Skateboarders Nationwide Restless; A problem that needs
attention?
Skateboarding. A sport that only requires a board and four
wheels. One needs only seventy to one hundred dollars to get
one. It seems pretty simple, doesn't it? Well it's not, and for
one important reason.
On a typical day, a skateboarder usually gets up at about
10a.m., throws their board in the trunk of their car, puts a Bad
Religion tape in the tape player, picks up several other skaters
and sets off to find a good spot to aggressively push their
bodies to doing the unthinkable. Defying gravity, stretching the
laws of physics and subjecting themselves to much physical pain
and discipline all in a day's work. Everyone takes turns trying
new moves and cheering each other on, a sport with no pressure to
do better than anyone else, there are no winners or losers. You
skate until you are exhausted, and go to bed early only to wake
up and repeat the process the next morning.
Skateboarders are mostly straight-edge, which means that
they do not use drugs, or alcohol. This is because
skateboarding, and improving requires almost constant practice.
This determination in only clouded by the effects of drugs.
Anyway when one performs an intricate maneuver flawlessly, the
rush is greater than any pot or coke. Unfortunately, this cannot
happen when a skater is denied access to their sanctuaries, there
favorite spot. A good example is given by Johnston foster- "Last
summer, me and some friends were skating at Phi Beta Kappa Hall,
the theater at the College of William and Mary. I pulled a phat
360 kickflip down the three steps out front. The session was
hot, we were all on (landing most attempted tricks) and it wasn't
too hot out side. We all sat down to rest and then heard sirens
in the distance. We saw a blue and white William and Mary Police
officers' car pull into the parking lot. We got ready to run,
but then realized it was too late. The officer made
generalizations and decided that we are the skateboarders that
previous complaints had been made about. Not listening to our
sides of the story, the officer proceeded to write me and five
others, ages ranging from 11-17 trespass warnings, stating that
we are not allowed to be on the William and Mary campus for a
year. The thing that sucks is that we had never been asked to
leave by anyone before, no one at Phi Beta warned us and no signs
were posted. How could she do that? How are we supposed to
practice with such unnecessary consequences? It=s really
frustrating.@ (interview Foster)
Good areas to skate are few and far between in most cities.
A good spot (place to skate) has curbs and ledges (preferably
made out of marble), stairs with hand-rails and lots of flat,
smooth concrete. Also, skaters prefer drop-offs from sidewalks,
or "banks", which are inclinations which are used to separate
uneven levels in parking garages, tennis courts or parking lots.
These things that make up the composition of a good spot. Good
spots are usually schools, hotels, college campuses or business
plazas, which are all illegal to skate. They are illegal to
skate for a few reasons. When a skateboarder practices with his
friends, called a "session", they usually fly down stairs, and
grind on curbs or handrails. Grinding requires jumping up onto a
ledge, curb or handrail and scraping the metal wheel connectors,
called "trucks" on the edge of the object, and then jumping down
with a smooth landing. Well, this "grinding" scrapes the paint
off of the curbs or handrails and chips expensive marble ledges.
This is destruction of private property as well as trespassing
and can result in lawsuits, fines, or being arrested.
Many local skateboarders sympathize with Johnston Foster=s
opinions on a lack of area to practice. Billy Sheeran commented
on the subject, AThe nearest functional skateboard park is
located in Hampton(Virginia), and many skateboarders are too
young to drive.@ (interview Sheeran) Many reasons tie into the
need for a local public skateboard areas. A local skatepark can
help keep local skaters out of trouble, and keep local businesses
and Police officers happy.
Skateboarders have this problem of a lack of area to
practice because of the many rules and regulations making it
illegal to skateboard. Many different factors tie into the
limited area to skate. One factor is the Virginia state law
number 46.2-932. The law states ANo person shall play on a
highway, other than on the sidewalks thereof, within a city or
town or on any part of a highway outside the limits of a city or
town designated by the Commonwealth Transportation Commissioner
exclusively for vehicular travel@ (interview Davis). Many people
are aware of the lack of areas for skateboarding, A Williamsburg
police officer, Lt. Doug Davis, said that he is sympathetic to
the skateboarders= problem and knows they have nowhere to go.
(interview Davis)
This problem is not just evident in Williamsburg. Michael
Price, a principal of a middle school in California, often has to
ask skateboarders to leave and says he would prefer to offer them
an alternative site, but doesn=t know of any place public or
private where they can go. (Rodgers 95) Quinn Taylor, a sixteen
year old Williamsburg skateboarder said, AKids get discouraged
when they get kicked out of a good spot. When kids get bored,
they usually start to find other things to do, such as go
tagging(vandalizing with spraypaint) or start using drugs.@
(interview Taylor). A skater in Leesburg, Va named Phillip Beam
provided a similar response, AIf you keep getting kicked out, it
becomes pointless to continue trying.@ AAnd most people just get
idle. That=s when people get turned on to drugs and alcohol.@
"They do this to take up the hours they used to spend skating,
and try to get the rush they used to feel." (Chandrasekaran 95).
