The Carlsbad Gap: a retrospective of a world-famous skating locale on its final day

Seannie Bryan

The construction equipment demolished the Gap in six minutes, ending 18 years of skating history. On its last day, its first rider, Kris Markovich, jumped the Gap for the final time.

The famous Carlsbad Gap, located on the south side of the Carlsbad High campus, was demolished on Feb. 23 in a $86 million renovation project to update the 54-year-old school and make way for the new student parking lot.  The removal of the challenging jump marks the end of one of the most historic skateboarding spots in the world.

Featured in countless professional skate videos, magazines and photos, the gap’s fame is internationally known by every skateboarder and requires bravery to even attempt a simple ollie.

“The gap is crazy. It’s a big part of skateboarding and I look up to the people who skate it,” senior Christian Foley said. “If you skate, you know about the Carlsbad Gap.”

The Carlsbad Gap is unique from any other skate spot because of its difficult obstacles.

First, at the end of the slab of grass, there is a wall jutting up to meet the skater, challenging him to clear it.

Next, there’s a crack at the top and the bottom that skaters must avoid.

Finally, there’s the infamous uphill landing. The concrete has an upward slope, making it practically impossible to roll away. It creates a huge impact which throws skaters to the floor time after time, leaving bruises, and, for the unlucky, broken bones.

Professional skateboarder Kris Markovich, the first to land a jump, even admits that the Carlsbad Gap has defeated him countless times.

“If you’re one of the lucky humans to make it within the first couple tries, and you walk away unscathed, and you’re riding away, there’s no greater feeling than that,” Markovich said. “There’s been several times where I’ve walked away from here just beat up.”

An optical allusion, the obstacles of the Carlsbad Gap aren’t obvious on video. For people who have never seen the gap in person, they cannot fully grasp its uniqueness.

“There’s people that watch it on video and think it doesn’t look that big because its not really that big, but there’s just the other elements of it,” Markovich said. “Until you’re actually there and actually see it, feel it, jump down it, you’re never going to know.”

Many of the best skaters from around the world traveled to Carlsbad just to attempt the jump. Each newly completed trick brought a higher level of difficulty as skaters tried to out do anybody before them, nailing the most insane tricks nobody would consider trying.

“My favorite trick that’s been done down the gap is Kris Markovich’s kick flip because he was the first one to get a real trick down it,” junior Christian Leone said.

The gap was put on the map by Markovich, who was the first to kick flip and roll away from the gap 18 years ago. Nobody ever tried more than the basics until Jeremy Wray broke the basic trick seal with a frontside 360 in his part in the Plan B Skateboards Second Hand Smoke video.

“When we skated it back when I kick flipped it, that time we were there it wasn’t even the Carlsbad Gap. There was no allure to it,” Markovich said. “There was nothing special about. It was just a gap.”

Wray’s frontside 360 was recognized by everybody in the skating industry. Even professional skateboarder and Carlsbad High School graduate Kenny Hoyle admires his game changing trick.

“If you watch [Wray’s] back heel down it, you wonder how did he make that so easily?” Hoyle said. “It looked so easy. He landed it perfect.”

Since then, every big name in the skating industry wanted a taste of the infamous gap, starting a race to land the next biggest trick. As a proving ground, skaters came to the gap to make a name of themselves and to be seen on the skateboarding map.

“You can do a trick down something, but if you do it down the Carlsbad Gap, then it’s like okay, you’ve done something that’s of some importance,” Markovich said.

For the past 18 years, the Carlsbad Gap has challenged skaters from across the globe, pushing them to their breaking point mentally and physically, daring them to try one last trick.

On Feb. 23, the gap was demolished, leaving only concrete rubble in its place. Broken bones heal and bruises fade away with time, but the notoriety of the Gap’s trials and the experiences tackling the daunting obstacle will endure in the minds of the world’s most famous skaters.

“I was just out skating street and we saw a couple of things there and then I just felt obligated to jump it because I was there,” professional skateboarder Tony Hawk said. “For me, I remember jumping it and it was frightening.”

The Carlsbad Gap meets its end.

Kris Markovich, Kenny Hoyle, and CHSTV head into the demolished areas of CHS.

Vice Principals Tom Bloomquist and Bill Lord pose in front of the Carlsbad Gap.

Kris Markovich poses with construction workers.

Markovich searches for the best board to jump the Gap with.

Standing at the top of the Gap, Markovich mentally prepares himself for one last jump.

Markovich leaves the ground on the bare bones of the Carlsbad Gap.

After reaching the peak of the jump, Markovich lands an ollie.

Markovich attempts a final kick flip.

Markovich takes a second jump.

A crowd of fellow skateboarders comes to witness the destruction of the Gap itself.

Markovich bids "Good bye and good riddance" to the famous jump.

The equipment looms as the destruction time arrives.

The equipment comes to begin the destruction.

The equipment begins the first blows against the concrete and slope.

Those returning to the Gap for the last time.

After the wall is gone, the stairs shortly follow.

Carlsbad High School Principal Dr. Steitz watches the destruction.

Onlookers make sure to capture the final moments of the Gap.

The construction workers watch the destruction along with the other visitors.

The equipment slowly pulls apart the famous stairs.

Pro skateboarders Markovich and CHS alum Kenny Hoyle sign pieces of the Gap.

Markovich looks over the final destruction.

During an interview, Markovich holds on to a small piece of the rubble.

Markovich signs pieces of the concrete for construction workers.

The Carlsbad Gap after it's destruction will now live in the history of skateboarding.

CHS alum Kenny Hoyle poses in front of the wreckage.

A final signature.

Although the Gap was destroyed, a lighthearted mood remained among the crowd.

Kris Markovich poses with Tom Bloomquist and a little piece of history.

The crowd leaves behind what is left of the famous jump.

Markovich's young son grabs a final piece of the location that began his father's career.

Photos: Seannie Bryan, staff photographer

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For more information on end of the Carlsbad Gap check out these links:

Article: The Carlsbad Gap achieves fame beyond the grave

by Shon Cagungun, assistant editor

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Podcast: The Carlsbad Gap’s Final Day 

by Bryanna Mundy, reporter

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Interview: Professional skateboarders Kris Markovich and Kenny Hoyle, CHS alum, discuss the importance and history of the Gap.

Interview conducted by Shelby Rowe, editor-in-chief and Bryanna Mundy, reporter

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Video: R.I.P. Carlsbad Gap

Created for The Lancer Link by Tanner Rowe, CHS Film Academy alumnus