Text and Photos by Smalls
I’ve taken a lot of skate trips, but they’ve always involved piling into a van and driving to Philly or New York City for a couple days. Not only was this my first time flying somewhere to skate, but also my first trip to the West Coast.
The Crew was Neal, Stan, George, Rory, Allen and myself. After work on Friday we flew from DC to Portland, and immediately after landing we could tell this place was a lot different from the East Coast.
Three observations about Portland:
1. Amazing, inexpensive food. Each meal was better than the last, and even sit-down places would only run you about $10-$15 for a bangin meal and a cold beer (keep in mind we are used to paying DC prices). Go to Pok Pok.
2. Demographics. I don’t think I saw one black person during the three days we were in Portland, Coming from DC (50% black) and Philly (44% black), this was really weird.
3. Cops don’t seem to mind skating, Maybe we just got lucky, but when we got booted from a spot, they would say things like, “Hey guys, I’m sorry to ask you to do this, but would you mind taking it somewhere else?” Sometimes I couldn’t even think of a response because I was so shocked at what they were saying.
One of the best parts of Portand was a strip joint that was highly recommended by just about anybody we talked to; Acropolis. Over 50 beers on tap, good steaks, and an excellent view. The Cherry on top was when one of the lovely ladies put on Bone Thugz’ “First of the Month” and we realized it actually was June 1st.
On Monday we left Portland, headed for the coast, and spent the next four days checking out Goonies landmarks and hanging out in a temperate rain forest. Neal managed to spend a night alone on the beach while the rest of us battled rabid raccoons for the last s’more.
On Thursday we made it to Seattle, which featured more balanced demographics and prices that reminded us of home (not cheap). Smoking is legal in the state of Washington, and it was wild to see people of all walks of life sparking whenever and wherever they pleased. One of the best treats was the thc-infused sour cola gummies. The wallrides at Garfield High School (also where Jimi Hendrix went to school) are awesome. I’m not sure what the purpose of all that concrete is, but I’m not complaining either. Both Seattle and Portland had endless crusty nugs that would please anyone from the East Coast.
I’d recommend this trip to anyone who has never been to the West Coast and likes skating crust. I also had more fun camping than I probably ever will. The legal smoke is a huge plus as well. Special thanks to Xeno, Miller, Matt House, and Scott Ragsdale. No thanks to the I-5 or the Deranged Jimmy Buffet. Stick boys.
