Triple set, hubba ledge, quarter pipe … Los Gatos’ NC Boardshop has all of it – The Mercury Information

Skateboard fans flocked to NC Boardshop at 16203 Los Gatos Blvd. to witness the “Tales from the Triple Set” competition held on June 14.

According to shop manager Mike Allen, the triple set are stairs at the PG&E building in downtown San Jose that skateboarders frequent.

“It’s a famous spot,” Allen said. “We re-created the stairs for the competition.” About 50 skateboarders entered the contest, which Allen described as “truly” challenging.

“Basically we had an 8-foot quarter pipe, then you dropped into a euro gap and then the stage is elevated 5 feet tall and 60 feet long and then the triple set stairs,” Allen said. “We also re-created the hubba ledge — a famous spot in San Francisco.” In skateboarding terminology, a quarter pipe is a ramp that resembles a quarter of the cross section of a pipe. A euro gap is a jump that you use to get onto something higher and a hubba ledge is a descending ledge used for grinding or sliding. Also keep in mind that a funbox is a pyramid that combines a hubba ledge, ledge and flat rail into one complicated structure.

The NC Boardshop competition was sponsored by Red Bull and Allen had other skateboard companies chip in so that he gave away $10,000 worth of prizes. The top $3,000 prize went to a first-time competitor, Paul Trepanier, from Canada. “He’s just coming onto the scene,” Allen said.

The Los Gatos skateboarding scene has been plagued by controversy, as demonstrated by last year’s decision by voters not to build a skatepark in town. But there may be hope on the horizon for kids who want a place to skate besides local streets.

The Los Gatos United Methodist Church is planning a fundraising campaign to build a skatepark at its campus at 111 Church St.

As envisioned by youth pastor Alex Hardt, the facility would have half and three-quarter pipes and a funbox.

In 2001, the church built an indoor skateboard park in its gym, but that was taken out two years ago to make way for a new student center.