The 70’s was a funny time in skateboarding. At times, the industry and the public at large tended to view it almost as a carnival ride or amusement park attraction. Case in point, Skateball. I received a couple old pictures of a Skateball installation at the Olympic Skatepark in Crystal Lake Illinois a few years back when SnA was being updated on a very infrequent basis. Seeing the Radical post reminded me of them, so I dug them up. Fortunately, I was still able to contact Jeff Hottle for some larger scans, and he obliged with a few bonus shots as well. Skateball was basically pinball on a halfpipe, where the skater simulated the ball. It’s one of those things you hear rumors about but don’t quite give them credit unless you actually see it. Five pictures and a little history after the jump.
Skateball at Olympic Skatepark, Crystal Lake Il. Circa 1978-1979
Here’s Jeff’s description of the park and photos.
They show the “scoring” part of the ramp and the sensors on the ramp itself. The shots were taken aprox. Winter 78-79 at the Olympic Skatepark, Crystal Lake, IL. They had a four foot tall version of the Skateball ramp too. This one was 8′ tall I think, maybe to vert, no coping. I never saw these functioning at Olympic, but at Chicago’s Rainbo skatepark they had two of the tall SkateBalls. They had Skateball contests every Saturday, where you would put in your 50 cents and the game would begin. Whoever hit the targets in the shortest time would win. The touch-pads would light up usually from low to high on the ramp. Skaters soon learned the pattern and could easily fakie back and forth knowing exactly when and where the lights would come on. My guess was that by the fall of 78 the contest fizzled out. Rainbo also had a “Rush-Hour” contest every week in their small (4ft tall) bowl/ramp. Skaters had to chase down the guy in front of them in the bowl. The bowl only had one actual corner to it, and was really an “X” criss-cross half-pipe with the one corner in it. It was a blast to ride though.
Check out Jeff’s original skatepark ID from the Olypmic Skatepark. Notice it says “Olympic Skateboard Arena” instead of skatepark. Jeff would like to make a motion to solicit pictures of Rainbo Skatepark in Chicago from the 77-79 era, as he has never seen any. I second that motion. Send ’em in if you have any. Click the pictures below to enlarge.
Jeff Hottle
Mike Marino
21 comments
Michael Hoff
Kilwag, Ken Kledzik, Don, Brian Zurita, Tom Wible, Hell’s Gazelles, et al… We’re doing a historical project – museum exhibit vs. film(s) – about 70s skateboarding in the Chicago area. So far we have some film footage and pics, mostly of the Tom Thumb crew, but also some of the Wheels Of Progress crew outta Oak Park, from ’74 to ’79. Please get in touch with your pics, films, and stories. We’re working with Nate the Skate and Character Skateboards (Chicago’s longest running brand). I’m at mchlphff AT gmail DOT com or minkskate78 on Instagram ~ Mike H.
Nate Kipnis
Not sure I remember us being old ladies. I think we won most of the competitions there! It was always a fun place to ride! I have a bunch of photos from there that I can post. How do I share them?
Kilwag
Nate, email them in, contact link in the footer.
Ken Kledzik
Talk about a blast from the past!
I remember Olympic Skateboard Arena well…I was on their competition “team”.
We skated for free, and we were there almost every day. Myself, Paul I., Mike M., Jim C., and Rob K. We all lived in Des Plaines (except Mike) and took the train to Crystal Lake. Previously we skated for a bike/board shop called “Freewheeler” in Des Plaines.
Keith was the manager of the arena at the time, his girlfriend worked there with him, and I remember one other guy named Frank who worked there- If I remember correctly he ran the business end of it. I have seen Keith a few times since then at Raging Buffalo.
Olympic Skateboard Arena was the coolest thing around at the time by far, but those Skateball ramps were slick, bumpy, and those buttons were annoying. The best ramps there were the solid light blue ones in the back area. (no buttons) One was up and down twice, then a turnaround. The other one was “U-shaped” with a flat area in the middle. Another great one to get some speed and very good air. (nothing like the air that they get nowadays, though) I also remember Olympic’s rental boards were decent brands, but very heavy and not right for the park- thick, heavy, narrow, pointy Logan Earth Skis, heavy Tracker Trucks, and huge heavy blue UFO wheels. The whole setup must have weighed over 15 lbs. Terrible for ramps/vert. I saw a lot of these overweight boards flying through the air after slipping out from the beginner riders there as they landed on their asses. I also saw a lot of broken bones in my time there. Insurance must have killed them. We also visited Rainbow Skatepark in Chicago a few times to ride their giant Firestone ramp- Sooooo smooth compared to the bumpy Skateball ramps! Now that I’m in my late 50’s, I mostly stick to low-key longboarding. Still tons of fun.
