Summer plans

1. King salmon fishing off Stinson Beach
2. Camping on Mount Shasta
3. A Million Little Pieces, by James Frey

Good sports
Surfing spots, skate trips, and the long way down the mountain.

By Corbett Miller

SUMMER IS ALMOST here, at least outside of San Francisco. Which means it's time for a day trip, or even a weekend away. Exercise, sunshine, and fresh air are all good for you. But there's more to the great outdoors than fun; there's also drowning, road rash, and concussions. Still, that's better than walking around the Mission looking at overpriced retro furniture that won't fit in your apartment anyway. So quit watching ESPN X Games and Blue Torch Network and go damage yourself in a beautiful, relaxing environment.

Surf's up, kind of

Summer is the best season to take up surfing. Up and down the California coast (except here) the weather is regularly sunny, adding to the surf-life atmosphere beginners require to convince themselves it's worth it to keep venturing into the frigid water. More important, the waves are generally smaller. Owing to a lack of arctic storms in the Gulf of Alaska – where the giant waves the annoyingly good surfers tear up all winter long are generated – the swells are small, few, and far between. There are hundreds of great spots for beginners a day trip away from San Francisco. Most will want to pick a spot where rental gear, lessons, and other people who will notice if you're drowning are nearby.

A short drive south of San Francisco, the quiet suburb of Pacifica sits across the county line in San Mateo, and the 15-minute trip on Highway 1 offers enough coastline scenery to make you feel like you've left the concrete jungle far behind. This section of the coast is typically foggy and overcast, which surf newbies might find discouraging. But Pacifica's Linda Mar Beach lies in what's known as the Banana Belt, a ravine that typically blocks out the fog, leaving the beach sunny. First-timers can rent from two surf shops right at the beach. The always courteous Sonlight Surfshop at the south end of Linda Mar offers rentals, new and used surfboards, wet suits, and lessons. The 15-year-olds who work at NorCal Surf Shop at the north end of the beach will surely give you some attitude, but they've got rental boards and suits, lessons, and a fairly well-stocked selection of new and used boards for sale. Sonlight Surfshop, 575 Crespi, Pacifica. (650) 359-5471. NorCal Surf Shop, 5460 Cabrillo Hwy., Pacifica. (650) 738-9283.

If you keep going down Highway 1, you'll soon reach northern California surfing's Valhalla, Santa Cruz. Don't be intimidated by the stories of fierce locals bashing Sili Valley types for dropping in on waves. If you're a beginner, Santa Cruz has the best break in all of California for you to learn at: Cowells Beach.

At the north end of the ancient and totally depressing Santa Cruz Boardwalk, the waves at Cowells gently peel left to right off the point where you'll find the famous Steamers Lane on the northern side. (Beginners: Do not confuse Steamers with Cowells. If you do, you may not make it out.) Cowells's gentle, slow-peeling wave is perfect for learners, even when it's crowded, which it usually is. Keep in mind that low tide is the best time for this break.

There are so many places to rent surfboards near Cowells that it would be ridiculous to list them here, but if you're interested in getting a lesson, check out world-renowned big-wave surfer Richard Schmidt's Santa Cruz-based surf school, with beginner lessons at Cowells. Schmidt is known to be a great teacher at all levels, making sure everyone gets what he or she needs out of the lesson. Richard Schmidt School of Surfing, 849 Almar, Box 192, Santa Cruz. (831) 423-0928.

The $5 Golden Gate Bridge toll to get back into the city is no fun, but Marin has a couple of great beginner spots worth checking out. Take 101 north, get off at the Stinson Beach/Mill Valley exit, and follow the road signs to Stinson Beach. The south end of the beach is typically the best, with more peaks and generally a better swell coming from the north. The town is quiet and bucolic – besides, nobody's afraid of Marin kids getting rough over turf wars. If you need to rent boards and a wet suit, you'd better stop at Marin Surf Sports in Mill Valley to get set up; the surf shop in town is more focused on clothing than on equipment. Marin Surf Sports, 254 Shoreline Hwy., Mill Valley. (415) 381-9283.

Even better than Stinson and less well known is Bolinas. The town's residents are famous for their distaste for anyone knowing their town exists (how do you get famous for lack of exposure?). But they've got two great breaks for beginners, a new surf shop with rental equipment, and a long-standing surf school now running out of the new shop. The first of the two breaks is at the mouth of the Bolinas Lagoon. Follow the main road into town until it ends at the beach; you can see the break from there. The other one is a little farther north. From the main road, take a right on Brighton Avenue and follow it to the beach; you can see the break from there. 2-Mile Surf Shop and Bolinas Surf Lessons, 22 Brighton, Bolinas. (415) 868-0264.