The City of Williamsburg Police Department reported that
most of the calls they receive involving skateboarders are when
skateboarders skate on privately owned property such as schools
and businesses. These areas are the most desired by
skateboarders because of their handrails, planters, steps and
curbs. (Matsuda 95) A San Diego newspaper commented on the same
subject, AMore often than not, skateboarders practice their sport
illegally by sneaking onto school campuses, parking garages or
other places with an abundance of hardscape@. (Rodgers 95)
Enough complaints lead to city ordinances outlawing
skateboarding. The cities dub these laws as Alaws to protect
quality of life@. North Arlington recently adopted an ordinance
banning skateboarding on public property. (Tedeschi 95) Another
example is how Tampa, Florida recently banned skateboarding in
it=s downtown area. (Lammers 95) Lt. Doug Davis offered some
insight as to why business owners became be so upset with
skateboarders invading their parking lots and sidewalks. Lt.
Davis commented that the merchants are worried about business
being driven away and liability problems that might occur if a
pedestrian was injured by a careless speeding skateboarder.
(interview Davis) He said AOlder people aren=t used to kids
whizzing by on skateboards, they can=t move very fast and are
afraid they might get hit. People will sue you for anything.@
(interview Davis)
These problems support the local need for a public area for
skateboarders to practice. Billy Sheeran, 16, said he would even
be happy with a smooth parking lot where they could bring
obstacles to skate. (interview Sheeran) In Indianapolis, the
city council recently proposed a local skateboard park. The idea
is greatly accepted by the inhabitants of the town, including
Bryan Howard, 18, who said AThe Broad Ripple park idea is prime.
It=s beautiful.@ AAs long as we can go into the park, we can
lose Broad Ripple (a local business area where people skate).@
(O=Neal 95). Another local skateboarder in the same area said
AWe=re just having fun with no real place to go.@ AIf they made a
skate park, it would help. We hang out in Broad Ripple because
it=s the only place to go.@ (O=Neal 95). David Kersey, a skater
in Leesburg, Virginia said AWe don=t want to cause trouble, we=re
just looking for a place to skate.@ (Chandrasekaran 95). The
town officials in Leesburg are studying the feasibility of a
skateboarding and rollerblading area as we speak.
The idea of constructing a Williamsburg skateboarding area
is very possible. Lt. Davis commented on the topic, AIt=s worth
a try in my opinion. I don=t think anyone has ever approached
the city council before.@ (interview Davis). A Williamsburg
skater, Quinn Taylor, 16, said a local skateboard park would be
great because it could provide teenagers with jobs and give kids
a place to go, keeping them out of trouble. (interview Taylor)
If the suggestion of a skateboarding area was brought up at
a city council meeting and was approved, Taylor said that the
local skaters should be able to provide input and would be glad
to help raise money or help with construction. (interview
Taylor) This would be useful to the success of the idea because
when the city of Davis, California opened a skateboard park in
1992, the design was out of date, and because of this, the
skateboard park is not used as often as was expected. (Matsuda
94). Even with current parks built in coordination with local
skaters, one must contemplate whether or the kids will want to be
limited to a small area. Skateboarding requires grace,
dedication and inspiration. This may not be easily achieved with
having to travel to a skatepark, or abiding by annoying rules
that skate parks require (such as wearing protective gear). With
proper supervision and help from the local skateboarders, at
least the skaters all across the country will at least have one
guaranteed option.
Skateboarders Nationwide Restless;
A problem that needs attention?
English 101
Works Cited
Chandrasekaran, Rajiv. ASkateboarders seek pavement.@
Washington Post 20 April 1995, sec. Weekly-Virginia: V1
Davis, Doug. Interview, October 24th, 1996
Foster, Johnston. Interview, October 23, 1996
Lammers, Dirk. ASkateboarders learn freestyle had price, Police
say this week they=ll step up enforcement of the downtown
skateboard ban.@ The Tampa Tribune 3 April 1995, sec.
Peninsula: 1
Matsuda, Jeff. ASkateboard Sanctuary@ Sacramento Bee 28 April,
1994, sec. Neighbors: N1
O=Neal, Kevin. ACouncil bans skateboards, Broad Ripple business
owners had complained.@ The Indianapolis News 18 July
1995, sec. News: A1.
Rodgers, Terry. ASkateboarders practice craft under cloud.@ The
San Diego Union-Tribune 28 December 1995, sec. Local: B-1.
Sheeran, William. Interview. October 23, 1996
Taylor, Quinn. Interview, October 23, 1996
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