Hubba Hideout
Hubba Hideout was one of the most famous skateboarding spots. It was located in San Francisco near the Justin Herman Plaza on The Embarcadero. Its central features are two oversized sets of 6 stairs with large concrete ledges on both sides. The spot is part of a pedestrian walkway but has been more commonly used by the local skateboarders and vagrants. As of January 22, 2011, it is being destroyed by employees of the city of San Francisco.[1]
Etymology
Hubba Hideout got its handle because of the nefarious denizens that would frequent the skate spot looking for a hidden place to engage in illicit activity. The nickname was a nod to the Bay Area slang term for crack cocaine: "hubbas."[1]
History
The first documented trick on the ledge at Hubba Hideout was Wade Speyer's crooked grind. Hubba Hideout gained fame through skateboarding magazines and videos and it became a mecca for advanced skateboarders visiting San Francisco.
The frequency of skateboarders eventually attracted the attention of the authorities and resulted in a full-scale skate-stopper implementation (in the late part of the nineties). The ledges were capped (or knobbed) with skate-stopping devices which rendered them impossible to grind.
Recently, skateboarders managed to remove the skate-stopping devices and use of the ledges had a resurgence.
Eventually, in March 2007, the authorities had the brick landing taken out and covered it in sand. However, this has not rendered the spot un-skateable. A rather simple impromptu set-up of wood or other material replacing the brick landing will suffice for the initial impact. A clean ride-away across the sand is definitely possible after that initial landing.
References
- "Hubba Hideout, the iconic street skateboard spot in San Francisco is being demolished - ESPN". Sports.espn.go.com. 2011-01-22. Retrieved 2011-01-26.