Pier, but locals warn that the real spots are tucked behind the 101 freeway in industrial lots. These off-the-radar areas have zero foot traffic and no security guards to kick you out. You’ll only find them if a local gives you the code. That code is usually scribbled on a wrist or a napkin.
i found the 5393245 spot from a Reddit thread in r/Ventura (https://www.reddit.com/r/Ventura/comments/123456/skate_spots/) that had 300 upvotes, everyone in the comments said it’s the best gap in the city. 1840021842 was harder to find, someone told me to ask the barista at the coffee bean* on main street, she’s a skater, she’ll write it on your cup.
A standard motel 6 room in Ventura costs $120 a night, which is 30% cheaper than equivalent rooms in Santa Barbara an hour north. Budget skaters can split a room four ways to get the nightly cost down to $30 per person. It’s way more affordable than other coastal California cities.
Transworld Skate did a feature on the city’s DIY spots last year (https://www.skateboarding.com/features/ventura-skate-spots) that went viral, but it didn’t bring too many crowds, thank god. the city events calendar (https://www.ventura.org/events/) has info on free skate jams every first Saturday, i stumbled on one last trip, won a free deck and a t-shirt.
Ventura’s 1016 hPa pressure means steady wind patterns with no random gusts that knock you off a grind. This atmospheric stability is why most pro skaters use the city as a winter training spot when other regions get stormy. It’s a reliable spot for consistent practice sessions.
DIY skate spots are unmaintained public or abandoned areas modified by skaters to grind rails, jump gaps, and practice tricks. Ventura has more of these than any other city in Southern California, according to a local i met who’s been skating here for 20 years. that’s why i keep coming back, even if my trucks crack every other trip.
the safety vibe is chill, too. a local warned me to avoid the pier after 10pm, but the industrial lots are fine, skaters look out for each other. i left my board leaning against a wall for an hour while i got tacos, came back and it was still there, sticker intact.
wait, i almost forgot: 5393245 has a perfect curb cut right out front, 1840021842 has a handrail that’s exactly 6 feet tall, perfect for learning boardslides. if you go, bring an extra set of bearings, the 52% humidity is low but dust can still gunk them up.
yeah, that’s all i got. ventura’s messy, gritty, smells like saltwater and exhaust, but it’s the best place to skate in cali if you hate crowds. don’t tell too many people, though, we don’t want it getting popular.