Dept shutting doors on Monday – Free sessions all weekend The Dept is CLOSED
Here’s the skinny, Everything , including the bowl is still there. All sessions free this weekend. Now’s the time to nail down that move you’ve always wanted, so enjoy it while you can. This is an end of an era for Portland skaters. There will be no digging it out in 20 years. CLOSED FOR GOOD ON AUGUST 16th.
UPDATE: It’s all over. Thanks for the memories.
had fun that will last forever, some good times that will last forever, created friendships that will last forever, and now its the time… DEPARTMENT WILL LAST F+REVER! R.I.P.
its about time….ride free and keep it real. i disliked them since they stole cal skates name back in the day..locals will never forget. ride free!!
Besides Paul Fujita (and SEL Elliot, when he was in high school), I didn’t think any actual skaters were actually ever mixed up with Howard Wiener.
I wonder: who are these locals, exactly? Being on the skateboarding websites all the time doesn’t mean you actually skate.
Wow, any actual skaters . . . . . um, locals, who are from Portland, and who do not accept the whole Nike/Coolguy/Upscale/Hater/Preppie/Pharmacy vibe . . . .
Scum,
Really? The Pharmacy stole Cal Skate’s name? I don’t think you have any idea what you’re talking about. The reason it’s called ‘Cal’s Pharmacy’ is because it was actually a real pharmacy where you could get your prescription filled years ago. The actual ‘Pharmacy’ part of the store was there for over ten years. So why change the name? To be honest, I’m sure the confusion over the name has probably helped out both stores with sales anyway.
I’m sorry that the DEPT charged a small fee to pay it’s bills and try and provide a place for skaters in Portland to skate during the winter. I understand it sucks to pay to skate but it’s also really nice for everyone to have a place to skate when the weather get shitty. Hate to say it, but The Pharmacy has done a lot for the Portland skate community whether you love or hate those guys.
Please tell us exactly when and why RX Skates became Cal’s Pharmacy, then you will know the answers. Until then, its just kids talking who were not born yet.
hmm…not born yet? So…Tell me “collector” have you skated nimbus, king city banks? How about the old Corvallis Avery park vert ramp…umm lets see. how about the Saint Johns Blue ramp owned by the doctor. The only thing you are “collecting” is a beer gut and some nikes….kook
Nimbus, King City, Westover, Avery, Saw Shop, Fred Meyer Banks, Beaver Creek, Pat’s ramp, the Wilshire ramp, The DS, Air Radical, Jolly Joker, Stafford’s ramp, Team Studhorse, and no, the only Nikes I wish I had were from the outlet on Union/Grand. But you do have me on the blue ramp, never heard of that one.
ohh man the fred meyer banks right by 217.. i love those things.. and shit the beaver creek ramp was killer.. kevin ball had some amazing parties..
I took my kids to DOS today and it was great. It was free and totally empty. Thanx Dew Tour!
The Department was never my favorite place to skate, but I’m gonna miss it. The guy’s that worked there were way cool and I wish them well.
P.S. If you go to the dewtour and you bring your skateboard, they will make you take 3 of your wheels off when you enter the gates. Seriously.
End of an era. Where will the ramps and assorted obstacles go now though I wonder?
[…] other thoughts on this on Boardistan, Skate and Annoy, or the official word from Department. […]
I have to admit, the name “Cal’s Pharmacy” always caused me confusion. I first became aware of “Cal’s Pharmacy” in the early 90s, around the time Cal Skate had relocated to “City Skate”, an earlier indoor skatepark run by the city of Portland, after moving out of their old Couch St. location.
I think Cal’s Pharmacy was located on East Burnside at that time(not far from Mt Tabor), and I assumed, because of the name, that it was related somehow to Cal Skate, which has been around since the 70s. I figured the “Pharmacy” part had to do with the pill sized wheels people skated in the 90s, and, if I’m not totally senile, didn’t the original Cal’s Pharmacy location have a drive-thru window..like Walgreens?
When I started skating again two years ago, I assumed “Department Of Skateboarding” was City Skate, especially since a shop with the word “Cal” in the name was at the park. I only just recently had the kinks in my memory ironed out while having some loading dock bank sessions with some other oldtimers.
Despite that confusion, DOS will be missed, especially by those of us who enjoyed the Old Man Night. It was a nice park, and I loved hitting the banks in the street area. Nobody ever gave me shit for pushing mongo either!
I guess this was the fate of Department…
http://www.ridepdw.com/blog/2010/08/what-it-what-it-was-and-what-it-shall-be
Oh well, I know it’s not PDW’s fault. They are actually a cool company. It just sucks that the building’s owners sold it out from under the Department guys.
DOS is super faggy a bunch of loyyd center kooks and now that your closing were gonna have more goons to kick out of our skate park closet rollerbladers is what that place is full of
Which park is yours Don Chopsin?
The Loyyd Center park, you know, located between I-can’t- -fucking-spell Rd. and My-dumb-ass-should-go-back-to-kindergarten Ave.
The Wednesday Old Farts Sessions at Ripzu are half off for over 30. Plus the new winter hours start on Wednesday 9/7 so the park will be open untill 11pm.