COMMUNITY
SKATEPARKS
Second generation board slide. Mark Alva, Irvine
Locals scope out Wally Chanin's aerial form Irvine
Irvine, CA
You're cruising down the street and suddenly your attention is
focused on a group of skateboarders thrashing a concrete structure
that is specially made for skating Hey, is this for real? Made to
skate terrain at no chargel No fences, no hassles, just a tape deck
blaring modem tunes as the local urbanites tear all comers of the
place
This scenario, although not common, is certainly not untrue.
Communities such as Irvine and Santa Cruz, CA have had public
(FREE) parks in operation for at least four years. Just two years ago
San Francisco constructed a skateboard facility as part of an all
new complex. The lead taken by these communities should serve
as an example to city planners everywhere that skateboarding is
definitely a sport that has arrived. All future city playgrounds or
recreational t facilities should include a skateboard area t
skaters
deserve equal due with the baseball, basketball and football
fanatics. There is no more All American Sport than skateboarding-
It was born in our streets and sidewalks and has spread throughout
the world, leaving in its trail a feeling of freedom and fun unmatched
by any other physical activity
This little park is actually the first pork I ever skated, about three
or four years ago. It's got a lot of history behind it. I remember when
Skitch Hitchcock used to go down the run doing handstands and
Steve Shipp did five foot board sides. A lot of tricks come out of the
park like frontside air bunny hops and other air variations. The run
itself consists of five banked tumse
turns and a bowl at the end. Over
the
years the park has gone through sessions of over 100 riders and
some of only 3. Lately the park has been filled with quite a few
skaters a mixture of the old ch
of the old and new-vintage skaters like
ke Mark
and Tony Alva Pros like Steve Hirsch and Ray Bones and locals like
Mark Grasso, Jeff Hutson and Tim Keenan Just recently a lot of heavy
ke TA's olles over the hips
things a war-edge backward
extended
extended
locals pulling off
Andrechtse
carves. Everyone is mainly having a blast heard Steve Hirsch was
ripping the place pretty heavily. The park has had a lot of past and
it's got a long future ahead, it will always be there and the best
thing is that it is for Free. It's fun just to cool out and session with your
friends-so if you are ever out irvine way, stop by and skate the
place and tear. You won't be sorry that you did
-Duane Peters
A well planned community serves the needs of all it's citizens, Irvine
Duane Peters having fun and staying on edge whenever possible, Irvine
"Just cool out and session with your friends". Gerry "Potatoe" Hurtado, Irvine
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