Down 'n' dirty

People in the mountain bike scene say the sport was born in Marin, more accurately on Mount Tamalpais, so it's no surprise downhill mountain biking spots abound all over the Bay Area. The following ones are farther afield but guaranteed to get your heart pumping, and not exactly from peddling uphill. Downhill mountain biking is fast, fun, and very fucking dangerous. Please wear fully protective body armor, or at least a helmet.

The Downieville Downhill, located near the gold-country town of Downieville (population 300) in the Sierra Nevada northeast of Lake Tahoe, is an epic ride that drops 4,500 feet over 15 snaky miles. The Downieville Downhill can be sort of like trying to drive while talking on the cell phone; don't spend too long looking at the great vistas or you're going to eat shit.

The Downieville Outfitters can get you set up with a shuttle and rental bikes if necessary. Downieville's quite a haul from San Francisco, so consider staying in town or camping at one of several nearby campgrounds. The Yuba River, great for a frigid rinse after a terrifying race down the mountain, is a good enough reason to stick around, maybe even for a day of rafting. Downieville Outfitters, 208 Main, Downieville. (530) 289-0155.

The well-known ski resort Northstar-at-Tahoe may suck during the winter months, but come summertime, Northstar offers the best ski lift-accessed mountain biking around. It's nothing but fast downhill all day long – no climbing nothing, just tons of jumps and burms and other things to scare the shit out of you. You have to wait until the snow melts, so the official opening date of the mountain bike park (closed Tues.-Wed.) is set for June 20. Expect to shell out for the convenience of the lifts. Check Northstar's Web site for prices and directions. Northstar-at-Tahoe, (530) 562-1010 or 1-800-466-6784, www.skinorthstar.com.

If you're looking for something closer than the Sierras but you're tired of the Tamalpais crowd, try Skeggs Point, a.k.a. El Corte de Madera, off Skyline Boulevard in San Mateo County. Skeggs Point has about a gazillion miles of everything from vicious downhill single-track trails to meandering fire roads. The amazing terrain varies from dry and dusty to lush and ferny. Watch out for second-growth redwoods and, on weekends, hikers.

Skate trip

Northern California skate parks suck when compared with Oregon parks – everybody who skates knows that. Granted, there have been a few – I repeat, few – decent skate parks built near San Francisco in the last couple of years (Ripon and Sunnyvale), but even those suck next to almost everything in Oregon. So now that summer is here and the rain has stopped up north (maybe), it's time for the skate trip.

Once you reach Ashland, just across the Oregon border on I-5, you can hit a great skate park every half hour until Portland. They get even better if you come back down on Highway 1, so pick a long weekend at least. Leaving a couple of hours for each one – plus time for food, drinking, maybe a little sleep – that's plenty of parks ready to leave you damaged until next summer. Here's a rundown of the best parks on your way to and from Burnside in Portland. Phone numbers included are for each town's city hall, the best place to get info.

Ashland's park has a bit of everything, from a big triple bowl to a snake run. This one will get you primed for the bigger shit you have yet see. Garfield Skate Park, E. Hersey Street at Water Street, Ashland, Ore. (541) 488-6002.

The park in Talent – that's right, Talent – is wide open, with tons of lines. Talent Skate Park, E. Main Street at John Street, Talent, Ore. (541) 535-1566.

Medford is big – not the city, but the park. A concrete half-pipe, smooth transitions, and a huge bowl make this park a must-skate. Bear Creek Skate Park, Highland Drive at Siskiyou Boulevard, Medford, Ore. (541) 744-2000.

Aumsville's park is another huge one, similar to Talent in that it's wide open, with endless lines, but with bigger walls, better coping, and less street crap. Brian Haney Memorial Skate Park, Main Street at 13th Street, Aumsville, Ore. (503) 749-2030.

Just south of Portland off I-5, Newberg's skate park is hailed by many as the best in the world. Well, those are opinions, but Newburg is huge, unbelievably big, with hips, vert walls, and everything California parks are lacking. Chehalem Skate Park, 1201 Blaine, Newberg, Oregon. (503) 538-7454.

Burnside in the morning. That's the best time to go if you're from out of town and aren't skating with a local friend. Burnside is history, even if it doesn't measure up to the new parks popping up all over Oregon. Burnside Bridge, Second Avenue at Ash Street, Portland, Ore. Phone number not available.

Following the coast south from Portland, you'll find Lincoln City. The park there is a must-not-miss, with big walls and smooth lines, but it's crowded and dangerous. Kirtsis Park, N.E. Reef Street at N.E. 22nd Avenue, Lincoln City, Ore. (541) 994-2131.

Port Orford's coastline park is the home of the "cradle," an upright bowl waiting to toss unsuspecting skaters onto their heads. You have been warned – wear a goddamn helmet. Buffington Park, 13th St. at Arizona, Port Orford, Ore. (541) 332-3681.