San Francisco / Bay Area Hill BombsPosted May 11th, 2011 |
There are tons to choose from, but here are some of our favorites. Remember to skate within your ability. These are some of the gnarlier lines in the city.
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Quintara
A straight shot, but a heart racing one. It is smooth asphalt all the way down. Some people hit it dead on with no powerslides, others take their time. You have the right away at most of the intersections except for a few 4 way stops. Traffic depends on the time of the day. It’s lit up quite well at night. There is a 2 way stop where you don’t have the right of way which is closer to the bottom on the last hill. When it comes to speed this one is one of the fastest. When it comes to dealing with cars / traffic, it’s one of the mellower ones, but you still gotta look out for the cars that don’t stop at the stop signs. If you’re really feeling brave, go get warmed up at Quintara and 15th Avenue.
Presidio BLVD
This one starts off quite mellow. You can pretty much blast it from the start as once you hit the speed bump get ready for a boost. Once you hit the speed check things will mellow out, but after you round that corner on the mellow section it gets super sketchy. Speed increases quickly and a busy intersection at the bottom awaits you. You really gotta be on it at this one as it’s a 3 way stop at Lombard with cars going in all directions. It’s fast and if ya survive, congrats!, go down to Girard and have fun on those embankments.
Upper to Lower Haight
The first block is pretty chill but once you hit Broderick we recommend taking a right and going uphill to slow down. Then wait for the light cycle on Divisadero. Once your light turns green go for it! You can make it down and through a safe green if you don’t take too much of your time. Crossing Divis is fun, try and ollie the pedestrian crossing. But now you’re cooking and once you hit Scott you gotta look out because it’s a 4 way stop. Feel free to use all sorts of the road to avoid traffic. Congrats, continue on down the road, or grab onto the back of a truck and get ya skitch on.
The Left Right Left
This utilizes some of the infamous Back 9. Things start out super rough and chunky with a sharp left turn at the bottom. But if you hit the sidewalk on the right there is a great driveway bump to blast off of to set things off. Cruising down 10th is pretty mellow and steady but you will pick up lots of speed. Carve the driveways on the left for some fun. Taking a sharp right onto Ortega you will have lots of speed, don’t trust the Google street view on the road conditions, these things are smooth! Take that first left and you can finally catch your breath for a bit (and feel just how sore your hamstrings are from the powerslides). We are pretty sure most of the intersections coming up are 4 way stops but like always proceed with caution. Once you reach Judah you’re gonna wanna turn right to avoid the train tracks and slow down on a mellow up hill.
Twin Peaks to 17th Street.
Things start out kinda rough from Twin Peaks if you’re on hard street wheels, but once you get through the bends things really start to pick up. When you link up with Clarendon and turn right enjoy the view, but also check the stop light below, you’re gonna take a super sharp right hand turn onto Greystone Terrace, and that shit is fast! Things mellow out for a bit, hop onto the sidewalk on the right and enjoy the moguls. Take a left onto Corbett and you’re in heaven. Smooth asphalt for days, tons of turns and swerves. Get some!
The Conzelman
Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge has its options if you’re on foot, you can skate across it and risk having the cops wait for you at the other end, or you can walk it. Our best advice is walk about 20 yards past the entrance and then start skating (this way you blend in walking through the gates / security cameras). This hill is only half a mile, but its fast as fuuuuck! It’s somewhat rough and the turn at the end is pretty damn sharp. The views are incredible but yea, if you eat it, you eat it pretty bad. If ya get to the top and still have energy, go explore Kirby Cove if you feel like checking out an ill little pyramid spot with some dope scenery.
Update (July 28, 2011)
Looks like they are doing some serious construction on this road. It’s shut down to pedestrians and traffic so it could be a while before it’s skateable again. However when it’s done, we are assuming it’s gonna be freshly repaved.
Bunker Road
Since the Conzelman is shut down, this is just a short distance away. It’s pretty mellow and super smooth. It’s a 2 lane road so you gotta be careful because there are some blind corners. It’s nice and calm for the most part but does require some powersliding. Going through the tunnel at the start is quite fun along with the first turn.
Hicky BLVD
Technically this is in Daly City but it’s close enough if you like wandering. There is a speed check sign that sometimes works a little under halfway down. The road is wide but at the Monterey Road intersection you’re pretty much taking a blind right and there is a stop sign, but you can see where the traffic is coming from / going. Once you take that right you’ve got a straight shot of bliss.
Lincoln BLVD
This just got repaved. If you have seen the fixed gear film MASH you might recognize this hill. It’s a good one with some pretty sweet turns. Go get it.
Southgate Avenue
A smooth mellow ride in Daly City, well not too mellow. But it goes. Checkout the flatbar at the library at the bottom.
Bridge Banks
There are some funky banks underneath the bridge where you start. Some smooth transitions in between the rough spots. Get your carve on then smash the fuck down the hill past the mall.
Into the Congo
This route is fucked. Blind corners, grated ground, and lots of vehicle traffic. Time it right, hop onto the black sidewalk on the left, it’s smooth as shit!
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Diamond Street
A little 2 banger in the heart, or the ventricle of Noe Valley. Does that even make sense? Probably more of the ear of Noe Valley, but who really gives a damn? It’s a fun fast set of hills with 4 way stops all the way down. Keep going all the way up past Chesar Chavez and turn around for a good 4 or 5 mellower hills. Not too sure about daytime traffic but at night the cars are pretty scarce.
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Park BLVD
Pretty much a serene bomb. It picks up at spots and if you are hitting it after a foggy morning parts of it will be wet, so get your foot braking down. It cuts over to McDowell where there is currently a kicker ramp in the road.