Back in the Mother Land
By Spooky Whisper

It has been awhile since I have been up to Northern California for a visit. The place is unreal! I went up with the intention of doing some surfing and taking some pictures of the more remote breaks of the far north. As luck would have it the winds had been howling onshore for almost a solid week. These winds are strong and the ocean doesn't just glass-off after that much action. I could have caught Santa Cruz had I been motivated enough, but the four hour drive from my folks house in Santa Rosa to the Lane in Santa Cruz didn't sound fun (especially after trekking from Seal Beach to Sonoma County).

I needed a new plan and I've always loved the skatepark in Santa Rosa. It was opened during the end of my senior year in high school and I've been carving ever since. There are so many options and so many killer lines around the place that you never get bored. After the success of the park in Rosa a few other cities jumped on the train. Petaluma didn't take long to pop up, Healdsburg just opened its gates a week ago, and Sonoma is about to arise. That makes four skate parks in Sonoma County, a place more noted for its wine than its skateboarding.

There are a couple of things that separate these parks from other places I've skated. My favorite thing about all three of the parks that I have ridden, and Sonoma looks to follow suit, is that there is a lot of space to move around. Unlike the small public parks in places like Huntington Beach, there is a lot of room. All of the parks were built on a decent amount of real estate which translates into more speed around the park, bigger maneuvers and harder carves. Another favorite thing of mine is the freedom that the parks allow. With the exception of the Nazi-like police officers in Healdsburg (wear your pads or suffer the penalty) all of the parks have a very relaxed atmosphere. As long as you aren't creating any problems for the communities people leave you alone. They are free of charge so you can come and go as you please. To sum it all up I would say that the Sonoma County Skateparks give boardriders a tiny slice of utopia. That is my feeling and I would encourage people that don't believe to go check it out for themselves.

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