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click to enlarge The local crowd watches as a skater catches air.
Driving the Lost Coast through the spot on the map that is Petrolia, it is hard to miss the community skate ramp. Perched in a field adjacent to the Mattole Valley Community Center, it is one of only a scattering of landmarks dotting the rural landscape. As a former resident of Petrolia, I ve witnessed faces marveling at the sight as they drove by. Who on Earth uses that ramp in the middle of nowhere? they seemed to wonder. The answer is: everyone. In Petrolia, the Mattole Half Pipe is a heart of the community, a gathering place for young and old not just skateboarders. Toddlers crawl and run on the ramp, then turn into teenagers giggling and whispering with their legs dangling over the coping. Adult musicians perform to hoots and hollers on the ramp as a stage. It is a hub of community life in a tiny hamlet.