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La Costa overview November 1977
La Costa, California. 1976. The builders and contractors had looked forward to reaping a financial windfall when they set out to bid on a tract of neighborhood homes near San Diego. The finances, permits and planning went through. Cocaine and opulent dinners greased the wheels of the transaction. Certain developing interests were served. There were guarded and hushed conversations. The ‘Old Boy’ network. That was just how things were done back then. The earth movers growled across the sloping fields, sending up plumes of dust as they cleared and leveled the area. The Pacific ocean glimmered in the distance like a dream. Asphalt companies sent truck after truck, fully loaded with the smoking black road surface. They poured miles of neighborhood streets. From a distance, the hillsides looked like they were covered with twisted black ribbons. Construction trucks and workers scurried over the seven mile area like tiny ants. Fast forward. Nine months. The banks were having a hard time with the finances. Costs escalated. The contract became idle. Workers and firms moved on to other more pressing concerns. The area sat. Roads intact. No homes. Vacant lots.
Lee Gahimer & Curt Kimbel
A lone skateboarder walked up a long winding hill in the abandoned building zone. He climbed up higher. He paused at the top. It was a long way down. “Better get this handled.” He mumbled. He pushed once and started the long carve down the fresh asphalt road. Speed was his closest companion. Wind knifed at his clothing. His adrenalin started pounding and he knew that he was going way too fast to ever step off. His concern for his own physical safety slipped from his mind. Nothing mattered except the heart -hammering nitrous fuel that was burning in his bloodstream. He tucked lower and pushed his arms straight into the wind. The board accelerated… He finally knew what he was born to do. Later, his friends would join him. Every weekend, they would come from far away to taste the speed and have fun with each other bombing and carving the La Costa hills. It was their windfall. Thanks to Jim Goodrich for the images. Skate- Ozzie
Aerial Action Sports