Posted on: 10/28/09(1 ratings) Author: nansteez1984
(Ryan Hunter frontside five-O on the high side)
Whenever my friends visit from out of state and are going through their itinerary, they always do the obligatory tour of Los Angeles. The Walk of Fame, Mann's Chinese Theater, Downtown LA, the Walt Disney Music Center are all some of the many tourist attractions that Los Angeles has to offer. Of course the most popular destinations are Santa Monica and Venice Beach. Venice is known for it's scenery and the eccentric cast of characters you'll find as you're strolling down the boardwalk. Whether it be an up and coming rap artist trying to sell his cd or a couple of beach hippies selling their hand-crafted trinkets, youi'll always be sure to find skateboarders cruising up and down the beach.
(Mural and unoffical entranceway to the skatepark commemorating Dogtown)
And I'm not talking about longboards either, I'm talking raw street skating. Unfortunately, with the large presence of skateboarding in Venice, there has never been a legitimate beachside skate facility at Venice Beach.
After so many years of skateboarders and supporters petitioning for a legitmate skatepark on the beach, it finally came to fruition with its official opening on October 2, 2009. City council members as well as legends like Jesse Martinez came out to speak about the struggle and unheralded efforts of so many who've waited so long for this day:
video source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30palseoYSA
The park features a variety of obstacles including one medium sized bowl as well as a bohemeth pool with tile coping. It also has a smooth winding snake run with fun little hips and corners to air and carve through ending up at a mellow bowl at the end. Street skateboarders will find that theres slim pickins at this skatepark with a "street area" that includes a couple metal edged blocks and some curved ledges. Most of the tricks that go down in the street area will have you ending up in more transitions.
(The Pool)
(Snake Run)
("Street Course")
The lack of street terrain does not deter from the grandness of Venice Skatepark because it is dedicated to the origins of skateboarding which is essentially cruising, carving, and just going fast and forever. It can get a little crowded because of tourists and the hundred of skaters trying to get their run in on the snake run and bowl but don't let that deter you from stopping by to partake in the shredfest.
(Sorry for cutting off your hand during your frontside ollie across the roll-in Ian.)
From the days of Dogtown in the 70's and 80's to the shady technical skateboarding scene a la Graffiti Pits of the 90's, Venice Skatepark is a great testament to the will and determination of all the generations of skateboarders who have rolled easy across the sand covered concrete and played four hour long games of S-K-A-T-E. Be sure to add this to your itinerary when you're hanging out in Los Angeles.
