USER FRIENDLY: The reputation for mischief that...
USER FRIENDLY: The reputation for mischief that follows skateboarders is reflected in the number of cities that have banned them from streets and sidewalks. A rare exception is Huntington Beach, which provides two outdoor areas and is considering others for its free-wheelers. . . . Bill Fowler of the city’s recreation department says there have been no reported accidents at the unsupervised sites since one opened two years ago and the other did last fall. “The facts are,” he says, “skateboarding is no more dangerous than other sports, such as softball and basketball, that we provide facilities for.”
THINNING OUT: In 1974, 1984 and 1994, the industry saw booms in sales, a trend that has become known as the “ ‘4-year rush” by manufacturers and merchants. . . . Demand continues for local shop owners, but the style coveted is no longer the wider board (or deck) used for skating in places such as concrete half-pipes and empty swimming pools. Now in demand: the skinnier model better suited for free-styling on the street. John Falahee says his San Clemente store has been bustling since last spring: “The volume of decks we are shipping all over the world has gone ballistic.”
FRESH FACE: When skateboarders turn professional, it isn’t through a draft or a tryout. One way the passage is marked is by inclusion of their personal insignias on products marketed by sponsors. . . . Alejandro (Hondo) Soto, a 19-year-old San Clemente resident who is one of the sport’s top newcomers, went pro eight months ago and is bringing in between $400 and $600 a month in royalties. “I get $2 for every board that sells with my name on it,” he says. “I love skateboarding, and I’m making money at it.”
PARK PLANNER: Steve Rose’s Fullerton company specializes in the design and construction of sports parks, including ones with skateboard areas in Huntington Beach. . . . Since Rose became involved with planning Huntington’s first facility, he now sees the need for even more: “We build a lot more tennis courts than skateboard parks, but when I go into a town, I always see more skateboarders than tennis players.”