If the O'Fallon Youth Activity Park's skatepark didn't have a bogus age restriction -- allowing only two hours of skating a week for those who are nineteen and up -- it might have won this category.
Might have. For even if you disregard the age restriction, admission price, helmet rule and the fact that there are armed park rangers inside the fence with you at all times, O'Fallon still has a lot of wasted space and concrete. Not so at Fountain Lake in St. Charles. Although it's a little rough around the edges and hasn't received anywhere near the volume of press O'Fallon has, this little jewel is a testament to economy of space, completely maxed out with a variety of obstacles and features -- rails, ledges, banks and a cool little bowl. The park is fun and essentially hassle-free: in short, exactly what every skater is looking for.