Mike Marino- are you still alive? Given my name and you with your name, I’m easier to find than you are. Look me up!
Donald Burnet
As I am just seeing this now, I will revive the thread; I used to really like skating the Skateball Ramps, but I would’ve preferred they didn’t have the silly plastic buttons to get in the way. Also of note was the big clear Lexan Firestone half pipe. At least it seemed big to me back then. I think it had 4 feet of vert, 22 ft diameter. As for the fabled Tom Thumb team, we were young boys not old ladies! Now I’m old….
Last time I skated a skatepark? Monday…?
Hell's Gazelles
The Hell’s Gazelles remembers the Olympic, because we ruled over it, held radical sway. We remember the owner and his badass Dodge “Little Red Express” pickup. We also remember that the riders for Tom Thumb were a bunch of old ladies. After the Olympic closed, the ramps were abandoned in a field in Palatine, but it seems they went on to find a home. Those photos bring back a lot of great memories, thanks for posting them, amigo.
Brian Zurita
Wow! What a blast from the past! I was just telling a friend about the Olympic Skateboard Arena in Crystal Lake and thought I would Google and BAM! Here it is!
So… Hell’s Gazelles, I remember the owner and his badass red pickup very well. He was my uncle. He and my dad banded together to create the skateboard arena. And yes, it was most definitely named “Olympic Skateboard Arena”. We (I say “we” because it was truly a joint family venture) bought the old Eagle grocery store in the strip mall at the intersection of Northwest Hwy and S Virginia Rd. I just checked Google Maps and it appears the building is still standing. 🙂
Anyway, unfortunately my dad, my uncle, and his badass pickup truck have all passed on (he totalled it in a crash shortly after the skateboard arena folded). I know I have pictures around here someplace if the arena both inside and out. I will look for them and post them ASAP.
BTW, are any of you out there the guy who came in that one snowy day and paid your admission, equipment rentals fees, and snack bar purchases in nothing but silver coins that I presume were your father’s? I wanted to thank you for that. I was the only one working that day and I went around to all the cash register bins and scooped them up and replaced them with regular coins. I couldn’t get to the silver quarters you dropped in the Donkey Kong machine. What did your dad do when he found out you raided his silver coin stash? 8^o
Greg57
Does anyone know where i can get one the scoreboards or the lights for these ramps? or any contacts on getting a hold of these ramps?
Shrewgy
Welcome to 2011, check this gem out in New Zealand; http://www.techau.tv/blog/mountain-dew-drop-500k-on-real-life-skateboard-pinball/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+techau+%28techAU%29&utm_content=Twitter
mike grzyb
hey tom hows it going .kurts got a facebook .
Tom Wible
I visited Olympics a few times and it was very cool. Biddle’s in Milwaukee had the same ramps except no 4 footer. I will be putting together a website chronicling Racine, WI skate scenes of the late 70’s soon.
-Tom Wible
Conahan
That Skate Ball logo does rule.
SR
Damn -i was hoping to be the first to call it out. What a flashback. That’s crazy that the same ramp was a part of two totally diffent scenes and places in time. They had the mini ramps set up there too, or at least they were in a pile in a corner.
That ramp was slicker n’ snot. Same for the Little Rock ramp. I have some photos I’ll have to dig out.
What was the ramp called at the Zorlac shop? I saw a contest there or at least a major session with my parents and freaked on the scene. Early eighties.
Go Texas.
D.T.
Clown ramp rules! had to be there.
are you out there Billy Smith?
Kilwag
No kidding. It reminded me of pictures I’d seen, but I didn’t realize it actually was the clown ramp.
Some old ramps never die. In Hood River OR there is a half pipe with transitions made from the frame of one of those old plexiglass Firestone ramps.
jk
The Clown Ramp.
http://www.nofxofficialwebsite.com/photos/summer85/clown_ramp.jpg
jk
That’s what The Clown Ramp was built from..
rak5877
SOMEBODY with silk-screening skills should make a shirt w/ that “skateball” logo. i’d buy one!
Coulter
Simply the most amazing thing I have ever seen…
Dan Hughes
You’ve got to be kidding me.
The Doctor
I scored higher than chris cook and still lost!