Welcome to the 55th insertion of DEMUR®, an analytical series highlighting the intricacies of the artistic world and the minutiae lying within. In this episode we walk the steps of El Toro 20, a monolithic concrete stairset defining skateboard culture for over twenty years.
Located in Lakeforest, California on the campus of El Toro high school, three handrails separate twenty consecutive concrete stairs, marking the legendary presence of ‘El Toro 20’. Notorious for its abnormal size, steep decline and near perfect run up positioning, the skate spot withholds its namesake with prestige in the skateboard, BMX and scooter community.
Tempting only those with the strongest of faith to hurl themselves over 17 feet of concrete at a 13 foot height, the West coast gap has garnered attention from all corners of the globe. Attracting skaters and dare-devils alike to test their limits, El Toro has gifted us with a plethora of bloody fails and glorious success stories, which to our delight, were all captured on video.
The first attempt can be traced back to California native, Heath Kirchart, who pioneered El Toro with a massive lipslide down the center rail. Failing multiple times before effortlessly riding away in a haze of triumph, the stunt landed him on the front cover of Transworld Skateboarding magazine, and paved the way for a slew of following infamy.
Shortly after (2001), Don Nguyen stepped up to the leviathan to ollie the set, and completed such with ease. However, after reviewing the shots, Nguyen appeared out of frame and was forced to try once more a week later, finally hitting the jump and marking the face of Thrasher Magazine. Over the next twenty years few individuals were able to conquer El Toro, but praised names like Dave Bachinsky (kickflip), Aaron “Jaws” Homoki (frontside melon), TJ Rogers (switch frontside 180) and Ryan Decenzo (nollie) were able to conquer the feat.
El Toro 20 has now been cemented in the hearts of skaters for obvious reasons, and will continue to live on regardless of the recent destruction as a result of safety concerns. A final goodbye came in the form of Dylan Stark’s rooftop BMX drop in, which was published in 2019.
Comments