Ask anyone who’s ever been on a board and they’ll tell you that San Fransico is one of the Meccas of Skating culture. It’s been this way for decades and it’s why people travel from all over the world to take on the hills and various spots that dot the city. It’s thanks to this culture that Red Bull tends to be a fixture in the city hosting everything from Rally Cars to Prop Plane events. This past weekend, they took over Twin Peaks.
For those who don’t know the spot, it’s a giant hill in the middle of the city with a massive antenna on top and is easy to see from all over. Getting to the top ain’t easy but the views are some of the best you’ll find anywhere. Apparently, the city is about to dump a ton of money into rebuilding the area so right before it was set to shut down, Red Bull decided to host a skateboarding competition at the top and the results were as epic as you can imagine.
Despite the fact that it’s the end of October, it was hot out and I did not want to attend. I was ready to just keep walking when I saw a few guys and the top and knew that I’d regret not going so I lit a pre-roll and made my way up the switchbacks to the summit. While I won’t say it was packed, it wasn’t sparse and the people who were in attendance were thrilled to see these guys perform.
Fortunately, it was an invite-only event that prevented the weekend warriors from joining in and flying off the side of the hill and gave the pro’s a chance to shine. The course wasn’t anything too over the top, no vertical ramps or moving train cars, it was mainly a street course yet these guys put every inch of it to use showing a level of precision and skill that I sure as fuck never had.
The enthusiasm from the crowd was infectious and if you stopped paying attention, you’d miss something epic happening right in front of you. It’s things like this that make me fall in love with this city more and more each day. Where else can you see some of the top athletes in the world showing off against the backdrop of the city in the distance? This kind of thing is yet another reminder why I live here and why I’m so lucky to be able to.