I worked at Skatopia just before and just after it opened. I worked there for about 9 months before getting a REAL job. Russell Muscle, Ray Bones Rodrieguez, George Orton, Stacy Peralta, Dennis "Waldo" Autry among others were the regulars there that mastered the pipeline run and later on the Capusle pool gave us all a greater challenge. So sad the couple who owned it sold the property due to the value of land going up and up in the area. Good times and great memories.
I skated Skateopia, Concrete Wave, Lakewood, Montebello, The Runway, and a couple of others. THANK YOU for the post! I bought a remake of the Santa Cruz Streetskate and still skate a few local skateparks here in San Diego @ 44!
I was a Jr. High school kid growing up in oregon around this time, got a subscription to skateboarder magazine for christmas. The best skater at my school was riding empty pools and visiting skateparks before the rest of us got our first boards, he had family living in so cal back then and he came back from a trip with a deep tan in the spring of '77 and we all were envious of that and his tales about the parks. That summer my folks drove me down to buena park to see Disneyland, we stayed at a cheap motel, and on the way to some steak joint in the evening we passed skatopia with the fluttering flags and the stadium lights and the place just writhing with activity. I went berserk in the back seat, dad was too hungry to stop. I was overcome by so much adrenaline i couldnt finish an expensive meal and that pissed dad off so much he wasnt gonna stop at the park on the way back, either, but mom talked him into it. We stood on that wood bridge under the lights and although a cant be sure, i was convinced the shirtless kid with the hair was stacey peralta. I couldnt sleep that night in our hot motel room, by morning i had the worst stomach ache of my entire life and dragged that around with me all day at disneyland (huge lines for space mountain, pirates of the caribbean, thats all i can recall, too much pain and an intense desire to be down the road a mile or two). The following day my parents dropped me off after renting the board and safety gear. You had to have a laminated photo i.d. made up, it looked like my student body card, proof and bragging rights for when i returned to the northwest and its rain. 4 hours of pure bliss! My only visit to skatopia (and disneyland, of which i barely remember), but i can assure you, dear reader, that i recieved the maximum level of stokage. My grades slipped after that, all i could think about was skating, and my parents made me chuck my beloved skatopia i.d. card and my issues of skateboarder into the trash in the garage as they stood glaring (bad report card). Wasnt allowed to skate again until the next fall and greater ambition with my studies. I live here in portland now, on s/e 12th, just a few blocks away from BURNSIDE, i used to skate there in the early 90s (lance mountain deck indy 129s and krypto wheels) but that trip to buena park in the summer of '77 man...never to be eclipsed.
Great 8mm footage...I used to skate Skatopia too, also Montebello (not the new one), Covina, Whittier, Torrance skateparks back in the 70's...those were my good old days!...and yea, Skatopia did have a clover.
I had a membership here and skated it at least 4-5x. My friend Mike flew from clover bowl to bowl and hit his head one day...we still talk about it. That halfpipe was GNARLY and I could barely get halfway up it at the time!! TY for the post!!
I skated Skatopia, The Concrete wave, Skateboard Odessy in Laguna Beach (indoor park) the old Montebello park next to the freeway, Pipeline in Upland and the park in Paramount (18 foot deep pool) The one in Long Beach was one of my faves right after Pipeline. Watching the Hester Series contests at Pipeline were magical.
I was pretty much a regular at Concrete Wave during the summer months, and this is all Skatopia. I skated Del Mar, Uplands, Concrete Wave had a freestyle area, 3 snake runs, and a pool at the top. Took me 2 years to earn enough respect to skate the pool. BLACK FLAG KILLS ANTS ON CONTACT if you were there, you know what this means
1st learned to skate a concrete skatepark "Bowl" at Concrete Wave in Anaheim California back in 1977. I bought three boards. Two for skating parks and one for freestyle (A Wayne Brown fiberglass board) with Bennet Trucks, Sims pure juice wheels and grip tape applied to the top. In the mornings in So Cal we went Boogie Boarding at Bolsa Chica State beach and the afternoons we skated both Concrete Wave and Skatetopia. Since I worked at Skatetopia and had a special employee ID card I got in for free at Concrete Wave and several other parks. I sure miss those days.
Thanks for posting this!!! Hey, did Skatopia have the "Clover" or was that Big O? Those days were magical to me as a kid....wish parks like that were still around.
Yeah man I worked at Big O and skated them all. Saw adam and the ants in 81 and black flag spray painted black flag kills ants on contact on the wall of the Roxy. We met adam got song list, sticks etc. Good times!
I always wanted to skate that park,was that pipeline one of a kind?Being from the east coast,we use to look at the magazines with all them beautiful parks out west,good memories,thanks!
I worked at Skatopia just before and just after it opened. I worked there for about 9 months before getting a REAL job. Russell Muscle, Ray Bones Rodrieguez, George Orton, Stacy Peralta, Dennis "Waldo" Autry among others were the regulars there that mastered the pipeline run and later on the Capusle pool gave us all a greater challenge. So sad the couple who owned it sold the property due to the value of land going up and up in the area. Good times and great memories.
