Hot Cheese, Monty Grind @ That SF Barrier
The Almost Complete Guide to Nor Cal’s DIY Spots: Originally Printed in Confusion Magazine #12
“It takes half your life before you discover life is a do-it-yourself project.”
― Napoleon Hill
I could say i remember it like it was yesterday but that would be a lie- in fact it seems like a lifetime ago. No smartphones, no email, weed was illegal no matter what your doctor cared to write and the strippers had zits on their asses in Portland. Looking back it seems like 1995 was a completely different world than what exists today. I mean shit was real seedy back then and modern day terms like gentrify just weren’t in the average Americans vernacular. But even without the aid of booking flights and hotels online we somehow still made it to Burnside that summer because we fucking had to. “Build it and they will come” may be a corny ass line from A Kevin Costner movie but in the case of the granddaddy of DIY it’s pretty much the way it was.
You may be asking what this cute little tale has to do with Nor Cal DIY, the subject of this fine article, but it has everything to do with it. Burnside blew it’s proverbial load over the collective conscious of skateboarders worldwide and not only holds the title of (maybe not the first) but being ground zero of what DIY can be. While sure, there would be spots getting built by skateboarders for skateboarders if Burnside was never created but the DIY scene here in Northern California and worldwide would not be where its at today, that’s just a fact. My momma always told to show respect to our elders and heads like Red, Sage, Monk, Chris Bredesen, Osage Buffalo and Bret Taylor etc..paved the way for this recent explosion in Northern California whether you know out or not. Props fellas, thanks for laying down the tracks
Zarosh, Blunt Slide Glide @ Cachagua Land
Now to the killer builds getting laid down in this sweet patch of California. The DIY movement is going off to say the least, with earlier builds like the Bird Bath, the Flower Shop and Bordertown laying the roots down it’s shown the kids in the in Norcal that there is no reason to wait for someone else to do it for you- the time to build is now. From the SF bay to the stoney region of Willits, over to the Truckee mountains up the 99 to Visalia, and Bakersfield, cross over to the coast through the 101 and back to Oakland - you’re going to find insanely good spots to skate built by skateboarders. As you know though a unfortunate reality of a lot of these spots is their tight shelf life- here today, gone tomorrow is just the way some of these renegade builds go. With that in mind I decided to get the usual suspects together and do what we do best- hit a insane amount spots in a tight amount of time and document a definitive list of what’s out there in our northern region of California. The boys usually only have the weekend off with maybe a extra day thrown in so we cut Northern California up in 6 sections and mapped out our routes. With the car packed we mixed up our go fast truck stop recipe of gummy worms, high voltage cup’s of coffee and some questionable high energy pills and hit the road. And hot damn did we ever hit some killer builds and meet some bad ass people. From Gene’s pool, to Beeble’s bowl to the legendary Lower Bob’s the terrain getting raised in Nor Cal is nothing short of amazing! This is the best time for skateboarding ever and these builds have a huge part to do with it. So not only do I raise a toast to the legendary forefathers that got this movement going but a huge salute goes out to these modern day builders that are taking it to the next level here in Northern California! When the next big asteroid hits the earth and we are all but extinct, the few survivors will stumble upon these builds like the great pyramids and will be just as baffled as to how and why they were built. Until then let’s keep the stoke going and get out there and build more!!!!
Region #1: San Francisco
"It's an odd thing but anyone who disappears is said to be in San Francisco." — Oscar Wilde
More spots per capita than anywhere in Nor Cal, SF is home to a thriving DIY scene. The Sunset bowls are insanely fun, the flower shop is legendary, the secret Tadashi spot is rad and even the Pink Taco is fun to roll around for a hour or two (and a beer or 2). Combine all the DIY spots with all the rest of the terrain SF has to offer and the city by the bay is still the #1 destination in skateboarding. What are you waiting for, the time is now!
THE BUILDERS: Too many to mention but here’s a few:
Aaron Hazlewood, Iris George,Tadashi, Jason Klemoff, Neb, Kevin, Richie,
Pablo and some help from Sage, Danger , carl and Peter Gunn (at least at the flower shop)……….
HOW TO GET IN: Flower Shop and the Pink Taco are open to all,
the Sunset bowls are invite only. Don’t worry about skating Tadashi’s secret spot, you won't get in
Big Butt Blake
Smith Grind @ The Bird Bath
Hot Cheese
Frontside Hurricane @ The Flower shop
Builder Extraordinaire Aaron Hazlewood
Aaron’s first build was some coping and tile work at the Edora bowl on CO way back in 2000.
The BIrd Bath in his backyard started in 2005 with the Flower Shop a little after in 2007.
Not to mention all the other spots homeboy has had his hands in throughout the city and across the Bay Area. Buy Hazlewood a beer if you meet him, homeboy is DIY legend!
Stevie Phillips
Nose Grind @ Georges Bowl
Ryan Carpenter
Airwalk Over The “Deth Box” @ The Pink Taco
And now for little something extra:
C Clips and 3rd rate angles from the 2 years of shooting the NorCal diy article. Grab a beer and sit back and enjoy the shred!
And Now For Little Something Extra 2:
A gallery of shred from the San Francisco NorCal diy article.