november2011

he reaches speeds up to 55 miles per hour, so he can jump over 70 feet.

Keeping his neighbors in mind, Burnquist designed it to follow the

contour of the mountain, so no views were blocked. “I’m not a party-

head. I have a family and kids. I did whatever I had to do to keep my

neighbors happy. And now I’ve probably got the biggest backyard

complex in the world, and it’s right here in San Diego.”

And undoubtedly this massive skate playground has made Burn-

quist all the more popular with friends, pros, and fi lm crews.

Burnquist was also the fi rst to skate off a rail into the Grand Canyon,

which he calls “the most fun day of my life.” He explains, “It was scary

but not as scary as going for an X-Games gold medal. Anytime it’s a

competition, you just throw off the limits and go for it. In the Canyon

I had a base rig on my back. On the mega ramp and in the pipe we’re

doing all things max and beyond.”

So what’s the 21-time X-Games medalist most proud of in his ca-

reer? “I think that just being able to walk a fi ne line of being respected

from the core and gaining respect from mainstream. That line is very

thin. It’s either you’re very loved in the mainstream and hated in the

core, or you’re loved in the core and kind of restricted in the main-

stream.” Burnquist is adored and respected by both.

“Bob is one of skateboarding’s biggest innovators,” says Danny Way.

“His contributions to the sport have solidifi ed his legendary place in

skateboarding history. On and off the board, Bob is an outstanding

person and widely recognized for his conscious living.”

Despite a propensity for big air, Burnquist has his feet fi rmly on the

ground. He is one of the founders of the Action Sports Environmental

Coalition, which serves to educate the community and was respon-

sible for “greening” the X-Games. His eco-consciousness was spurred

early on. “When I fi rst visited the U.S. I saw all the complexes built

out of wood. It shocked me because in Brazil, it’s all brick and cement.

I thought, This is where the Amazon is going.”

Burnquist also has fi ngers in the ground, literally, as the curator of

a massive organic garden behind his mega ramp. He recently part-

nered with Chipotle on a “Food with Integrity” project. “As soon as we

harvest, the produce will go to feeding the homeless, teen-mom orga-

nizations, and anywhere that will help the community.”

Devoted to the area, it seems that Burnquist has no plans to leave

North County anytime soon. “This place is the best to have a home

base. I can skate, surf, snowboard, fl y, and sky dive. I can do every-

thing I love doing. I wouldn’t be able to do this in Brazil.”

// ANN WYCOFF

NC4SanDiegoMagazine.comNovember2011

“I’ve probably got the biggest

backyard complex in the world,

and it’s right here in San Diego.”

Fast Facts on Bob Burnquist

FATHER OF THREE GIRLS: Lotus, Jasmyn, Victoria

PERSON HE’D MOST LIKE TO MEET: Pelé

HEROES: Formula 1 driver Ayrton Senna and Tony Hawk

NUMBER OF SKYDIVES: 500+

FAVORITE SURF SPOT: Cardiff

ROCKSTAR MOMENT: Recorded an album with skater

Danny Way

❯❯ NORTH COUNTY