California Universities and Skate Scenes

[eSHkidd]

The "Moving to Davis" thread has got me thinking...

I'm transferring to a California University next year, and as a skater, it seems like half of what I think about when picking a college is the skating/skate scene/ proximity of skating and the college.

My main choices are UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, UC Irvine, and San Jose State. I'm pretty familiar with Berkeley/San Jose.

I would appreciate EVERYONE who has some knowledge of a UC area's skating scene to contribute. Things like if going to UC Irvine, is the park close enough? Is it do-able without a car? Is there only one park, or are there multiple spots and a couple parks. What's the transportation like in the area? Is there a skate scene in Santa Barbara? How is the weather around the area?

Not just if you experienced being an undergrad and skating, but also if you're in the general area, like Sacramento/Davis, Santa Cruz, Berkeley, Irvine/Costa Mesa/Newport Beach, LA, Santa Barbara/Ventura, San Diego/La Jolla. All opinions welcome.

[floop]

i hate to sound like an elderly person, or parent, but i think you should pick the school where you think you'll get the best education / learn about what you'e interested in / prepare you for life after college

i'm sure you will find plenty of stuff to skate at any of those



that said, i went to UC Santa Cruz and loved it there.  i wasn't skating in college.  but for what it's worth, it's a beautiful campus, they have a high acceptance rate to grad schools, great humanities / liberal arts programs

[eSHkidd]

i hate to sound like an elderly person, or parent, but i think you should pick the school where you think you'll get the best education / learn about what you'e interested in / prepare you for life after college

i'm sure you will find plenty of stuff to skate at any of those



that said, i went to UC Santa Cruz and loved it there.  i wasn't skating in college.  but for what it's worth, it's a beautiful campus, they have a high acceptance rate to grad schools, great humanities / liberal arts programs

I agree mostly. Thing is, I've been reading over (for computer science my major) that San Jose, Santa Cruz, and Irvine are fairly similar education wise. I'm most likely picking a UC for the higher education, but I want to factor in the area and skate scene too. A lot of people say you'll visit campuses and know whether or not the area is one you'd like to live in. Obviously if I get into Berkeley I would pick it 100% for the education, but it's very hard to get into. Thanks for the input!

[Al408]

SJSU is in the middle of downtown San Jose and a 5 min skate to the local shop around that area Circle A. The skate scene down there is pretty solid a lot dudes pushing around and a lot of fun spots you're bound to meet someone who's down to skate. You can also take the bus up to Roosevelt skate park it's also skating distance.

[floop]

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i hate to sound like an elderly person, or parent, but i think you should pick the school where you think you'll get the best education / learn about what you'e interested in / prepare you for life after college

i'm sure you will find plenty of stuff to skate at any of those



that said, i went to UC Santa Cruz and loved it there.  i wasn't skating in college.  but for what it's worth, it's a beautiful campus, they have a high acceptance rate to grad schools, great humanities / liberal arts programs

[close]

I agree mostly. Thing is, I've been reading over (for computer science my major) that San Jose, Santa Cruz, and Irvine are fairly similar education wise. I'm most likely picking a UC for the higher education, but I want to factor in the area and skate scene too. A lot of people say you'll visit campuses and know whether or not the area is one you'd like to live in. Obviously if I get into Berkeley I would pick it 100% for the education, but it's very hard to get into. Thanks for the input!

i guess it depends on what kinds of things you're into - and where you're from.  personally i have a soft spot for Santa Cruz, but it might not be for everyone.  it's also a bit out of the way from bigger cities, if you want to go see shows or whatever.   they might have a good program, but i would avoid Irvine because Irvine is awful.  unless you want to live in one of the most Republican cities in California that has nothing but strip malls, chain stores and a general lack of any character whatsoever

[Baron Samedi]

I also went to UCSC. Grew up here, went to college here, and still live here. It's a nice little town, but I prefer small towns so it suits me well. City folk might go a little crazy here with the lack of stuff to do though. The skating's good on campus and in some surrounding areas and there are plenty of skateable spots, but if you're from somewhere with an abundance of perfect spots (particularly good ledges) you'll probably be a bit disappointed with SC. We've got pool coping though. Lots and lots of pool coping. I'll also say your college experience will probably be less conventional than it might be at the other UC's due to the culture of the school as well as the general lack of Greek life and prominent sports teams. The nature here is amazing as well. Rent is jacked though.

