Firing Shots From The Sky

Firing Shots From The Sky

My office in San Francisco is located on the 6th Floor of Two Embarcadero Center, overlooking legendary skate spot “Hubba Hideout." 

Located in Ferry Park, in the heart of The City’s Financial District, Hubba Hideout consists of two waist-high ledges that align the stairs of the elevated walkway connecting Ferry Park and One Maritime Plaza.  Hubba is a nickname for crack cocaine.  The spot, which sits on a slight hill surrounded by large trees, earned its nickname in the early ‘90s, as it was a popular incognito place for individuals to congregate and smoke crack, high-level execs in expensive tailor-made suits included.    

Now a popular afternoon drinking and weed smoking spot, throughout the 90s and into the early millennium, Hubba Hideout to street skateboarding was like Maverick’s or Pipeline to surfing, meaning you didn’t skate there unless you knew what the hell you were doing.

In the early millennium, the city and many businesses were able to curb skateboarding with the induction of skate-stoppers (steel knobs affixed to ledges, handrails and other surfaces to prevent skateboarding).  Hubba was one of the first spots to go.  The spot has since been de-knobbed by local vigilante skateboarders at least ten times.  

Although there are currently no skate stoppers on the ledges, the city has removed a good chunk of the landing area, making the spot virtually unskateable without lying down a sheet of plywood, masonite or metal.  Skateboard wheels don’t do well in gravel.

Occasionally, from the 6th floor of my office, I’ll see skaters -- tourists mostly, sizing up the ledges.  Very few actually skate them.  They mostly go there to pay homage.  However, the other day, I heard the clickety-clack of skateboards and looked down to see professional skateboarders Peter Ramondetta and Brian Anderson, photographer Gabe Morford and a couple other cats that I couldn’t make out gearing up to get down on the ledges.  I took this as a que to get my camera.

By the time I got back, Ramondetta was trying backside 50-50s to front º180 out over the gravel gap.  I was able to fire off a handful of shots with the zoom lens.  There was a large branch in the way, which made it a difficult shot.  I was also getting some reflection off the glass.  The photo above is the best from the series.  I’m not sure if Ramondetta ended up riding away from the trick or not -- I had to go into a meeting, but he was getting damn close when I left.

Now I’m not into poaching photos, but the birds eye view of someone skating Hubba was too good not to shoot.

The other day, I sent the photo to former professional skateboarder Jim Thiebaud (one of my childhood idols), V.P. of Deluxe Distribution.  Deluxe houses Real Skateboarders, the board company that sponsors Romendetta.  Jim wrote me back a short time later saying, “That is so f*cking sick!” and blessed me using the pic here on my site. 

Although this is far from the best photo I’ve taken, considering the circumstances and story behind it, it’s definitely one of my favorites.  I’m also quite certain that I’m the first to fire off an aerial shot of someone skating Hubba, which is kind of a fun claim to fame.

Thanks again to Jim for letting me use the shot.