Balancing on four wheels is so important to them, Garret Marks and Eric Ehler don’t know why people avoid skateboarding. “I’ve always wondered that,” Marks said. “What do people do who don’t skate?”They love it so much, they can hardly go a day without it. “Just that noise of just pushing down the Embarcadero and just being able to smell the ocean air,” Ehler said. “That is therapy in and of itself.”Ehler is a pizza chef who owns Outta Sight Pizza in San Francisco. Marks is the beverage director at Mister Jiu’s in Chinatown. When they are not working, they are together skating around the city. “Just the freeness,” Marks said. “You can pick a different direction and go whichever way you want.”The two have been skateboarding since they were young, but they represent an interesting group of San Franciscans—many in the hospitality industry are skateboarders. “The chefs who I know who skated have been skating since they were young, have kind of since fell out of it,” Ehler said. Sometimes, it has helped others land jobs. “I’ve hired some of my bartenders and barbacks from just skating around,” Marks said. “At one point, the whole bar was all skaters.”They say working in that industry is not for the faint of heart, especially in the years following the pandemic. Long hours and long nights can create a level of anxiety that would crush them. However, through skateboarding, they can leave all of those stresses behind. “I blackout at times,” Marks said. “My just goes blank, I don’t think of anything.”Especially when others around can relate.”No matter where you’re at, you’ll have people who will have your back,” he said. “They will just accept you for being a part of the community.”See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

SAN FRANCISCO —

Balancing on four wheels is so important to them, Garret Marks and Eric Ehler don’t know why people avoid skateboarding.

“I’ve always wondered that,” Marks said. “What do people do who don’t skate?”

They love it so much, they can hardly go a day without it.

“Just that noise of just pushing down the Embarcadero and just being able to smell the ocean air,” Ehler said. “That is therapy in and of itself.”

Ehler is a pizza chef who owns Outta Sight Pizza in San Francisco. Marks is the beverage director at Mister Jiu’s in Chinatown. When they are not working, they are together skating around the city.

“Just the freeness,” Marks said. “You can pick a different direction and go whichever way you want.”

The two have been skateboarding since they were young, but they represent an interesting group of San Franciscans—many in the hospitality industry are skateboarders.

“The chefs who I know who skated have been skating since they were young, have kind of since fell out of it,” Ehler said.

Sometimes, it has helped others land jobs.

“I’ve hired some of my bartenders and barbacks from just skating around,” Marks said. “At one point, the whole bar was all skaters.”

They say working in that industry is not for the faint of heart, especially in the years following the pandemic. Long hours and long nights can create a level of anxiety that would crush them. However, through skateboarding, they can leave all of those stresses behind.

“I blackout at times,” Marks said. “My just goes blank, I don’t think of anything.”

Especially when others around can relate.

“No matter where you’re at, you’ll have people who will have your back,” he said. “They will just accept you for being a part of the community.”

See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel