Wish List: local love / church of skatan

church of skatan / skateboard shop / santa barbara california

As a teenager I had crushes on guys who rode bmx bikes off dirt jumps and made skating videos of themselves and their packs of friends to a soundtrack of The Beastie Boys. But while I was a big fan of watching all the action, I actually lacked the crucial skills to ride the way they did. I'd also be remiss if I didn't disclose my own version of skateboarding. This will give you a glimpse into my very uncool teenage experience.

My friend Karen would grab her brother's skateboard, I'd grab a dog leash, and together we'd head down to the cemetery near our neighborhood. Along these winding roads we'd practice our balance; one of us standing on the board holding the leash, the other testing the balance by violently whipping the leash until she or I fell off. After an hour of this, we ended up sitting on the board while being pulled with the leash. These were thankfully not my glory years. They may not have been cool but they were awesome and goofy and I owe so much of that to my love of skaters and their boards.

When I moved to Santa Barbara around 2000, Church of Skatan was just moving into an old Baptist church built in the 1920s. I stood looking at the place in awe; flashbacks of cemetery dog leash skating and happy skater boys.

I'd use birthdays as excuses to go in and purchase something; wandering around... buying videos, t-shirts, hats; forcing my love for the sport on my impressionable nieces and nephew.

(Their stock, by the way, is excellent. And every time I've gone in there, the staff is relaxed and friendly - even to a shameless poser like myself.)