2018 December Colony Magazine

JUST
SKATING BY
Kevin Campion
is a champion
of SLO County’s
skater culture
By Patrick Pemberton
In Atascadero, Kevin Campion
is known for his contributions
to the skateboard
and scooter community. But as a
kid, he spent much more time in
water than on wheels.
“I started swimming competitively
when I was 5 years old,”
he said.
For 22 years, he competed
through college at Humboldt
State. But eventually the overtraining
caught up with him.
“Sometimes we were doing
four or five hours a day in the
water,” he said.
Today, the surfer spends more
time in salt water than chlorinated
water. And while he no longer
coaches fellow swimmers like he
once did, he still provides mentorship
to kids through the Atown
Park, which he has run, through
a contract with the city, for
the past decade.
“I think we’re making a contribution,”
he said.
In between swimming, Campion
found time as a youth to surf
and skate in the Bay Area, where
he grew up. And in 1984, Campion
opened his first surf shop,
Marin Surf Sport. The business
was so successful that he eventually
sold it and moved on to other
ventures. One of those, as part
owner of Poor Boy surf brand,
brought him to Atascadero. That
too was popular enough to sell,
eventually leading to two visible
local endeavors, both associated
with skateboarding: The Atown
Park and the 805 Boardshop are
both off of Traffic Way, within
skating distance of each other.
“For the record, 805 Boardshop
has been around longer than 805
beer,” Campion said, referring to
the popular Firestone Walker beer
brand. “Everybody keeps saying,
‘Can I get a beer here?’ No.”
San Luis Obispo County,
boasting several skateparks, has
some pretty serious skateboard
cred. Stacy Peralta, a legendary
past skate champion and director
of acclaimed skater biopic “Dogtown
and Z-Boys,” lives in Cayucos,
just a few miles north of the
Morro Bay Skateboard Museum.
Campion’s shop is a bit of a museum
itself, with boards on display
that date back to the 50s.
When he’s not selling skater
shoes, shirts or decks, he can be
seen at the nearby Atown Park,
an indoor skatepark that recently
added an 8-foot tall half-pipe.
While there are other skateparks
in the county, this is the only indoor
one. And it has a staff that
provides supervision, making all
visitors feel welcome and safe.
There are strict rules at Atown
Park, Campion said, which require
patrons to respect one another.
“We’ll get 40-year-old skateboarders
riding with 8-year-old
scooter riders, and everybody is
getting along,” he said.
The park’s positive reputation
has drawn support from organizations
such as the Rotary Club
of Atascadero and Home Depot,
which recently donated money
and volunteer time for the
new half-pipe.
Campion will continue to
champion the cause of skaters in
Atascadero. But while he still surfs
regularly, Campion has scaled
back his skateboarding, which
began back when wheels were
made of clay.
“I’m 62 years old,” he said. “I
don’t want to fall anymore.”
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16 | colonymagazine.com COLONY Magazine, December 2018