1975. When the first issue of Skate-
boarder Magazine came out with Gregg
Weaver on the cover, riding a pool,
barefoot, this spot, called "The Pit," in
Rio Del Mar, was already notorious and
being well-worked by the locals.
Homemade sticks and Cadillac Roller
Sports Metaflex wheels were the rule.
Above: An unidentified, but very Weaver-
Ish looking character slides the Pit wave.
1976. Buena Vista pool, near Rio Del
Mar, was also a proving ground for
vertical discoveries. Unlike many
come and go spots, Buena is
rumored to have been empty for the
past thirty years. It's been buried in
dirt, filled with rain water, ripped off
of it's coping and tiles, sprayed,
chopped and cracked. It's been
sessioned by some of the best and
worst and may just be sessioned for
another thirty years.
y
1977. A well-attended event was the
Rio Del Mar contest held at Aptos
High School. The Sims team, Tunnel
team and a host of other Southern
skaters gave Nor Cal homey's their
first look at some professional skate
tactics. Highlights Included Waldo
Autry draining a beer while spinning
360's. Below: Unidentified skater
drags a heel, frontside off the top on
a wooden ramp.
1975. Other classic sessions included
the running of cones on freshly-laid
asphalt of new housing tracts. Tony
Carter's low-slung cone carve typifies
the obvious surf style. Is that a young
Tim Team' Pulmarta charging the
cones at top right?
1977
In July, Ed Da Roza started construction of Skatepark
Soquel. It was built in one month by surfers in exchange for
skating hours. Now Santa Cruz County's skate scene was con-
solidated into one %-acre skatepark. They even built an
organic juice bar. As soon as the cement dried, a full-on scene
was born. Larry Rendon and Randy Hansen carved test tracks
(without shoes) for others to follow. The top performers were
Kevin Reed, Tony Carter, Dion Rip, Tim Piumarta, Robert Gar-
rett, Sean O'Callahan, Herbst, Mike Goldman, John Hutson
and George Milburn.
1978
Boards were getting wider, and wheels were getting more
colorful. Young Soquel skaters started where their influences
left off. They added new tricks like handplants, ollies and
slides, to the surf style taught to them by their mentors. Beau
Holbrook, Chris Heinen, Steve Ferro, Seth Noble, Tony
Roberts, Tom and Todd Carter, Greg Pace, Chris Wendling
and Ethan Powell were among the next Santa Cruz genera-
tion. Team Soquel would venture inland for the Nor Cal
Skatepark contest circuit. Despite some good placings, the
80
circuit was dominated by San Jose boyz Scott Foss, Bob
Denike and a micro Stevie Caballero. There was a ritual of
verbal trade-offs between the "valleys" and the "Santa Cruz
scrubbys" or "whole wheats" which would usually end in
laughter and handshakes at the nearest 7-11. Meanwhile,
Kevin Reed was leaving everybody completely blown away
whenever he skated or surfed. At the first Winchester Pool
Shootout his spontaneous approach opened eyes to new four-
wheeled possibilities and previously unexplored lines.
1979
The fall of the skatepark era took with it Skatepark Soquel.
Rumor has it that as the bulldozer operator was about to finish
off the job he was bombarded from the hill above with a non-
stop flow of dirt clods. After he left, all that remained was
the beginner bowl.
1978. Soquel Skatepark showcased
the talents of up and comers like Dion
Rip, shown here off the top of a skate
extension in the big half-pipe.