I would second floop's assessment of Irvine as the worst place ever. Avoid at all costs. For what it's worth, I've also been told by a friend of mine who's looking to transfer to a UC for computer science that Santa Barbara actually has a better program than UCSC. But then you'd have to live in nonstoppartytown and go to school with nonstoppartypeople.

Floop, I don't know you, do I? I went to UCSC from '05-'10 but have lived here my whole life. I know gipper went there as well.

[floop]

probably not Baron.  i graduated in '95 and didn't skate while i went there.   but maybe we crossed paths at Zachary's or Taqueria Vallarta

[cool spot]

I also went to UCSC. Grew up here, went to college here, and still live here. It's a nice little town, but I prefer small towns so it suits me well. City folk might go a little crazy here with the lack of stuff to do though. The skating's good on campus and in some surrounding areas and there are plenty of skateable spots, but if you're from somewhere with an abundance of perfect spots (particularly good ledges) you'll probably be a bit disappointed with SC. We've got pool coping though. Lots and lots of pool coping. I'll also say your college experience will probably be less conventional than it might be at the other UC's due to the culture of the school as well as the general lack of Greek life and prominent sports teams. The nature here is amazing as well. Rent is jacked though.

I would second floop's assessment of Irvine as the worst place ever. Avoid at all costs. For what it's worth, I've also been told by a friend of mine who's looking to transfer to a UC for computer science that Santa Barbara actually has a better program than UCSC. But then you'd have to live in nonstoppartytown and go to school with nonstoppartypeople.

Floop, I don't know you, do I? I went to UCSC from '05-'10 but have lived here my whole life. I know gipper went there as well.

Grew up in Aptos, went to school at Davis (also 05-10), came back and lived on the West Side a little after college. I was happy to leave.

That being said, seems like it could have been a fun place to go to college, and I enjoy what the SC skate scene offers. The lack of ledges cannot be stressed enough though. Driving to San Jose only takes 30 minutes, and suddenly you're in ledge city so it ain't so bad.

While SJSU might not be known as the best university in the world, anything is better than living in Irvine.

[foureyedjim]

I would second floop's assessment of Irvine as the worst place ever. Avoid at all costs.

hah! I definitely went there just for the Bio Sci education. Otherwise, the location is shit and the people there are nice but really boring.

[Nosferatu]

I think we need to know your skating preferences. A tranny guy would love Santa Cruz. Super tech not so much. I went to UCSC from 07-10. I loved it. Between Derby and the New Park I was set. Not to mention the live oak park and frederick st. I am not a tranny guy but got by skating around Santa Cruz and hitting up random spots.

There is a locals only culture to Santa Cruz but it seemed to be lessening the longer I was there. As long as you are cool and mellow and dont flaunt the fact that you are a banana slug people will be cool.

[yeahisaidit]

 Floop is spot on with what he said, but that also is assuming you are ready and mature enough to know what you want to do or are interested in after college. I grew up in a culture where college wasnt even a question, but wasn't ready to learn.

With that said, I went to UCLA, and all I really wanted to do was skate when I was studying what I didn't care about. Besides your sector 9 fratboy, there was 5 people that actually skated. Five in a campus of a sea of people that i couldnt count. But stoner park opened when I was living in LA, so that was a plus.

If you're not sure what you want to study, I wouldn't pick a school based on what you think the school skate scene is like. I would pick a school in an environment you are excited to be in. But if you do know what you want to focus on, 100 percent go with that emphasis, and you'll be able to move somewhere after with that focus in mind and where you want to live.

If you want to get deep, do yourself a favor and take some classes you actually care and give a shit about. That way when you graduate, you would have learned, not memorized, some shit worthwhile.

[eSHkidd]

Thanks for the responses everyone! All of this really helps.

@ Al : Pretty familiar with San Jose as I live close by, it's my backup/live at home university.

@ Floop, Baron, coolspot, foureyedjim : This is exactly what i want to put into consideration. Irvine is one of my top choices, because of the computer sci education and (so i thought) the location. I thought it would be good being so close to costa mesa, huntington beach, and while rvca/volcom/element arent the best brands, if they're nearby there has to be a decent scene right? That was my thinking, but if all four of you are saying the location is very bad... then that's definitely something I should shy away from.

