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 were two oversized sets of 6 stairs with large concrete ledges on both sides. The spot is part of a pedestrian walkway but was more commonly used by the local skateboarders and vagrants. The city of San Francisco made numerous attempts over the years to ward off skateboarders from the spot, and in January 2011 city workers completely demolished its ledges and stairs.[1]

Paul Rodriguez at Hubba Hideout in 2010

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] Appearing in numerous skateboard videos and attracting a wide following, the Hubba Hideout eventually gained such popularity among skaters that the term "hubba" became synonymous with any type of concrete ledge that leads down a stairway.[2]

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
  1. "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.
  2. Elliott, Templeton (2013-08-09). "10 Iconic Skate Spots That No Longer Exist". Complex. Retrieved 2020-08-21.

37.795632°N 122.397826°W / 37.795632; -122.397826

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