Head to the western stretch of Tuna Canyon Road any day of the week and you may run into some of the world’s most stoked skateboarders. Tuna Canyon, along with many of Topanga’s quintessentially steep and curvy roads, is a grail for skaters who prefer not to push their boards: downhill skateboarding, the sport practiced here, is about sliding through tight turns and using pure gravity as accelerating force.
Downhill skateboarding in Topanga is among the best in the world, yet despite its more than 30-year history, the sport’s right to exist has been questioned by neighbors and law enforcement across L.A. While it may seem like a nuisance to some, the sport’s participants are its staunch defenders, arguing that downhill’s popularity is being used to support good causes.
On a recent Saturday afternoon, I spoke to Levi, an L.A. resident sponsored by Venice-based Arbor Skateboards, at the top of Tuna Canyon Road, where he and two carloads of skaters were prepping for a ride down the hill. He said that Tuna Canyon is a favorite because it becomes one-way for the final three-mile stretch down to the Pacific Coast Highway, “which takes out one variable: uphill traffic.” Though the skaters I spoke with felt comfortable with most of the drivers on Topanga’s roads, they were glad to have one less concern on their rides.
Topanga, according to Levi, is a “downhill mecca,” and the community here is more supportive of the sport than in nearby destinations like Malibu, where in 2009, according to the L.A. Times, the L.A. City Council considered a ban on skateboarding down steep byways like Latigo Canyon Road. Residents of the area were concerned about the danger the sport poses to drivers and to the downhill skaters themselves.
Resistance to the sport in Los Angeles has been broad and powerful. In 2012, the L.A. City Council voted to regulate downhill skateboarding by imposing fines of up to $250 for skateboarding that violated the rules of the road, including going above speed limits and not stopping at intersections. Despite its controversial status, downhill skating has thrived in Topanga and Malibu alike for more than 30 years, and Levi and his fellow skaters feel that the recent regulations have not hindered their ability to do what they love.
What he calls a “new generation” of skaters is improving the sport’s safety, expanding its audience and increasing its social impact. Better skateboard construction has led to safer riding, a notable example of which is the use of a steel or plastic tab called a “footstop,” which, mounted to the front of a board, lets skaters slide more safely around turns.
Downhill skateboarding’s influence has reached overseas, and the international skaters it now brings to Topanga help diversify the community. Through companies like Skate House Media, skateboarders from around the world can move to locations near the Topanga roads and live with other skaters in communal houses, allowing them to get to the famous hills more frequently. Levi lives in one such house with friends from countries as diverse as Russia and Peru.
SAVE THE DATE
Because of this growth, downhill skateboarders of the new generation have been able to organize events to promote the sport and demonstrate that its enthusiasts are not merely thrill-seekers. On October 14, the Vineyard at Beverley Hills will host the “Give a 2nd Chance Festival,” sponsored by East L.A. nonprofit skate shop, The Garage, and Landyachtz Longboards. One hundred percent of the proceeds from this downhill-focused event will go to “Sk8 4 Education,” a program that rewards young at-risk skaters in L.A. for good grades with after-school tutoring and skating gear.
This development appears to be paying off. One of the skaters I talked to mentioned that law enforcement in Topanga has been friendlier of late, stating that a few weeks ago at the bottom of Tuna Canyon, a cop was there as the skaters finished their run.
“He was all smiles and waves,” he said.
Aidan Freeman wrote and studied in New Mexico for six years before moving to Los Angeles to begin a career in journalism. He can be contacted at aidan.freeman@gmail.com.