PHOTO BY THATCHER
WEATHER
OR
NOT
"Skateboarding indoors?, I'm sure."
That is the reaction I got from most of
the people I talked to before laying out
this article on skating undercover. I
figured on doing a satire piece, you know,
real elevator drops, rock 'n' rolls in the
bathtub, and roll ins off the kitchen table.
And while it's true that these activities do
play a part in this report, the question I
finally asked myself was this. "Could it be
possible to keep an active skateboarding
routine during the harsh winter months
ahead?"
During wintertime many skaters'
thoughts turn to hanging up their boards
for the duration, especially in the snow-
covered northern climates. Well, I didn't
go to Anchorage, Alaska, to find the
answer to my question (although there is
some heavy skating going on there), but I,
did come up with some pretty good
suggestions on how to stay dry and stay
skating this winter.
First of all, winter means different things
in different regions. In the colder northern
part of the globe, where sub-freezing
temperatures and ice-covered streets and
sidewalks make outdoor skating virtually
impossible for five months out of the year,
boarders are hard pressed to stay in
skate shape. Along the East Coast, winter
brings hurricane driven wind and rain and
biting cold temps. Even in California,
where it's sometimes hard to tell the
difference between winter and summer, a
weekend storm can put a damper on the
best laid skate plans.
(above) A parking garage provides undercover
downhill thrills during harsh weather.
An elevator ride to the top and a well lit
road course are just some of the added
luxuries. Bob Denike, Jim Martino and
locals dicing in tightly packed formation
at SJSU
(opposite) Rockin' Bob Denike carving cool
and dry lines in the sheltered confines of a
Downtown San Jose parking garage.