6.19.2013

chrome ball incident #911: no reason why

























Sometimes I feel like this little gem gets neglected, the Powell Skate Zone

Never got to skate here but it always looked super fun.

10,000 skateparks and nobody thought about recreating this? Just saying. 

Big thanks to the Chalker Chronicles.

R.I.P. James Gandolfini
at

22 comments:

  1. AnonymousJune 20, 2013 at 4:49 AM

    that brings back memories of watching these old videos, thinking by myself that one day i'll go to the state to skate the powell's park (after i was in the EMB ^^).
    once again, thank you. your site is awesome.

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  2. JustinJune 20, 2013 at 6:58 AM

    Yes, this park should be brought back from the dead. I always thought back in high school that I would end up skating it someday.

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  3. RoyceJune 20, 2013 at 7:06 AM

    1up chops!

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  4. Crippling DoubtJune 20, 2013 at 8:23 AM

    that three flip fakie...

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  5. ODGJune 20, 2013 at 9:40 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  6. welchJune 20, 2013 at 9:55 AM

    chris senn on that backlip?

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  7. goldmanJune 20, 2013 at 10:04 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  8. chopsJune 20, 2013 at 10:05 AM

    damn welch, you're right!
    Caption was wrong and evidently, I didn't catch it either.

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  9. welchJune 20, 2013 at 10:10 AM

    i didnt see a caption on the page, and it looked too tall to be danny way. and if you look at the "balls" ad with chris senn, he's wearing the same outfit (probably from the same session).

    as always, thanks chops. you keep me feeling young.

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  10. ODGJune 20, 2013 at 10:33 AM

    at Skate Zone:

    Kid to Kareem Campbell: "Can I get your autograph" KC: "Sure, do you know who I am?" Kid: "Ray Barbee?"...
    (laughter)

    Posted a comment earlier and deleted it because unintentionally was similar to article in post. Anyways, great place to skate, a lot of amazing dudes came through all the time. Thanks Chops.

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  11. KeithJune 20, 2013 at 12:21 PM

    Sure looked like a lot of fun back then. Especially the footage there in Turn the Other Cheek.

    Gonz pivot is at the top of that massive quarterpipe!? wtf.

    I thought it was Danny Way doing the back lip as well, mostly because of the Questionable footage.

    "captionsaidvarialheelchrome.jpg". What's that? And who is it ollieing the Chin board?

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  12. stephenJune 20, 2013 at 1:03 PM

    must've taken some balls for that frontside disaster that gonz did. i've never been there but that shit looks grarly!

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  13. TomJune 20, 2013 at 2:43 PM

    Here's the whole contest that the Questionable contest footage was taken from:

    http://skately.com/library/videos/nsa-pow-wow-at-powell-ii#24016

    It's such a rad video.

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  14. LariJune 20, 2013 at 4:17 PM

    I love the Gonz pivot photo, the way he's controlling his board with just his left heel.

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  15. RothmeyerJune 20, 2013 at 4:27 PM

    Hands down my favorite skatepark I ever skated. We used to drive up from Long Beach probably 2-3 times a week (2+ hour drive). I don't believe I ever paid to get into this place either, which was awesome at the time, but also why it ended up closing. Everyone was a homie and it never brought in any $$$$ to stick around. I've got about 2-3 of the am and Quartermaster contests on tape still as well as a good chunk of that pro contest. Need to upload those soon.

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  16. HBGabeJune 20, 2013 at 9:13 PM

    When I was growin up my friend gave me a stack of old TWS an one of them was the article of the Skate Zone's last session, it was rad. I've only witnessed it in old magazines n videos and even today as a 30 year old grown ass man would still like to session it. Also. who was the dude who gapped to back lip the rail?? I thought it was Chris Senn or Danny Way. Does anyone know?? What year is that around cuz that's pretty good by todays standards.

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  17. JayCeeJune 21, 2013 at 2:08 AM

    Took a trip down from SF to skate it one weekend. That wall was pretty massive from what I remember. I wish I could see how high I was really (not) getting on that thing. It was a fun spot. Went to see Silence of the Lambs (it just came out) and bought Green Mind on cassette during that trip. Great memories!

    Underworld Element ad absolutely killed it!

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  18. AnonymousJune 21, 2013 at 7:07 AM

    who's doing the ollie in the last shot? and the salad grind is by dill?

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  19. pagodaJune 21, 2013 at 7:07 AM

    The roll in bank thing always seemed fun...and the pyramid. Everybody ripped this place.

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  20. ODGJune 21, 2013 at 9:01 AM

    Salad grind is by Frank Hirata who was the first guy who I ever saw skate that was just super smooth. The ollie might be by a local guy named Johnnie Oliver. Not sure if that's him, but I remember another photo of him doing the same thing.

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  21. UnknownJune 29, 2013 at 12:54 AM

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  22. D.GreeneJanuary 15, 2014 at 9:25 PM

    Pretty sure that is John Oliver in the last pic.
    http://theskateboardmag.com/2013/10/bonus-brigader-john-oliver/
    Here's a link to some pics of the SK8Zone being build by his father.
    http://www.unclejohnsweb.com/joweb/sk8z001.html

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