SKATEBRARD AREA
No Attendant on duty
Une skateboard ares
Safety Rules
-One person
Amsoned Cruzial carves Derby's bunks Santa Cru
HILLTOP PARK S.F., CA
San Francisco's only public skatepark made its debut in the Fall
of 1978 as part of the Hiltop Park complex Designed by architect
Walker Tanogita in collaboration with Michael Tainter and Associates
with art design by Jacques Overholt, the park has something for
everyone. Thanks to Uncle Sam, Hiltop Park is the result of a federal
grant given to the San Fran
Francisco Redevelopment Agency. Situate
in one of the City's sunniest areas, atop a grassy knoll, the skatepark
is surrounded by picnic tables, playground equipment and even a
big stoel sundial. The skateboard facility consists of a large bowl
with slight banking and a hip situated towards the center where
riders can do air tricks slides and other edge-type maneuvers. Locals
regularly shred the bowl plus Pros like Olson, Blackhart and others
have been known to session the little bowl while visiting
San Francisco
The pine area surrounds Hitop Park's mellow bowl SF
Galveston, Texas
What was once a populated
arena for artists siding skateboards
is now a public-use focility with no
cover charge. This park les just a
stone's throw from the beach
something Californians still yeam
for on Galveston bland
Texas
The facility is constructed with the
start of each run atop a hill for
excess downhill momentum. Each
Individual run goes its own way. Run
is a four foot snake run ending in
a six foot rounded lip bow. Run #2
has a four foot half
pipe trench
emptying into a six foot deep egg
pool that sports coping around the
whole bowl. The only drawback to
this bowl is that there is no vertical to
work with fine if you don't crave vert
in the first place), Run #3 is a small
channel with astro turf on top of
each sido running into a large
banked bowl with extreme vert
realities and hardly any transitions
to acquire a vertical rush from Run
#4 is a small snake run with banks of,
each turn that are way shredable.
At the finish the run there is an
Anaheim-like bowl that not only
gove me memories of the past but
produced ideas of the future
Run #5 is aptly called the "Radi-
cal BowThis run produces the
most excitementfun rotio of the
facility After working the upper haf
consisting of off-the-lip type banks
you can blaze down onto the
bow's facewall and throw some
BIO air. This wall has just enough verf
to throw you out but you're on
your own judgment after that. The
park's owner first laid cement in
1977 and its been there ever since.
So if you're anywhere near Galveston
Texas stop the first skater you see
and demand directions immediately.
This park RIPS
-8 Bowman
Formerly a bona fide skatepark, this park in Galveston, Texas, is now open to the public
DERBY PARK, SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA
Located on the upper west side of the sunny seaside town of
Santa Cruz is a very small, yet very important skateboard spot called
Derby Park Derby Park was created about two years ago by the
Santa Cruz City Parks and Recreation Department in answer to
requests by residents in the surrounding areas for a safe, fun place
for their chicken to entirely of cement, and is located
The actual run is c
small
on the northeast side of a conventional park" It starts with a
oval platform that turns into a halfpipe. This halfpipe which never
gets deeper than three feet c
t and is only about seven feet across
runs along for 60 feet and empties into a large, circular bowl. The
run can take seconds or minutes, depending on whether you make
a straight speed run through the pipe into the bowl or if you work
the nonexistent in Santa Cruz the final
its worth
With ban
backyard pools c
burial of the freestyle area of Soquel Skatepark and Winchester
over 40 minutes away (days away during the rush hour), Derby Park
is the perfect s
spot for skaters who are just itching to ride fun, easy
banks Funky and kinked as it seems on first glance, Derby is the
type of
of skate spot that really grows on you. The more you skate it
the more fun it gets!
You won't soo TA or Olson there ripping it up, but on any given
day you can see several radical up and comers' giving it all they've
gott The most important part of Derby Park is not its size, shape or
radical terrain. The important aspect is that the City government
actually gave the people what they wanted-a local park for their
kids to skate in that was relatively safe and close to home. Speaking
for all the skaters at Derby, Thank You to the City of Santa Cruz
Tim Plumarta
What's in the future?
How do community parks fit into
skateboarding's future? Certainly
one cannot expect the operation
of a full-on skatepark facility for
use of no charge. Vot the concept
of a small dish of concrete set
aside strictly for skateboarding in
some parcel of public open space
is desirable and definitely within
the realm of possibility. The amount
of area required is minimal and
would fit neatly into any pork play
ground design it is imperative that
community planners and develop
es recognize the need to utilize
the environment to the fullest while
providing areas for all age groups
to enjoy leisure time together.
Fredence Street Park, Santa Cruz C 1975 the first Angan public park