I skated Skateopia, Concrete Wave, Lakewood, Montebello, The Runway, and a couple of others. THANK YOU for the post! I bought a remake of the Santa Cruz Streetskate and still skate a few local skateparks here in San Diego @ 44!
I was a Jr. High school kid growing up in oregon around this time, got a subscription to skateboarder magazine for christmas. The best skater at my school was riding empty pools and visiting skateparks before the rest of us got our first boards, he had family living in so cal back then and he came back from a trip with a deep tan in the spring of '77 and we all were envious of that and his tales about the parks. That summer my folks drove me down to buena park to see Disneyland, we stayed at a cheap motel, and on the way to some steak joint in the evening we passed skatopia with the fluttering flags and the stadium lights and the place just writhing with activity. I went berserk in the back seat, dad was too hungry to stop. I was overcome by so much adrenaline i couldnt finish an expensive meal and that pissed dad off so much he wasnt gonna stop at the park on the way back, either, but mom talked him into it. We stood on that wood bridge under the lights and although a cant be sure, i was convinced the shirtless kid with the hair was stacey peralta. I couldnt sleep that night in our hot motel room, by morning i had the worst stomach ache of my entire life and dragged that around with me all day at disneyland (huge lines for space mountain, pirates of the caribbean, thats all i can recall, too much pain and an intense desire to be down the road a mile or two). The following day my parents dropped me off after renting the board and safety gear. You had to have a laminated photo i.d. made up, it looked like my student body card, proof and bragging rights for when i returned to the northwest and its rain. 4 hours of pure bliss! My only visit to skatopia (and disneyland, of which i barely remember), but i can assure you, dear reader, that i recieved the maximum level of stokage. My grades slipped after that, all i could think about was skating, and my parents made me chuck my beloved skatopia i.d. card and my issues of skateboarder into the trash in the garage as they stood glaring (bad report card). Wasnt allowed to skate again until the next fall and greater ambition with my studies. I live here in portland now, on s/e 12th, just a few blocks away from BURNSIDE, i used to skate there in the early 90s (lance mountain deck indy 129s and krypto wheels) but that trip to buena park in the summer of '77 man...never to be eclipsed.
Great old footage.Thanks
Great 8mm footage...I used to skate Skatopia too, also Montebello (not the new one), Covina, Whittier, Torrance skateparks back in the 70's...those were my good old days!...and yea, Skatopia did have a clover.
I had a membership here and skated it at least 4-5x. My friend Mike flew from clover bowl to bowl and hit his head one day...we still talk about it. That halfpipe was GNARLY and I could barely get halfway up it at the time!! TY for the post!!
That looks like late 1979. The landscaping near the Big Snake bowl and the fact that the Capsule existed. Also cool to see Brian Martin skate.
Oh Gosh I had the same 2 color brown and also a blue pair of those OP shorts. Thanks for the post.
I skated Skatopia, The Concrete wave, Skateboard Odessy in Laguna Beach (indoor park) the old Montebello park next to the freeway, Pipeline in Upland and the park in Paramount (18 foot deep pool) The one in Long Beach was one of my faves right after Pipeline. Watching the Hester Series contests at Pipeline were magical.
I remember the place in Montebello, never went, but grew up out there. I think it was gone by like 1980.
Hi Mike, my cousins lived a mile or two from there and used it until its demise.
I was pretty much a regular at Concrete Wave during the summer months, and this is all Skatopia. I skated Del Mar, Uplands, Concrete Wave had a freestyle area, 3 snake runs, and a pool at the top. Took me 2 years to earn enough respect to skate the pool.
BLACK FLAG KILLS ANTS ON CONTACT if you were there, you know what this means
1st learned to skate a concrete skatepark "Bowl" at Concrete Wave in Anaheim California back in 1977. I bought three boards. Two for skating parks and one for freestyle (A Wayne Brown fiberglass board) with Bennet Trucks, Sims pure juice wheels and grip tape applied to the top. In the mornings in So Cal we went Boogie Boarding at Bolsa Chica State beach and the afternoons we skated both Concrete Wave and Skatetopia. Since I worked at Skatetopia and had a special employee ID card I got in for free at Concrete Wave and several other parks. I sure miss those days.
Thanks for posting this!!! Hey, did Skatopia have the "Clover" or was that Big O? Those days were magical to me as a kid....wish parks like that were still around.
Skatopia did have the clover.
Yeah man I worked at Big O and skated them all. Saw adam and the ants in 81 and black flag spray painted black flag kills ants on contact on the wall of the Roxy. We met adam got song list, sticks etc. Good times!
I always wanted to skate that park,was that pipeline one of a kind?Being from the east coast,we use to look at the magazines with all them beautiful parks out west,good memories,thanks!
Check out "skatopia '78 - the summer years" on YT. Apparently an 'identical' park was built in NZ (!)