Entrance to pier and the hot dog hut. Photo credit: Evie Vetterlein Wozniak
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Rick Diamond
Rick Diamond
Interviewed by Camille Antinori and Rob Bermudez, September 27, 2024
Sometimes growing up, our lives are intersected by what appears to be an unusual character who makes a profound impact. Such was role of Smokey, a friend of Rick Diamond's parents, both professors at Cal, where Smokey also worked. She would take Rick and his siblings, a brother and a sister, down to the waterfront to fish. He recalls all the fishermen on the pier who would let them peek into the buckets of strange, exotic creatures from the Bay. While Rick does not describe himself as a fisherman, the experience started a life-long connection to the shoreline, which he visits several times a week. He relates an enlightening moment with his brother and the famed Hot Dog Man, as well as stories of playing in Cesar Chavez Park when President Reagan's National Guard landed, the origin of Adventure Playground, and Berkeley's relationship with public art. He describes the kids' experience of the waterfront much like others in this series characterize it - like going out your backdoor and having it all there for fun and exploration. He talks of his vision for the future of the waterfront, opposition to large-ferry traffic development plans, missing the people on the pier and the joy of seeing the diversity of people still here.
Image: Pier observation tower and The Hot Dog man, courtesy of Evelin Wozniak
Clip
Clip
Rick Diamond Clip - MP3 (5.6 MB)
Image: Sculpture of lighthouse with artist's foot in foreground. An example of the "found-art" popular in Berkeley. Courtesy of Rick Diamond
Three kids on the Berkeley Pier, 1977. Photo credit: Evie Vetterlein Wozniak
Full Interview
Full Interview
Topics (in order):
Topics (in order):
Feral kids
Mom's friend from work, Smokey, introducing Rick and his siblings to the waterfront, pier and fishing
Image of buckets on the pier filled with fish swimming
Never caught a fish
Experience at waterfront as formative
My go-to place
Fishing is boring!
Heliport and the National Guard landing with troops at Cesar Chavez Park to control protests - so kite-flying that day
The Hot Dog Man
The Zen priest and The Hot Dog Man
Celebrating birthdays at the marina
How marina experience got him outdoors
Missing the people who used to be on the pier
The anatomically correct Archer statue and the Public Arts Council
Trash to Park: the extraordinary transition of Cesar Chavez Park
The Ugly People Sculpture
Adventure Playground: origin of design concept
The meaning of having a waterfront
Who is the Bay and the park for?
Restore the pier and get better access to it
Not a fan of the ferry idea: keep as open and natural as an urban space can be
Large families who picnic at Shorebird Park
It's the outdoor space for the whole city
Bringing kids to Adventure Playground
It's a generational thing
Full interview transcript
Full interview transcript
Citation (APA style):
Diamond, R., Antinori, C., and Bermudez R. Exploring Intergenerational and Community Connections to the Outdoors. (2024). Interview with Rick Diamond, conducted by Camille Antinori and Rob Bermudez. September 27, 2024. [Pdf] Retrieved from the Berkeley Fishing Memories Oral History Project:
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