@ Baron : I feel most people here would agree, I do not care for Greek Life or college sports. Greek life seems superficial and thats just taking away from skating. College sports, again, not skating. I know SC has like 0-1% sororitys/fraternitys, and the less the better. I also am not too fond of "2nd party school in the entire country" UCSB. It's computer science program is top, equal to irvine, but i wonder how much skating is around there... and most importantly, I don't have the requirements for UCSB.

@cool spot : What do you feel are the major differences and benefits of Davis vs. Santa Cruz?

@ Nosferatu : Good question. I am pretty much as all around as possible. Transition and Street are both equal to me. I enjoy skating flowy bowls, ledges, handrails, pretty much everything EXCEPT small-scale badly designed parks like Monterey or what not. I'm from the Bay Area so I mostly know the feel of Santa Cruz and San Jose. Davis, Santa Barbara, LA, OC, I have no clue.

@ yeahisaidit : I would definitely be for UCLA, but UCLA, UCSB, and probably San Diego I don't have the reqs for. I'm pretty much expecting 0 skaterats at a UC. Skateboarding doesn't usually go hand in hand with higher education besides a few.
I know what I want to study, and i'm pretty excited for the Santa Cruz environment, I already know it halfway. That's what I'm hoping to gain with this thread, more insight into "an environment you are excited to be in" from other places. If everyone is saying that the Irvine area sucks, is boring, and is not skate-friendly, then that helps a long ways because I know to make other choices.

Thanks all. I know it's been said 4-5 times Irvine is a terrible place, but if you also have an opinion on Irvine if you've been in the area or attended it, i'd like to hear.

[foureyedjim]

There probably aren't gonna be very many skateboarders going to school with you.  Pretty much everyone longboards or just has a cruiser.  I met a few guys at Santa Ana skatepark, which is probably the best park in that vicinity. Everyone is actually pretty chill.  It gets slippery from tree debris on windy days, but I think the park setup is pretty fun. The only thing is that traffic can get heavy on the way there from UCI and back.
Costa Mesa skatepark, which is closer to school, feels like street league because the "street" section is really linear and it gets crowded.

If you hang around campus on the weekends there's no one there to kick you out and there's some younger kids that will come by and skate the UCI spots.  There's some alright stuff to skate, some ledges, those UCI rails if you want, but not much else. If you find the right people to skate with your experience might be different from me, but I felt like I skated more on my vacations back to San Jose than I ever did during school.

Have you visited the schools yet?  If you take a look around you can get a feel for what UCI is like.  Everything remotely interesting is outside of Irvine.

[happenstance]

Went to Berkeley. There are very few skateboarders, but plenty that live in the East Bay. Some of the skate scene is a tad cliquey, but just got to meet the people that don't suck!

Tons of parks, spots, and of course you are right by SF. The best part is there is a ton of stuff on UCB campus and you pretty much never get kicked out.

[eSHkidd]

@ foureyedjim : Ha thing is, if I do end up moving away for college, I won't have a car. So at most universities I would be living off-campus, trying to be in an area within skating distance of a park, spots, and the UC. Other spots outside a skateable zone I would have to try my luck getting rides with other skaters, but if there are few skaters that live around me... maybe that wont happen. I'm visiting Irvine next week for the Volcom WITP championship contest. If I don't have a car, is it too far to skate to places from UC Irvine?

@happenstance Berkeley scene or East Bay scene is cliquey? I'm from East Bay, skated Berkeley park a few times, people were always cool. Maybe you mean 510 shop guys/area? I have no complaints about living in Berkeley, just the 12% acceptance rate isnt going to make that likely.

[happenstance]

@happenstance Berkeley scene or East Bay scene is cliquey? I'm from East Bay, skated Berkeley park a few times, people were always cool. Maybe you mean 510 shop guys/area? I have no complaints about living in Berkeley, just the 12% acceptance rate isnt going to make that likely.

I mean more of the East Bay scene in general - Oakland if anything. Not really the 510 guys, they are all cool.

[foureyedjim]

@ foureyedjim : Ha thing is, if I do end up moving away for college, I won't have a car. So at most universities I would be living off-campus, trying to be in an area within skating distance of a park, spots, and the UC. Other spots outside a skateable zone I would have to try my luck getting rides with other skaters, but if there are few skaters that live around me... maybe that wont happen. I'm visiting Irvine next week for the Volcom WITP championship contest. If I don't have a car, is it too far to skate to places from UC Irvine?

