The (almost) Complete Guide to Nor Cal’s DIY Spots: The Lost Sessions
Unused Gem’s from Confusion Magazine #12
-“It takes half your life before you discover life is a do-it-yourself project.”
― Napoleon Hill
Have you peeped the result of our year long journey gallivanting across Northern California DIY hunting? If you are unaware of what I am talking about check out our latest Confusion Magazine article on Nor Cal DIY that just came out in issue #12. The crew took our usual weekend trips of mobile gas station sugary treats and lack of sleep to the the next level and stretched it out to a whole damn year of shred. The famous Weekend Love Fest became a full blown 2015 gnar fest, and while it took me away from any type of consistent posts on this glorious blog, it not only produced the aforementioned Confusion article but it set me up with enough content for this site to last throughout 2016. And if that wasn’t enough for you loyal 4wbs fans, we will be putting out a full video in conjunction with Confusion Magazine and a online book with all the DIY spots in Nor Cal by this coming Summer. Most definitely a year well spent if you ask us!
Do yourself a favor and hit this link to get a copy of the issue or better yet subscribe to Confusion. Every issue is a masterpiece of shred and you’ll be consistently supplied with real skateboarders, sick photographers and wordy woodsmen. Keep it low brow and underground while supporting the behind the scene hero’s……. or get crushed under the burgeoning corporate greed that is overtaking “our thing”!
Also, as mentioned above we are still hitting any and all NorCal DIY we can get our wheels on to finish the video. Hit us up if you got something and we’ll come out and film your crew, drink some beers of course and we promise not to blow your spot out. Hit us up at brodela@me.com and let's get down.
And now onto some shred……
The Missing Nor Cal DIY Spots
Let’s Get Chill In The Chillderness
Whether you believe global warming is a man made predicament or if you are convinced its a natural occurrence that we have a negligible hand in, the fact remains that the snow bro season is clearly getting shorter and shorter by leaps as of late. No problem for the persevering types that live in the beautiful Truckee region near the Tahoe mountains though, these guys have plenty of splendiferous spots to shred during the tortuous wait for that sweet pow pow. 2nd only to the San Francisco area as far as the most DIY in one region, the Truckee area was my pick for favorite area to visit. Killer views, killer people and killer spots: a skateboarder needs no more than that to survive! Unfortunately, it’s quite a trek from our home base of the Bay Area. So even though we made it up a for a couple overnighters during the formation of the Confusion article, we only ended up skating 2 of the Truckee spots.
Seems like we would always get lost in a bottle after the first day of ripping and would inevitably end up at some decrepit casino losing all of our cash (and sometimes shoes). While we would give it our best effort to shred the next day we always ended up heading back down the I- 80 with aching heads and our tails between our legs. One of the Tahoe spots made it into the mag (Brendan’s killer backyard treat) and One spot didn’t: the backwood’s bowl known as Chillderness. A creation of Tim Eddy and his bro brah’s, this beauty off the beaten path is not only set in an unbelievable backdrop, it is fun as shit to ride. Sweet lines, killer coping, hot dudes in tights and a great vibe for sure. You will definitely leave Childerness contemplating abandoning your city life for an off the grid, granola eating, naked hippy life. Needless to say, if you are lucky enough to hit the Truckee area DIY on your travels, the Chillderness is a must stop.
“Seems like we would always get lost in a bottle after the first day of ripping and would inevitably end up at some decrepit casino consuming booze and losing all of our cash”
Fear and Loathing in Hoodward
With the Confusion deadline looming and key spots left to document, we had no other choice than to put the pedal to the metal after the Childerness sesh and head straight to the Hoodward compound to get some last minute pics and clips. While getting near the spot wasn’t difficult, the last few miles were as tough as it must have been for the Donner party back in 1847. While our problem wasn’t snow or hunger like their crew, we were faced with something just as bad, GPS doesn’t work in this area and my ability to follow directions has all but been erased by my reliance on my damn iPhone. It was fucking pathetic! Stuck in the mountains like little bitches waiting for Jordan to come rescue us like a knight in shining armor. The 30 minute wait got real weird too- even though we just snacked up at a local taco truck we started staring at each other with full intentions to eat one another if shit got any worse. Luckily before we sampled Ryan’s actual Meat Juice our savior came 4 wheeling up like a modern day Ted Nugent to lead us back to the promise land. This is where we started to realize shit was about to go off! The path back was a full on 4 wheelers dream, grit your teeth, almost fall of the mountain type shit. But no worries, we were rolling in my sweet “soccer mom” hybrid lit to the tits on medical marijuana. If the sesh that was about to ensue was going to be half as exciting as the roll up, then were in for a special treat.
I’m not quite sure about all the details of Hoodward but the owner Jordan Mullen acquired this plot of land in his early twenties and did what any young skate rat would do in his position, create an “Animal House” type 4wheel playground for him and his boys. Like I said this spots in the cuts and getting busted isn’t a factor so the law of the land turns to the “live free or die” motto (just don’t be a douche). As a matter of fact this spot is so chill I could see Jordan throwing a yearly skate fest that could be a combo between burning man and an annual tribute to the great Hunter S. Thomson, equipped with guns, skateboarding and loads of naked freaks. If there was anywhere it could happen Hoodward is the spot.
“Not quite sure about all the details of Hoodward but the owner Jordan Mullen somehow acquired this plot of land in his early twenties and he did what any young skate rat would do in his position- create an “Animal House” type 4 wheel playground for him and his boys.”
The cement run pictured above isn’t the only thing Hoodward has to offer either, there’s a barn ramp with some sweet rafters to swing on, a sketchy outside over vert ramp and I believe I saw a flat rail or 2 to get your tech on too. But the bowl is where the real action goes down, everything in it’s proper place and it boasts more lines than Tony Montana. Like I said, peep the overview above and start planning your lines cuz whether the fantasy skate fest I suggested happens or not, you and your crew need to make it out to the mighty Hoodward. Pack a tent and spend the entire weekend though so you can experience the full Hoodward experience, just make sure to bring gifts for Jordan and his crew (and of course don’t be a kook).
Get out and build something
– BROdela
I was busy playing photographer so i didn’t get too engrossed in pretending to be a filmer
nonetheless here’s a few sweet clips to keep you away from work for a minute or 2