You’d think a collision was inevitable, watching the never ending loop of skaters boardslide off a cherry red ‘61 Dodge Lancer, but a crash never happened. Skaters seamlessly zipped around each other in a well choreographed dance, dodging flying boards while popping ollies. Even the falls were graceful, with a skater rolling over a shoulder, snagging their board and getting out of the way in the span of time it takes to tie a shoelace.
SF’s skateboarding community gathered at the UN Skate Plaza for the “Back to the Plaza” event on September 21st, hosted as a collaboration between local business Lowkey Skate Shop, youth program and skate shop San Francisco Skate Club (SFSC) and community engagement organization Yaddamean.
“The goal was to create a throwback skate event that brought the city together and celebrated the plaza in a new way. I think we accomplished that, seeing all different circles of skaters show up and throw down alongside a bunch of spectators,” shared Justin Marks of Lowkey.
“It’s remarkable what skaters can accomplish. You get us all together and our minds work the same,” said co-founder of SFSC Shawn Connelly. “Here was an event involving 200+ people and there were no fights, no major injuries, just a bunch of people who love skateboarding. I’m hoping this is the first of many events that brings together our community and thereby increases our visibility and helps support young people; hosting an event like this, presenting a place where [young people] can showcase their talents aligns perfectly with [the SFSC] mission.”
Though the event was structured as a competition, with contests like the “one minute best run” where skaters had 60 seconds to showcase tricks, the crowd’s energy was not one of rivalry. As Piero Nuñez geared up to attempt a tailslide kickflip off a ledge during his showcase, rapidfire snaps filled the air as observers hyped him up with the skateboarder’s version of clapping: tapping the nose of their boards on the ground to create an applause effect. Prizes were donated by big names, from Thrasher Magazine and Ace Trucks to local skate shops FTC and Double Down, and in the end every competitor took home prizes, including brand new decks, griptape and stickers.
“I think we all have a collective understanding that it’s not about how good you are, it’s about how much fun you’re having. You could be the worst skateboarder, it could be your first day and people are gonna support you,” shared longtime skater Chase Hansen, smiling as he watched a group cheer on a younger skater as he mounted a board bigger than he was. “[I love] all of it, everyone getting together. Right now we’re all hyping up this little guy for his minute run.”
With the yowls of the Beastie Boys and heavy guitar riffs from the Smashing Pumpkins loud from the DJ booth, energy remained high throughout the event.
A highlight of the day for many attendees was the chance to skate the car. The Lancer, on loan from event sponsor Tomorrow Skateboards, was modified by artist Bud Snow to have skateable rails on the exterior. “The best trick jam, when people could skate off of the car, jump over it and do crazy out of pocket tricks was raw,” said SFSC student Sebi Murray Metzger.
This was the first “Back to the Plaza” event, and organizers have plans for future iterations. Unlike a traditional skate park design, the plaza was built to integrate skateable obstacles into the existing area to ensure multipurpose use. This renovation was enacted by Mayor London Breed and San Francisco’s Recreation and Parks Department in order to “bring new life” to UN Plaza and discourage drug use in the area—a promising pro-skater move considering the city’s violent crackdown on the 2023 Dolores Hill Bomb event, and show of force this year. The skate plaza’s implementation did, however, relocate the Heart of the City Farmers’ Market away from its original home, to Fulton Plaza across the street, a move that many vendors opposed, citing worries about a potential dip in foot traffic.
“Change is hard, I get it,” Marks stated. “I went to the public meeting and heard the concerns about the farmers market. I saw a lot of fear based accusations without people willing to understand the goals and plans for the plaza. Having a multi-functioning space (ping-pong, chess, exercise equipment, and skating) utilizes the plaza seven days a week versus a market that happens twice a week. What [skateboarding] does for a city is an uptick in mental health, youth guidance, a positive outlet for recreation and creativity, not to mention the tourism aspect of all these famous San Francisco skate spots. Honestly I believe skating there inspires people who are having a hard time in life to do something active and positive in their lives.”
Charmain Williams of Yaddamean, founded by her son, the late Zion Gaines-Williams, noted how Yaddamean’s involvement in the event was a full circle moment. Reflecting on the support that Lowkey, SFSC and the greater SF skateboarding crew gave Zion, who was known throughout the community as “SF’s Blind Skater,” she said “My son became a member at S.F Skate Club when he was 12 years old. Skate Club was a safe zone for him, he could be himself in a judgment free zone. [Some] of the many lessons taught in Skate Club were how to make friends, connect with positive people, [participate in] positive movements that help shape the world.
“I didn’t have to worry when he was at Skate Club, [founders Shawn and Thuy] became his second parents! And when Zion was dealing with a hard patch in life as a teenager, Justin Marks became his friend and helped foster his passion for community outreach.” Earlier this year, when Marks asked Williams to help bring this skate jam to life, Williams said there was “no way” the Yaddamean family would not participate.
Many attendees echoed the sentiment that the skateboarding community is a tight knit one where care and encouragement can always be found.
“Lot of people don’t understand [skateboarding] and are afraid of the things they don’t understand, but once you get around it, it’s harmless. We’re just having fun, we’re collectively out pursuing our passion, you know?” concluded Hansen. “Just watch out for your ankles and your shins.”