Oh yeah definitely.  If you're gonna live in orange county, cars are pretty much a must.  Public transport sucks so it's not really a valid option. 

[floop]

you should def visit the campus'.  that's the only way to get a feel. 

when i visited Santa Cruz i knew it was the place for me.  everyone's different though. 

maybe you'd like Irvine but i highly doubt it.  let us prevent you now from having a miserable college experience.  do not go to Irvine.  and yes, you would need a car, anywhere in So Cal.  not even a question

Irvine is good though if you like Asian girls . jus throwing that out there


the no-frat factor at Santa Cruz (which has been brought up) is one of the things that makes that school so great, and i don't even think about it because i take it for granted.  i think going to a school with a huge greek life factor would be obnoxious

go vist schools though.  and save up and buy a Ford Fiesta or something

[cool spot]

you should def visit the campus'.  that's the only way to get a feel. 

when i visited Santa Cruz i knew it was the place for me.  everyone's different though. 

maybe you'd like Irvine but i highly doubt it.  let us prevent you now from having a miserable college experience.  do not go to Irvine.  and yes, you would need a car, anywhere in So Cal.  not even a question

Irvine is good though if you like Asian girls . jus throwing that out there


the no-frat factor at Santa Cruz (which has been brought up) is one of the things that makes that school so great, and i don't even think about it because i take it for granted.  i think going to a school with a huge greek life factor would be obnoxious

go vist schools though.  and save up and buy a Ford Fiesta or something

Greek life sucks. The chicks are lame, and the guys are worse. I think UCs in general have low frat rates or whatever. I went to a couple of the big parties as a freshman, def weird, but also incredibly easy to avoid. The big schools are big, you can still find awesome scenes within any of. That being said, we had a crew of 15-20 skaters, and that was pretty much everyone that skated and went to the school, across a few other social circles.

[eSHkidd]

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you should def visit the campus'.  that's the only way to get a feel. 

when i visited Santa Cruz i knew it was the place for me.  everyone's different though. 

maybe you'd like Irvine but i highly doubt it.  let us prevent you now from having a miserable college experience.  do not go to Irvine.  and yes, you would need a car, anywhere in So Cal.  not even a question

Irvine is good though if you like Asian girls . jus throwing that out there


the no-frat factor at Santa Cruz (which has been brought up) is one of the things that makes that school so great, and i don't even think about it because i take it for granted.  i think going to a school with a huge greek life factor would be obnoxious

go vist schools though.  and save up and buy a Ford Fiesta or something

[close]

Greek life sucks. The chicks are lame, and the guys are worse. I think UCs in general have low frat rates or whatever. I went to a couple of the big parties as a freshman, def weird, but also incredibly easy to avoid. The big schools are big, you can still find awesome scenes within any of. That being said, we had a crew of 15-20 skaters, and that was pretty much everyone that skated and went to the school, across a few other social circles.

Thanks for the clarification on Greek Life. Duly noted. So, in your opinion, SJSU, UCSC, and UCD are all better options than UC Irvine? Is it UC Irvine's lack of culture, lack of skateboarding, or all around crappiness? What if UCI is a better education?

[happenstance]

I grew up in Irvine. Don't go there. That is all.

[Not Rob Wooton]

Hey everyone, fuck niggers! Got it? Also, fuck jews.

[cool spot]

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you should def visit the campus'.  that's the only way to get a feel. 

when i visited Santa Cruz i knew it was the place for me.  everyone's different though. 

maybe you'd like Irvine but i highly doubt it.  let us prevent you now from having a miserable college experience.  do not go to Irvine.  and yes, you would need a car, anywhere in So Cal.  not even a question

Irvine is good though if you like Asian girls . jus throwing that out there


the no-frat factor at Santa Cruz (which has been brought up) is one of the things that makes that school so great, and i don't even think about it because i take it for granted.  i think going to a school with a huge greek life factor would be obnoxious

go vist schools though.  and save up and buy a Ford Fiesta or something

[close]

Greek life sucks. The chicks are lame, and the guys are worse. I think UCs in general have low frat rates or whatever. I went to a couple of the big parties as a freshman, def weird, but also incredibly easy to avoid. The big schools are big, you can still find awesome scenes within any of. That being said, we had a crew of 15-20 skaters, and that was pretty much everyone that skated and went to the school, across a few other social circles.

