Desert Pipes and Beyond - Arizona Skateboarding Pioneers

Step into the sun-scorched desert pipes, backyard pools, and first generation skateparks of Arizona’s skateboarding history. Desert Pipes and Beyond is an awesome photo tribute to the pioneers who shaped the early desert skate culture from the 1970's and Eighties. Through rare photographs, personal stories, and archival insights, author Steve Pingleton (aka: Ping!) documents the evolution of Arizona’s skate scene—from giant concrete pipes in the desert to the rise of legendary skate spots like the Love Bowls, and secret underground pipes and many epic pools and first generation skateboard parks. Featuring 80 pages of original photography and commentary, this book captures the grit, creativity, and community that defined generations of skaters in the Southwest. Whether you grew up riding in the heat or are discovering the roots of Arizona desert skateboarding for the first time, Desert Pipes and Beyond is a must-have for fans of skate history, culture, and nostalgia. I have spent years digitally scanning & restoring my archives of 45 year old 35mm negatives & slides, and I started this book way back in 2018. I also found several old photos I had long forgotten and never published before. I have also collected many old “war stories” and epic skate photos from my old Arizona friend’s personal collections.What’s Inside • Stories and profiles of Arizona skateboarding pioneers • Rare photos from the desert‑pipe era • A deep dive into the spots, culture, and Sonoran desert skateboarding spirit • 80 pages of high‑quality print with full‑color photos I put a lot of work into this project, especially in the last year, but this book was a labor of love for me. I wanted to share the photos, memories, and history of growing up during the Golden Age of Skateboarding in the late Seventies & Eighties, that I have collected over the years. Whether you grew up skating the desert pipes, love skateboarding culture, or just want a unique coffee‑table book, this is a great piece of epic Southwest skateboarding history. Read more