History Of The The Nude Bowl - Because Life Is Not Just Skateparks.

Photos Ian Logan x Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word - all rights reserved

The legendary Nude Bowl. You've most likely heard about it, or maybe you've even seen it in photos and videos. It's a place that is on almost every skater's bucket list. It's way off the beaten path in the California desert, and a 4-wheel drive is your best bet to reach it, as there are no paved roads. Even with its remote locale, the artwork in the pool itself changes almost daily it seems. Night sessions with portable gennys and lights are not uncommon.

Some days the place has an air of danger (according to some people we have spoken to that have recently made the trek) - which is not surprising when you see bullet casings littering the desert floor, broken bottles and beer cans and remnants of parties that most likely have gone on long into the night. Yet on other days it just feels like a calm slice of paradise that you have all to yourself. The day we were there felt just like that.

The Nude Bowl's history is pretty interesting - like most renegade places in skateboarding history it's had a few previous lives. The name "Nude Bowl" comes from the fact that the site was once a nudist resort called "Desert Gardens Ranch" which was either built in the 30's or 50's or 60's depending on who you talk to. It's hard to believe looking at it now, but back in the day, it had a few buildings, this kidney-shaped pool and lots of nudists enjoying the warm desert sunshine.

When the resort closed in the late 1970's skaters seemed to find it, and it became a popular "underground" skateboarding spot from the late 1970's to the early 1990's. Unfortunately in the late 1990's parties and violence became a regular thing at the bowl and skateboarding took a backseat. The police and the city decided to demolish the pool to put a stop to the unrest.

Skaters just assumed it had been demolished completely - until skateboarder Jeremiah Risk decided to rent a backhoe and started digging. He found out that the pool was there under mounds of dirt and still intact. It hadn't been demolished as previously reported - they had actually filled it in with tons of dirt. Thanks to Jeremiah and his hard work in 2015, the Nude Bowl has once again been a place where you can skate like we did in the 70's - a place free of real-world restrictions. No memberships, no fees, no pads, no rules.

Want to know how to get to the Nude Bowl? Start researching, look at photos, old videos and ariel maps, because we're not going to give you step by step directions, we believe that any location worth skating is worth the work to find.

TIPS: A 4-wheel drive is a must. Bring water and some food. Be respectful of the locals. Leave it better than you found it. Don't post directions, maps or pins. If you see Jeremiah there, thank him for what he's done and offer to buy him a beer - it's people like this that keep renegade spots like the Nude Bowl alive and well. HAVE RESPECT.


For videos and images of female skaters at the Nude Bowl, check out these previous posts:

Jordyn Barratt for Black & Decker

Las ChicAZ Crew - Road Trip

For more  renegade skate spots that should be on your bucket list to skate check out this post:

Freedom to Find - 10 Skate Spots you Need to Find