San Francisco

San Francisco is a pretty darn famous place. It has become a famous tourist attraction to travel to due to its Golden Gate Bridge. People might possibly even consider it to be the “New York of the West Coast.” Not only that, but apparently the steep hills and the skate spots have made it a pretty darn popular city to skateboard in. The place is full of numerous local skate shops and many amateur and professional skaters.

My friends and I traveled over to San Francisco this weekend for a little “skate trip.” They have been doing this for a while, but it was my first time there in the city (without any parents). Now, being from a different city, we did not know too much of the rules about where to and where not to skate. It was a shame. There were so many beautiful stair sets and ledges. Some were way too big for our skill level, so we skipped them. Others, we made good time with. The major problem is that we kept getting kicked out of these public areas over and over. Even when we were leaving to go find somewhere “appropriate” to go to, we were getting yelled at by police. We were not aware of the fact that we could not skate on the sidewalks (while going from place to place). That is just stupid. We saw people bicycling way faster than we were going down the sidewalk. They might as well just make skateboarding illegal in the whole city of San Francisco. But, that would be even more stupid. Making pieces of wood with wheels on illegal. The government should go and make more efficient laws. Maybe even some that involve keeping a closer eye on drunk drivers.

The skateboarders over there are so good. They range in skill level, age, and race. Over there, we visited the local skate shop DLXSF. My brother and my friends bought some parts and clothes over there. They use their "recycling system" by purchasing used parts for only five bucks. I was surprised to find out that some of the used stuff was still in pretty good condition. We met some people that ride for (sponsored by) another local shop called FTC (For the City). They were really good. We were lucky enough to have a session with them. One of them only had a small cruiser board with large wheels and was doing tre flips on it and frontsiding up the four stair. Even though they were all amazingly good, the best part was their attitudes. The guys were so good, but were impressed and cheered for one of my friends when he did a huge kickflip on the four stair and landed it bolts. They were all very positive and loved to joke around. It made me realize what skateboarding is all about. Just to have fun and be with friends. Even though people get really good at skating, it will always be the same. Another activity that brings people and friends together to have fun.