Some may argue skateboarding’s birthplace is Southern California. In 1963, Larry Stevenson - tinkering in his Santa Monica garage - added an upward-curve to either end of the board and in doing so revolutionized skateboarding so profoundly that it practically became a new sport. Since Stevenson’s two upward-curves made possible basically every modern skate trick, it makes sense that some attribute skateboarding’s origins to SoCal. Though justified, this reasoning is, sadly, false. San Francisco is, indubitably, skating’s mecca.
If you’re one of these poor, misguided souls still laboring under the illusion that Los Angeles gave us skateboarding as we know it today, allow this article to enlighten you, and to point you to some of SF’s best skate shops.
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While it’s indisputable that Stevenson altered the course of skating - as did the many gifted skaters who used his re-invented board design in SoCal’s many empty swimming pools - we really owe modern skating to the Northern California skaters who, over the course of the 80s and 90s, used Stevenson’s contribution to hone their crafts and create the modern conventions of the sport.
What made San Francisco so alluring for skaters the world over in the last couple decades of the 20th century? Put simply, the economy and geography. The recession of the late 80s and early 90s brought plenty of forward-thinking young people to the city’s affordable apartments, making it a bastion for cultural innovation of all sorts, beyond just skateboarding. Additionally, San Francisco’s uneven, markedly hilly landscape - unique amongst major urban centers - afforded skaters a plethora of spots in which to perfect their kickflips and hill-bombing.
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Among these storied spots was the Embarcadero’s Justin Herman Plaza, on which skating legends like Mike Carroll, James Kelch, and Mark Gonzales made history by doing ollies and kickflips over the corporate plaza’s many high ledges, wide gaps, and staircases. If it weren’t for innovators like Gonzales seizing Stevenson’s new board design and using San Francisco to accomplish tricks never thought possible before, modern skating would not exist.
Now that we all understand and embrace NorCal’s skating supremacy, here’s a list of some of the best skate shops San Francisco has to offer that prospective skaters and veterans alike can peruse.
See also: Rage Against the Machine at These Best Underground Bay Area Punk Venues
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1632 Haight St / Website
Referred to by locals as “For the City”, FTC was founded in 1986 and has since evolved into San Francisco’s homegrown skating brand, boasting their own clothing line and skate wheels. Like any proper skate shop, though, they offer all the best stock decks and supplies from the major brands and, like any proper skate shop, feature a t.v. with a game console.
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2506 Telegraph Ave, Berkeley / Website
Since its opening in 1996, the family-owned 510 has acted as the unofficial headquarters for the Berkeley and East Bay skating scene. They always have the hippest, edgiest skate clothing lines in stock (including Jerry Hsu’s elusive, sought-after Sci-Fi Fantasy brand), and consistently host shindigs for skate video premiers.
See also: Awaken Your Inner Music Geek At SF's Best Alternative Independent Record Stores
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3045 24th St / Website
Another long-time favorite among locals, Mission Skateboards boasts everything a skater could ever need - even full-build boards for newcomers daunted by the prospect of assembling their own builds. They were featured by the famed skating publication Thrasher Magazine in a sick skate vid; watch here!
Create Skateboards
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40 6th St / Website
Helmed by father-son power-pair Chris and Jordin Martinez, Create Skateboards serves San Francisco’s SoMA district high-quality custom skate clothing and custom decks. Beginning as an online shop in 2012 and, after great success, transitioning to a physical storefront in 2018, Create has rapidly ascended to a beloved locale among the SF’s skate community. The cherry on top: a portion of the profits is sent straight to endangered species conservation, so you can skate ethically.
See also: A Crash-Course On The San Francisco Bay's Punk Culture And Its Most Prominent Bands
Photography by: Sonny Mauricio/Unsplash
Some may argue skateboarding’s birthplace is Southern California. In 1963, Larry Stevenson - tinkering in his Santa Monica garage - added an upward-curve to either end of the board and in doing so revolutionized skateboarding so profoundly that it practically became a new sport. Since Stevenson’s two upward-curves made possible basically every modern skate trick, it makes sense that some attribute skateboarding’s origins to SoCal. Though justified, this reasoning is, sadly, false. San Francisco is, indubitably, skating’s mecca.
If you’re one of these poor, misguided souls still laboring under the illusion that Los Angeles gave us skateboarding as we know it today, allow this article to enlighten you, and to point you to some of SF’s best skate shops.
View this post on Instagram
While it’s indisputable that Stevenson altered the course of skating - as did the many gifted skaters who used his re-invented board design in SoCal’s many empty swimming pools - we really owe modern skating to the Northern California skaters who, over the course of the 80s and 90s, used Stevenson’s contribution to hone their crafts and create the modern conventions of the sport.
What made San Francisco so alluring for skaters the world over in the last couple decades of the 20th century? Put simply, the economy and geography. The recession of the late 80s and early 90s brought plenty of forward-thinking young people to the city’s affordable apartments, making it a bastion for cultural innovation of all sorts, beyond just skateboarding. Additionally, San Francisco’s uneven, markedly hilly landscape - unique amongst major urban centers - afforded skaters a plethora of spots in which to perfect their kickflips and hill-bombing.
View this post on Instagram
Among these storied spots was the Embarcadero’s Justin Herman Plaza, on which skating legends like Mike Carroll, James Kelch, and Mark Gonzales made history by doing ollies and kickflips over the corporate plaza’s many high ledges, wide gaps, and staircases. If it weren’t for innovators like Gonzales seizing Stevenson’s new board design and using San Francisco to accomplish tricks never thought possible before, modern skating would not exist.
Now that we all understand and embrace NorCal’s skating supremacy, here’s a list of some of the best skate shops San Francisco has to offer that prospective skaters and veterans alike can peruse.
See also: Rage Against the Machine at These Best Underground Bay Area Punk Venues
View this post on Instagram
1632 Haight St / Website
Referred to by locals as “For the City”, FTC was founded in 1986 and has since evolved into San Francisco’s homegrown skating brand, boasting their own clothing line and skate wheels. Like any proper skate shop, though, they offer all the best stock decks and supplies from the major brands and, like any proper skate shop, feature a t.v. with a game console.
View this post on Instagram
2506 Telegraph Ave, Berkeley / Website
Since its opening in 1996, the family-owned 510 has acted as the unofficial headquarters for the Berkeley and East Bay skating scene. They always have the hippest, edgiest skate clothing lines in stock (including Jerry Hsu’s elusive, sought-after Sci-Fi Fantasy brand), and consistently host shindigs for skate video premiers.
See also: Awaken Your Inner Music Geek At SF's Best Alternative Independent Record Stores
View this post on Instagram
3045 24th St / Website
Another long-time favorite among locals, Mission Skateboards boasts everything a skater could ever need - even full-build boards for newcomers daunted by the prospect of assembling their own builds. They were featured by the famed skating publication Thrasher Magazine in a sick skate vid; watch here!
Create Skateboards
View this post on Instagram
40 6th St / Website
Helmed by father-son power-pair Chris and Jordin Martinez, Create Skateboards serves San Francisco’s SoMA district high-quality custom skate clothing and custom decks. Beginning as an online shop in 2012 and, after great success, transitioning to a physical storefront in 2018, Create has rapidly ascended to a beloved locale among the SF’s skate community. The cherry on top: a portion of the profits is sent straight to endangered species conservation, so you can skate ethically.
See also: A Crash-Course On The San Francisco Bay's Punk Culture And Its Most Prominent Bands
Photography by: Sonny Mauricio/Unsplash
