Abstract: A disk drive spindle air bearing includes an air bearing gap between a pair of air bearing surfaces that varies as a function of radial distance from an axis of rotation. This non-uniform air bearing gap effectively minimizes contact between the air bearing surfaces of the bearing when the disk drive hub is at rest or spinning below a threshold speed. This reduced contact significantly reduces the stiction forces that must be overcome during disk drive spin up operations and also reduces the generation of wear particles within the bearing. Air bearing surface shaping techniques are provided for achieving the non-uniform gap dimension, including techniques involving crowned, stepped, and sloped surfaces. In an alternative approach, sacrificial plating is employed to achieve a non-uniform gap dimension within the air bearing.