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Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Thirteen has always been my lucky number;
it's the day of my birth, and also the number of
years it's taken for the Rancho Cucamonga
Skatepark to be built. I took a petition to the City
Council that long ago, and initially got the
wheels slowly rolling through what would be
over a decade of speech-making, letter writing,
protest organizing, and impatient waiting for this
curvacious little darling.
December 4, 1998 was a cold windy overcast
day, but it was also a significant day of triumph
for so many who had waited so long. In fact, a
couple of kids thanked me for starting and help-
ing to get the park built, and they weren't even
born when that petition was being signed; per-
sistence pays off. I stood there sick with a cold in
the late afternoon gloom and watched over a
hundred skateboarders (no roller-fakers), roll all
over the bright white concrete in front of the
Mayor and other smiling city officials. Spitting, it
occurred to me that it was like all my dead skat-
ing friends had collectively spit a magic loogie
out of heaven. Ah yes, there it sits...all white and
shiny on the green lawn.
Longtime council member Diane Williams told
me that the result and reaction is so favorable,
she would like to see skateparks built throughout
the city at the rate of one a year. Amazing!
Sometimes things do come to those who wait
(and keep on trying). I remember being hit in the
gut by the police for being a young skate punk,
and now I see cops take their kids to the
skatepark; change is sometimes good.
One fortunate day reigning Lord Salba came
by with his two young boys, Riley (22 months)
and Jesse (age 5). Two teenage kickflippers
actually laughed when explained that they
were in the presence of a genuine skateboarding
legend. Oh well, arrogance is always ignorance,
and who wants to respect of idiots anyway?
Salba offered his assessment of the skatepark.
"I give it a 3 on the 10 scale. It's OK, but there
isn't any true halfpipe or bowl." He explains that
it's good to have so many decent obstacles, and
the transitions are worthy and smooth, but a
skatepark should cultivate a skater with stamina
rather than the "one-hit wonders" of today. It's
true; well-rounded skaters keep the sport alive,
and Salba has spoken: "Skateboarding isn't
going to go away again."
In defense, I must point out that a 3 is defi-
nitely better than a zero. Also bear in mind that
Steve Alba has skated the best all over the world
for decades; he's spoiled, but he's most often
correct. Listen to the voice of experience.
Thank you to all those who have helped keep
this dream alive so that it has become a present
reality: Mayor Bill Alexander, Council Member
Diane Williams, my mom, all the genuine people
at Active Ride Shops, the entire Park and
Recreation Commission, and everyone who ever
put their two cents in. If I can be of any assis-
tance to anyone pursuing a public facility, con-
tact me at bhodisattva420@hotmail.com.
-Marcus Solomon
Top to bottom: Bobo blasts a melon over the hip.
Steamroller nosegrind courtesy of Brian Edwards.
Moms' eye view of the park.
WE 10-14
10:09.36
SHOCK
It's a little
intimidating.
TIMEX
HUMVEE