| San Francisco, CA. USA
San Francisco. You've seen the movies, now go skate the hills!
Where to Skate
It’s no secret that this city is full of hills but some are better than others. Some of the best runs can be found out in the suburbs on 19th Avenue, images and video of which can be seen in the DVD area of this site.
From the top, you have the choice of many routes down. There are no pavement curb stones, the roads here are edged with smooth sidewalk transitions and the tarmac is butter-smooth, making it a slider’s dream. Some of the runs are anything up to thirty blocks long and once at the bottom you can get a tram straight to the top for another blast. This place is manna from heaven.
If you want a hill sliding session, get to the roads around Golden Gate Park in the 12th Avenue area. There are some really nice wide steep roads you can play on all day. There are so many possibilities out there so go and explore for yourself and you will find some amazing runs. Just be careful of the traffic.
These skate hotspots lie just an hour down the road from San Francisco and have some equally amazing runs. Make sure you tell the guys on the NCDSA forum if you are planning a trip to San Fran before you go. These are some of the friendliest skaters in the world, they’re always up for it and are sure to show you some amazing runs.
In our experience, everyone in San Francisco is friendly – we had hassle from no one including the police who are pretty cool. As long as you are safe and not causing problems they will just let you skate. Worst case: they’ll move you on. For more runs in the Bay Area go to Longboardmaps.com
Where to Stay
If you're planning to stay in San Francisco, we strongly sugest that you stay at The Green Tortoise Hostel, on Broadway. The hostel is great! The staff are really friendly and can tell you how to get to any skate spot you wish to go. Breakfast is included within the price, and food is laid on every other night. As if that's not enough, free beer and nacho's are given to compensate for lack of dinner on alternate nights.
The Hostel is located in the North Beach area (Little Italy), famous for entertainment, bookstores and Beat Generation history. You come to San Francisco to explore and the hostel is only a few moments walk to Chinatown, a short walk along the San Francisco Bay to Fisherman’s Wharf, as well as located one block from public transportation to take you all over the Bay Area. From your room to any part of the City, it’s easy to see the sites you want to see, and their friendly staff will take the time to give you a free map and directions anywhere you wish to spend your day. We’ll also as give you suggestions on what’s cool to do in San Francisco that day! There’s more to it than Alcatraz!