[close]

Thanks for the clarification on Greek Life. Duly noted. So, in your opinion, SJSU, UCSC, and UCD are all better options than UC Irvine? Is it UC Irvine's lack of culture, lack of skateboarding, or all around crappiness? What if UCI is a better education?

actually i couldn't speak much about the culture of the school, but the actual town really sucks.

If you really think its a better education, make sure you're doing your research. Unless the actual program is super famous, its pretty much just the name. I'm on the east coast now, and I still get surprised when people say "oh, davis!" I do think you should factor it in, but college is a major jumping off point in your life. Think about connections you'll be making, social or professional, and how those might play out.

but, I fucking winged it, and I'm super happy. You can surround yourself with awesome people almost anywhere. be stoked you have the opportunity to attend an amazing 4 year university, and enjoy.

[Baron Samedi]

Hey everyone, fuck niggers! Got it? Also, fuck jews.

lol, ban pls

[Elijah]

im at UCI right now and it kinda sucks honestly. Just got out here from southside of Chicago so i'm hyped on anything or park i get to skate out here. Volcom's park is pretty tight and mellow, a lot of homie vibes there and mostly everyones cool and rips. Santa ana's dope as fuck, i love that setup there. Etnies is 15 min. away and is a monster of a park but insane compared to anything ive ever skated. As for street skating UCI  has some cool spots, there was a tiny ledge "plaza" type thing if you wana call it that but it got capped off and there plenty of stairs around the campus and a couple fun rails. If u wana get buck you can hit a fatass 14 rail with a little kink at the end haha all the OG spots are dead there now. Theres noone that actually skates though so its a mission trying to find people actually trying to go skate instead of just
cruising on their piece of shit longboards and penny's. I got 2-3 homies that are down most of the week

[eSHkidd]

im at UCI right now and it kinda sucks honestly. Just got out here from southside of Chicago so i'm hyped on anything or park i get to skate out here. Volcom's park is pretty tight and mellow, a lot of homie vibes there and mostly everyones cool and rips. Santa ana's dope as fuck, i love that setup there. Etnies is 15 min. away and is a monster of a park but insane compared to anything ive ever skated. As for street skating UCI  has some cool spots, there was a tiny ledge "plaza" type thing if you wana call it that but it got capped off and there plenty of stairs around the campus and a couple fun rails. If u wana get buck you can hit a fatass 14 rail with a little kink at the end haha all the OG spots are dead there now. Theres noone that actually skates though so its a mission trying to find people actually trying to go skate instead of just
cruising on their piece of shit longboards and penny's. I got 2-3 homies that are down most of the week

Do you have a car? Hows' traffic?

Do you see yourself being able to skate to Volcom/Etnies/Santa Ana Skatepark or any spots besides the university?

I originally had a high chance of going to Irvine but hearing about it from you guys, Santa Cruz, Berkeley, and San Diego are seeming much more appealing.

[Elijah]

yeah im whippin my 300zx, traffic fuckin blows sometimes to santa ana depending on the time of day you go,to costa mesa theres never traffic. Thats a good 5 mile skate though if you took the highway and shit but fuckk that haha spotswise theres nothing really in the area other than the university

[HIHB]

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im at UCI right now and it kinda sucks honestly. Just got out here from southside of Chicago so i'm hyped on anything or park i get to skate out here. Volcom's park is pretty tight and mellow, a lot of homie vibes there and mostly everyones cool and rips. Santa ana's dope as fuck, i love that setup there. Etnies is 15 min. away and is a monster of a park but insane compared to anything ive ever skated. As for street skating UCI  has some cool spots, there was a tiny ledge "plaza" type thing if you wana call it that but it got capped off and there plenty of stairs around the campus and a couple fun rails. If u wana get buck you can hit a fatass 14 rail with a little kink at the end haha all the OG spots are dead there now. Theres noone that actually skates though so its a mission trying to find people actually trying to go skate instead of just
cruising on their piece of shit longboards and penny's. I got 2-3 homies that are down most of the week

[close]

Do you have a car? Hows' traffic?

Do you see yourself being able to skate to Volcom/Etnies/Santa Ana Skatepark or any spots besides the university?

