Coast Through
Skate Culture
Born of West Coast Teen Angst, Skateboarding Is All Grown Up
Episode Description
Grab your helmet and your grip tape for a ride through the surprising past and thrilling present of skateboarding, a sport that’s indelibly shaped West Coast slang, fashion, and urban landscape design.
Our hosts are joined by former pro skater and current Olympic judge Alex White for a journey through the drained swimming pools, Costco curbs, and other surprising locales that nurtured some of the world’s best skaters. Learn about the rebellious origins of skateboarding, as “sidewalk surfing” among the bored teens of suburban Southern California in the 1960s; the sport’s mainstream crossover with the X Games and rise of stars like Tony Hawk in the ‘90s; and the present, when city councils and urban planners are embracing a sport once viewed as criminal and fans gear up to watch world-class athletes catch air at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles—right where it all started.
Roll into these historic skate spots:
- Pacific Beach, San Diego
- Linda Vista Skate Park, San Diego
- Venice Skate Park, Los Angeles
- Dogtown, Los Angeles
- The Santa Monica Courthouse Skate Plaza, Los Angeles
- Rip City Skates, Santa Monica
- Sergeant Derby Park, Santa Cruz
- NHS Skateboard Museum, Santa Cruz
- Embarcadero and U.N. Plazas, San Francisco
- Burnside Skate Park, Portland, Oregon
Guest
Alex White is a lifelong skateboarder and self-described skate nerd who grew up skating in unsanctioned spots in Los Angeles during the late ’90s boom. After spending her youth dodging mall security, she became a professional skateboarder.
She’s now a skateboarding brand manager, co-host of the skateboarding podcast “Good Luck With That,” a certified Olympic judge and Olympic skateboarding commentator, and chairperson of the board at Skate Like a Girl, a nonprofit that creates opportunities and advocates for skateboarders of all ages, abilities, and gender identities. Alex lives in Monterey, California with her two sons and two cats.
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