Skatercross - Reseda

This description is from 'The Guide to Western Skateboard Parks' printed in 1978...

Owned and Managed by:

P.E.V. Corporation Lou Peralta, President

FEATURES:

One of the most unusual features of Skatercross is the 627' of continuous downhill track. The track, overall, has a two percent grade (2' drop per 100'), and a 10', 45 degree launching ramp can get you going from 15 to 25 mph.

The track consists of twisting turns, banks, curves, and seven "swimming pool type" bowls placed strategically along the course. The bowls, the highest of which are 10', 12', and 13', provide 3' to 41' of vertical in their positions in the curves. The course is ideal for competitive events such as relay and speed racing. Other features of the track include curls, tubes, slaloms, jumps, and moguls. The surface of the track is gunite "shot-crete” at least three inches thick. The horizontal track surfaces are finished smooth for speed, and the vertical surfaces are abrasive on the banks and bowls for better traction. The course has very smooth transition throughout.

Course designer Lou Peralta, drawing upon his own past experience as a winning motocross and auto racer, designed a track that would be challenging to the pro, yet safe for the beginner. Judging from what the pros have said, he has definitely succeeded.

MEMBERSHIP:

The required membership fee is $3.00 every two years. This includes your membership card, and entitles you to skate at this and all other USIEE Skatercross locations. At our press time, Reseda is the only Skatercross in operation, but the course in Colton is nearing completion and should be opening around the first of January, 1978. Other sites are under consideration, and we will be seeing more of this unique concept.

Admission is $2.00 per two-hour session and $3.00 for the three-hour, 7 p.m. session held Monday through Friday during the winter. Sessions start every two hours on the odd hour, and members may exit and return at any time during that paid session. There is no charge for spectators.

FACILITIES:

The pro shop at Skatercross sells and rents a wide variety of the finest in skateboarding equipment, including Gordon & Smith, Z-Flex, Logan Earth Ski, Sims, and Hobie. There are occasional discounts for teams and members, so check with the pro shop for details. A frequent member special is a free T-shirt and skating time with the purchase of a board.

There are regularly scheduled weekly events for the skateboarder in the novice, amateur, intermediate, expert, and professional categories. The newly formed American Skatercross Racing Association (ASCRA) sponsors this weekly competition in which participants can earn points toward cash and trophy awards. Some ASCRA events will include relay races, multilap events, speed racing, slalom and freestyle racing, high jumping, ramp jumping, and hurdles. Classes are also offered to boys and girls according to their age and experience.

The park has a game arcade which has a wide assortment of pinball, foosball, and video machines. There is weekly competition in the arcade, including a foosball or tournament soccer contest every Sunday for cash prizes. The judging is done according to the National Foosball Association rules, and the turnout is always hot and heavy for this one. There are also high scoring contests held on pinball and video machines for free sessions, and Rainy Day Contests take the action indoors when it occasionally rains.

There are vending machines in the patio area, and a snack bar is in the planning stage. Benches and tables are provided for skaters and spectators.

MTak Review:

Located near the Southeast corner of Reseda and Vanowen streets, across from the Taco Bell that still stands to this day. The facility used to be an A&W; Root Beer stand, and the snake run passed under the drive-in awning. The sign said USIEE Skatercross, and those letters represented the last letter of the first names of the Peralta family - Lou Peralta was the owner/operator. I can only remember these names: Lou, Lois (wife), Lori (kid), and Lonnie (kid).

The original layout only had the snake run, and I remember it having seven bowls: The big backside (for regular footers) First Bowl, which was a U-turn; the big frontside Second Bowl, which was a U-turn; the medium backside Third Bowl, which was a 90-degree right turn; the small backside Fourth Bowl, which was a U-turn; the medium frontside Fifth Bowl, which was a U-turn; the tiny backside Sixth Bowl, which was really just a gradual U-turn; the medium frontside Seventh Bowl, which was really just a taco-shaped quarter pipe; and the run out with the ridiculous moguls. The snake run had this tall starting ramp that would give you tons of speed approaching the first bowl. From the starting point, skaters could see the back of the second bowl - the back had "Skatercross - The Sport of the Future" or something like that painted on it . . . pretty cheesey. Later on, they added the backside Eighth Bowl, which was really just an abrupt vert wall - I think it had pool coping on top of it. Even later, they added the kinked out combi pool in the back, which was shaped like Mickey Mouse ears. There was a cheesy sign in the pool area that said something like: "The best skaters in the world ride these pools - The Val Rats". The left side of the pool was about 10 feet deep and it had brown tiles; the right side was about 12 feet deep, slightly over vert, and it had blue tiles. I remember Bert LaMar rolling into the blue side and blowing minds. I also remember that most other skatepark pools seemed very easy to ride compared to that kinked out brown pool.

The right side was rarely skated, and it was eventually filled in to form a smaller 8 foot bowl. Near the end, the owner got into radio controlled cars and built a track in the front of the pro shop. I believe that near the end, there was a High Ball trampoline basketball thing out front, along with a ridiculously narrow, non vert half pipe ramp. I don't recall the year of closure - must have been in the early 80s. After closure, I remember the locals holding frequent sessions and I only recall getting run out of there once - by the owner.

Local pros, team riders, and sponsored skaters that I remember included: Bert LaMar, Shreddy Repas (sp?), John Harris, Steve Lippman, Jay Smith, Don Szabo, Eric Grisham, Chris Fithian, Greg Scribner, Tim Sweet, Raul Escobedo, Darren Price, and Les Pearlman. Notable mention goes out to Gyro George, who I think had Teret's (sp?) syndrome. Les Pearlman posts on your site as BOND, and I'm sure he'll be able to provide more info.

Some Sleestak local has good pics on his site http://www.toysrbob.com/oldreseda.html The third pic shows the third bowl in the background, the fifth bowl in the center, and the beginning of the sixth bowl. The fourth pic shows the fourth bowl - later on, they filled in behind the fourth bowl to form a concrete deck. The fifth pic shows the first bowl - the crack between the first and third bowls was later filled in, and I remember rolling up that "spine" and dropping into the third bowl.

You can see some video of Skatercross in the Dogtown movie and in the Leif Garret movie. -Mark Takahashi