Empty streets and hill bombs: How skateboarders shred through the pandemic

Skateboarders take to the empty streets practicing social distancing during the coronavirus shelter-in-place order. Skateboarders take to the empty streets practicing social distancing during the coronavirus shelter-in-place order. Photo: Courtesy Of Brianna Holt Photo: Courtesy Of Brianna Holt Image 1 of / 7 Caption Close Empty streets and hill bombs: How skateboarders shred through the pandemic 1 / 7 Back to Gallery

With the spread of the coronavirus and the Bay Area's shelter-in-place order, shopping centers, coffee shops, and movie theaters are turning into ghost towns. The lack of cars on the roads and fewer civilians on the sidewalks has led to a surprising development: skaters have been given the run of the town.

San Francisco has long been considered a skating hub thanks to its warm climate, steep hills and the headquarters of the legendary skate magazine Thrasher. The sport has always been iconoclastic in nature, but skateboarders are doing their best to respect city ordinances while still hitting the streets.

“We’re trying to respect the social distancing need, while still skating,” says Dylan Beach, a 27-year-old skater and filmer. “It’s pretty fun to skate on empty streets but I know that all the skaters I’ve been hanging out with lately have been taking this all really seriously. We’re worried about our parents and friends."

“We’re still filming but we’re getting to the spots in different transportation. We’re doing more biking than carpooling and having less skaters in the group, around 2 to 4. We’re also taking Purell everywhere with us,” Beach says.

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Another concern is the lack of certainty surrounding access to healthcare and job security during this time. Beach explains that some skaters are taking extra precautions because no one can afford a new board or a broken arm right now. “Some skaters pay the bills with music, art, or service jobs, so skating takes a backseat.”

Another skater shares the same fear, but it hasn't slowed him down too much. “If you get an injury right now, you’re done. You’re not going to get the same quality of care and you’re putting yourself at risk for getting coronavirus by seeking medical attention,” says Lui Elliott, a 26-year-old SF skater. “It’s worrisome, but doesn’t consume me to the point that I won’t skate.” At first his remark might sound selfish, but Elliott’s situation is more exclusive than the average skater. Sponsored by brands like HUF and Diamond, Elliott’s been skating for roughly 12 years and his relationship with other pro skaters has earned him enough clout to reserve him a spot at private parks.

“At these private parks, we’re only skating with three or four people. We’re trying to keep it as minimal as possible,” Elliott tells me. For the time being, he’s avoiding public skate parks, as he mentions there’s always nearly 50 kids skating at a time. “You touch everything, you wax spots, you try to skate a ledge and then you fall, you put your hand on the ledge, and if someone else tries to skate the exact same spot as you and falls, they put their hand on the ledge,” Elliott explains. In addition to avoiding large parks, Elliott is taking a temporary break from filming, which usually requires having a crew comprised of a filmer, photographer, skater, and usually another friend.

Despite the extra precautions, Elliott’s found major positives in the newly relaxed environment shelter in place has created for skating in San Francisco. “Most of downtown is easy to skate right now and security has been a lot more relaxed,” Elliott says.“There’s always been issues with security guards getting physical with skateboarders, but everyone is so on guard about touching each other so that helps litigate the problem.”

San Francisco, pre-COVID-19, was typically consumed by traffic, tourists and techies, the streets rarely see a vacant moment and security guards cover most areas, especially against skaters.

“In actuality this is kinda like a dream come true for skateboarders when it comes to trying to skate spots,” Elliott continues. “There’s always security guards, cops, or hundreds of people walking around and you get kicked out. You can’t even try a trick without losing your vibe. But right now, the whole city is pretty much desolate and you can do whatever you want as long as it’s not too crazy.”

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The emptiness of the city somewhat resembles the era prior to the tech boom of 2012. There were more areas to skate before companies like Facebook, Apple, and Google drew in thousands of new residents and caused many areas to be redesigned. One of those skate spots was Embarcadero Plaza, or EMB, which was demolished and rebuilt in 1999. Skaters then flocked to Pier 7 along the San Francisco Bay, but in the last few years, Pier 7 also became skate-proof with security guards, fines, and signs discouraging skaters from using the space. But right now, while most people are spending their days indoors, these traditional skate hubs are once again accessible.

“With less foot traffic, less commerce, less businesses being open and most people either being quarantined or only going out for essential needs, there’s way more places to skate,” says Ted Barrow, a 43-year-old skater who just moved to the Bay Area two months ago. Barrow’s been skating for nearly 33 years and says the lack of pedestrians reminds him of the days when SF was deemed shredder heaven.

Working at a streetwear shop at 6th and Market Street, Barrow and his friends have dreamed about skating Taylor Street, the iconic steep one-way hill across from their store. Two days into shelter in place, they finally got to try it. “The traffic goes up this massive hill and we’ve all fantasized about someone bombing it, against the traffic,” says an excited Barrow. “We just stare at this hill all day, and once the traffic slowed down, this guy Zach bombed the hill. So in many ways, that explains what has changed in SF for skateboarding.”

Like Beach and Elliott, Barrow is still skating, at least for the time being. “This isn't like a contact sport, you can skate by yourself and have an amazing time. Or you can skate with other skaters and stay 10 ft away from them and still have a session together,” he says.

“It seems like an okay activity to do, I don't feel like a completely irresponsible person. But things could change any day and that’s why we’re all out skating right now,” Barrow tells me. “A much stricter shelter protocol could be imposed on all of us soon. So it’s like seize the day while you can.”

Brianna Holt is a freelance writer. Email: brinicoleholt@gmail.com | Twitter: @BriannaNHolt