BORDER WARS: A TALE OF TWO SKATEPARKS TIJUANA VS CORONADO.

Where: San Diego's sister city. Just across the border at the base of the giant Mexican fLag.

What: A park with ledges, three flat bars, a pyramid with a ledge, and a miniramp without decks or coping.

Good: Free. Includes authentic raw street obstacles.

Bad: Skate area roped in by barbed wire. Occasional animal feces. Miniramp has no decks. La Gringa Loca--a filthy, swearing, spitting and completely insane American woman terrorizes the place.

Set up: Whatever you can get your hands on.

Question asked: "[Upside down question mark] Esta el Muska?"

Question begged: How did these kids get so good skating this?

Directions: From the US border, look for the giant Mexican flag on the hill and go towards it.

Where: Coronado Island; island-style living for San Diego's moneyed elite.

What: A city owned and operated concrete park twice built (the first version was botched by contractors and had to be largely redone), featuring two miniramp-style bowls and a street area.

Good: Smooth and fast. The kidney-ish bowl is excellent terrain for the advanced miniramp rider.

Bad: Run by five non-skating park and rec employees accustomed to overseeing intramural softball games. Lots of short shorts, rules, and yelling. Full pads and a fee required. Street area very small and a little dodgy with useless no-coping bowl pockets, a Ia Ocean Beach skatepark.

Set up: Wet Willy with Grind Kings and 54s, or Gravity Jeff "Big Air" Budro stunt longboard with Trackers and softies.

Question asked: "Have you filled out your waiver?"

Question begged: Why are skatepark employees always either jocks or stoners?

Directions: From the 5 FWY South, take the Coronado bridge over and take your first right; the skatepark is located at the park by the base of the bridge.