Iconic “China Banks” skate spot in San Francisco’s Chinatown set for demolition

By CBS Bay Area

The jackhammers echoing through San Francisco’s Portsmouth Square this week may sound like noise to most people, but to skateboarders, it’s the sound of history being torn down.

The Portsmouth Square pedestrian bridge, known around the world to skateboarders as “China Banks,” is being demolished. Skateboarders have flown in from every continent to ride the banks over the decades, and on Friday, a couple of locals came to say goodbye before the demolition.

“It was just truly incredible,” said Mike Archimedes, known as “Arco,” who is credited with discovering the spot in 1979.

“When I come out here tomorrow, it’s going to shed a tear for a souvenir. Because this is where I grew up,” Arco said.

For decades, the steep concrete bank connecting Portsmouth Square and the Hilton wasn’t just a bridge — it was a proving ground for skateboarders, and legends were made there.

“I must’ve been around nine years old when I saw the structure here and it looked like something I saw with the popular skateboarding magazine at the time so I was like — maybe you could do that,” Arco said.

No architect ever designed the bridge with skateboarding in mind, but Arco says that’s exactly what made it last.

“Brought so many generations of people to interpret their style of skateboarding upon this,” he said.

According to the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, 77% of Chinatown residents wanted the bridge gone, arguing it blocked light and took up valuable space in what many call “Chinatown’s living room.” The bridge will be removed piece by piece starting this weekend.

Greg Smith, who goes by “Schmitty,” is one of the creators behind a documentary about the skate spot for Thrasher Magazine.

“Hearing it and seeing it is just very real,” Smith said. “It is a real big bummer.”

The difficulty of skating China Banks made landing a trick there come with serious prestige, Smith said.

“I have so many friends that moved here from the East Coast because of things like China Banks, Fort Miley, Embarcadero,” he said.

Still, both Smith and Arco say skateboarding doesn’t need the bridge to survive.

“Skateboarding will never die — yeah, it’s the greatest thing ever,” Arco said. “I mean, we’ll tear some things down, but you can’t tear skating down.”

By the end of the weekend, China Banks will be gone, but skaters say its influence — and its footage — will outlast the concrete.

Developers say the bridge’s removal marks a major milestone for the Portsmouth Square Improvement Project, adding 20,000 square feet of usable park space. Kearny Street will be fully closed between Clay and Washington streets Saturday and Sunday, and again next weekend.