At Sea Rocket, we're about getting to know our local land and culture. Skateboarding may not have much to do with food, but if you're looking for deep roots in San Diego, it's got 'em. Brian Fick will be showing his skateboard photography at Sea Rocket with an opening celebration on March 7th.

Brian and I started skateboarding around the same time in the mid-80s, but in different parts of the country. We both moved to San Diego in the early 00s and got to skate together a lot on the various vert ramps around the county. From there, Brian became a photographer and I got into small businesses. Our paths are crossing again on March 7th when we get to showcase his work at Sea Rocket.

Not just anyone can take skate photos the way Brian does. One of the reasons his photos represent skating so well is because he's also a damn good skater. Okay, I've never seen him land a tweeked out 540 indy, but I've seen him come really close. And not only that, he's got a big bag of tricks.

When you know what you're doing both behind the camera and on the board, the photos rise to another level. You're hanging out with the people who will make great subjects for your photos and you know what you want to look for. You know what angle captures the skating and the terrain the best. You know when it's worth it to keep shooting until you get the best shot. There's a lot more to it than that, I'm sure, from a photographic and artistic perspective, but I'd likely stick my foot in my mouth trying to describe it beyond my understanding of it as a skateboarder.

If you didn't know, San Diego has deep roots for skating. The first time rollerskate trucks were combined with a wooden plank was in 1947 by Peter Parken, a local San Diego surfer. By the 70's, there were skate parks in Spring Valley, Carlsbad, Vista, Escondido, La Mesa, and El Cajon, and in 1978, the legendary Del Mar Skateboard Ranch opened, the place where Tony Hawk got his start. Skateboarding died in the early 80's and Upland and Del Mar where the only two parks left. You had skaters from around the world buying one way tickets to San Diego and practically living at the skate park until it closed in 1987 because the property owners decided the park's clientele wasn't what would bring them the most money in the long term in terms of property value.

Skating went through ups and downs through the 80s and into the 90s. In the 90s, H-Street started in San Diego, including the amazing Danny Way, and then Plan-B grew out of that. Today, San Diego is so loaded with skate-related companies and the world's best skateboarders that it's mind blowing, especially for a skater who grew up in the boondocks.

On Sunday, March 7th from 4-10pm, we're celebrating Brian's photography work and our local skateboarding heritage at Sea Rocket Bistro. We'll be serving up some of our lunch food for dinner, so come enjoy sloppy joe's made with pastured pork, fish tacos with local, wild-caught fish, and other food and drink specials. It's going to be crowded, so if you want a relaxing dinner please come at 4pm right when we start serving.

Maybe some of us will meet up down at the Washington Street Park for a little pre-party session.

Hope to see you there!