And now a visit to
Upland, CA, home of the infamous
Pipeline Skatepark...Good times in the
Badlands:
by Gerry Hurtado
Photos by Bryce Kanights
Whenever someone mentions Upland or
the Pipeline Skatepark, what comes to my
mind are all the places I've skated, or have
watched others skate, in and around the
area known as "The Badlands." I remember
when skating was in its B.P stage (Before
Parks), the Badlands were not only the
breeding ground for some of the baddest
skaters to date, but also the training ground.
Some of the names that got plenty of airplay
were Tay Hunt, Curt Kimball, Lee Gahimer,
Kurt Talbot, Charlie Ransom, Mike Cantu,
Steve Evans, Scott Dunlop, and, of course,
the Albas, Steve and Micko. The places they
skated were the L Pool, the Egg Bowl, Sixth
Street Ditch, Archibald Bowl, Indian Hill
Pool, Widow Maker and, of course, the Mt.
Baldy Pipeline. I once lost a job because
I didn't want to leave Baldy to get to work
on time. My boss warned me, but I was hav-
ing such a great time carving the pipe half-
way to the top from the back hallway that
I said, "Shine. Who needs work when you
can skate," After that session we heard from
some locals that a park was going up in
nearby Upland. We decided to check it out.
When we pulled into the parking lot, we flip-
ped! There was a pipe and two big bowls
behind a chain link fence, just waiting to be
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skated. We couldn't believe it. We had just
finished skating a pipe that could have cost
us up to $500 in fines and 30 days in the
hole if we had been caught. And here, for
$1.25 an hour, we could skate a bigger pipe
without worrying about a bust factor. The
pipe was not quite as long or as perfect as
Mt. Baldy, but it was nonetheless safe from
the law. We talked to the proprietors, Stan
and Jean Hoffman, and got the lowdown on
opening day. The rest is history.
On May 28, 1977, Memorial Day weekend,
the park opened to the public with no
ceremony, although a local TV station did
show up. Some of the pro skaters on hand
that day included Stacy Peralta, Greg Ayres,
Waldo Autrey, Doug Schneider, Ray
"Bones" Rodriquez, Steve Olson, Steve
and Micke Alba (who were amateurs at the
time), Scott Dunlop, Kevin "The Worm"
Anderson and Jay Smith. These skaters
could be seen shredding the terrain any day
of the week. Pipeline legends, Chris Stro-
ple and Wally Inouye, went so far as to
relocate to the Badlands to put themselves
closer to the park.
The skating facility was built for
$125,000-not including the Pro Shop, or
the land itself. Around 1979, the freestyle
area was taken out and replaced-at a cost
of $30,000-with what is now known as the
Combi-pool; a large poof with coping and
tiles. The square end is approximately
32'x32' and 12' deep. The round end is 11'
deep and 32' in diameter. This pool has
been the host of the Hester Pro Bowl
finals in '79, a couple of Gold Cups,
and numerous amateur competi-
tions sponsored by both the A.S.PO.
(Associated Skate Park Owners) and the
C.A.S.L. (California Amateur Skateboard
League). In 1985 the Pipeline hosted what
would be the park's last pro competition
("as long as Stan Hoffman lives"). Due to
inadequate parking and uptight neighbor-
ing businessmen, the park cannot ac-
comodate the crowds that invariably turn up
for pro competitions. And as Mrs. Hoffman
says, "Long after the contests are over, we
still have to live with them."
The Pipeline Skatepark boasts 10 years
of business, surviving the depression era
(late 1981 to late 1983) when they remained
open only during daylight hours. Being the
first park with vertical and over vertical ter-
rain, the Pipeline attracted the top pro
skaters on a regular basis. Mrs. Hoffman
also says that the average local skater (who
used to be fifteen to seventeen years old)
is now ten to twelve years old, with even
some eight year olds out there. Although the
park has approximately 40,000 members,
Mrs. Hoffman says that it's actually more
like 30,000 when you take out all the
lightweights, one-time beginners, flakes and
has-beens. To become a member, if you're
under eighteen, you must bring your
parents or legal guardian-with paperwork
to prove it-have them sign a release form
and see what's going on at the park to deter-
mine whether or not they want their kid par-
ticipating. This is done so that the parent
can share some of the responsibility. After
ten years it's still three dollars for a lifetime
membership, and $1.25 per hour with three
dollar all-day passes for weekdays and four
dollars for weekend all-day passes. Through
the lean years, Mrs. H. says, "The BMX-ers
kept it going by showing up to ride the pipe."
The pipe is 20' in diameter by 40' long.
and, as with the rest of the park, was design-
ed with the help of the local skaters. Stan
Hoffman would show up at the L Pool, and
say. "What would you guys like to see in
a skate park?" The majority of the skaters
said, "A pipe, a pool and plenty of vertical."
Stan took that info and built the park accor-
dingly. Built in five weeks time, it's a skater's
paradise. Around 1980 (give or take a year).
the back snake runs were cut in half, leav-
ing just the bowls and were replaced by a
BMX track. Any night during the week an
average of thirty to fifty skaters show up, and
on weekends it goes as high as 270. Mrs.
Hoffman still enjoys seeing some of the old
timers show up, sometimes with their own.
kids, second generation Badlanders.
Some of the local pros who work out there
nowadays include Chris Miller, Lester Kasai,
Rick Demontrond and Steve and Micke
Alba, to name a few. According to the Albas,
skaters who have reached the highest part
of the pipe include Kurt Talbot, The Worm,
Doug Schneider and the Albas themselves.
So, if you're into some steep walls, fat
coping and some cool banks, check the
Upland, CA, telephone directory and ask for
Pipeline Skate Park. Good times are
guaranteed for one and all.
Above: Being a veteran Badlands professional,
Micke Alba is no stranger to the Pipeline's massive
terrain. Here he trailblazes an uncommon roll-out line across a heavily
unskateable section of the park. Below: Rick Damontrond follows through on
an aggressive frontside during an evening session in the combi-pool.
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