I originally had a high chance of going to Irvine but hearing about it from you guys, Santa Cruz, Berkeley, and San Diego are seeming much more appealing.

Went to school in San Diego at SDSU. Met a lot of skaters there and would skate every weekend and even sometimes on the weekdays. Some good spots at the school too. Nice seven stair rail by the library, some ledges here and there and stairs galore.
Spots in SD are real spread out so a car is necessary, although the trolley system is $5 for a day pass and can bring you to some near by spots or downtown. Theres actually a stop right on washington st. if your into some tranny.

Currently live in OC and everything everyone here has said is spot on. Volcom is a fun park loaded with rippers, kind of a circular flow where you gotta wait your turn and shit. Not really set up for lines. Santa Ana is your best option, nice street setup, not one quarter pipe there. Also a new Vans park in Huntington Beach thats real nice, but you gotta bring a helmet or rent one for $3...

Santa Barbara has a sick skate scene. I got friends up there and head up all the time. SB skatepark is right next to the pier and is my favorite skatepark. Got a little something for everyone. Some street spots too

[eSHkidd]

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im at UCI right now and it kinda sucks honestly. Just got out here from southside of Chicago so i'm hyped on anything or park i get to skate out here. Volcom's park is pretty tight and mellow, a lot of homie vibes there and mostly everyones cool and rips. Santa ana's dope as fuck, i love that setup there. Etnies is 15 min. away and is a monster of a park but insane compared to anything ive ever skated. As for street skating UCI  has some cool spots, there was a tiny ledge "plaza" type thing if you wana call it that but it got capped off and there plenty of stairs around the campus and a couple fun rails. If u wana get buck you can hit a fatass 14 rail with a little kink at the end haha all the OG spots are dead there now. Theres noone that actually skates though so its a mission trying to find people actually trying to go skate instead of just
cruising on their piece of shit longboards and penny's. I got 2-3 homies that are down most of the week

[close]

Do you have a car? Hows' traffic?

Do you see yourself being able to skate to Volcom/Etnies/Santa Ana Skatepark or any spots besides the university?

I originally had a high chance of going to Irvine but hearing about it from you guys, Santa Cruz, Berkeley, and San Diego are seeming much more appealing.

[close]

Went to school in San Diego at SDSU. Met a lot of skaters there and would skate every weekend and even sometimes on the weekdays. Some good spots at the school too. Nice seven stair rail by the library, some ledges here and there and stairs galore.
Spots in SD are real spread out so a car is necessary, although the trolley system is $5 for a day pass and can bring you to some near by spots or downtown. Theres actually a stop right on washington st. if your into some tranny.

Currently live in OC and everything everyone here has said is spot on. Volcom is a fun park loaded with rippers, kind of a circular flow where you gotta wait your turn and shit. Not really set up for lines. Santa Ana is your best option, nice street setup, not one quarter pipe there. Also a new Vans park in Huntington Beach thats real nice, but you gotta bring a helmet or rent one for $3...

Santa Barbara has a sick skate scene. I got friends up there and head up all the time. SB skatepark is right next to the pier and is my favorite skatepark. Got a little something for everyone. Some street spots too

Appreciate the first input on SD. I'm really hoping for an area thats tight knit, because chances are I might not have a car. Tranny/street/park is all my game, although I'd really hate for an area to have NO tranny. If I was in SD, it would be an apartment close to UCSD. Thats good to hear about Santa Barbara's scene, unfortunately I don't have the reqs and 0% i can get into UCSB.

It's looking like Santa Cruz is the best area for skating around places, though I don't believe as good as a computer science education. UCSC is a fairly easy UC to get into when compared to Irvine, Santa Barbara, San Diego, and Berkeley.

[Baron Samedi]

^^Skating around SC is pretty easy, and as I mentioned there are plenty of spots if you're looking and aren't afraid of some crust. The scene of locals is pretty tight knit, but most everybody that actually skates will probably be cool to you. The goons are the bums and druggie dudes that kind of lurk at the park but don't actually skate much. Those are the ones to watch out for. And you might find some pretty cool dudes that go to UCSC that skate, I had two different crews over the years that all ended up being good friends outside of skating as well.

It's worth saying as well that a city bus pas is included in your tuition, and you can get pretty much anywhere in town easily enough on the bus, particularly from campus to downtown in maybe 15 minutes or so. That's where the park most people skate is.