Anti-skateboard devices on the Embarcadero
Posted: September 17th, 2006 | 151 Comments »Anti-skateboard devices are now very common features of urban space. Following the “Defensible Space” concept (the idea that crime and delinquency can be controlled and mitigated through environmental design), some physical elements popped up and reshaped skateboarding practices. What is interesting is that to follow it evolves over time. The Embarcadero, in SF, is interesting for that matter. Relying from my experience of skateboarding and observation of space here are some quick thoughts:
First, skateboarders do jump (ollie, but let’s stay simple) on sidewalks, banks or benches and handrails; a specific trick done after jumping is to “grind”: i.e. to slide on the hangers of the skateboard trucks on any urban element that may fit between the space between the wheels where the truck meets. Proponent of ‘defensible space’ started by adding metal plates on benches or concrete elements:
But the problem is that it did not prevent skateboarders to do “wheelie” (which is called “wheeling” in french): jumping (Ollie) onto an obstacle and rolling all the way with the back or nose wheels (nose = front). So a new kind of elements popped up (I’ve never seem them apart from today in SF, never saw that in SoCal or European cities): bigger metal plates covering the whole obstacle:
(of course some folks removed these plates), so skateboarders were left with lower urban elements (not benches) like delimitations of space (for buses or bicycle tracks); then the marvelous urban planners heightened them with weird plates and cylindric stuff:
Why do I blog this? user/activity-centered design of skateboarding practices may have been conducted to come up with these solutions. Of course, this raises the creativity of skateboarder who will use them to create new skateboarding tricks, but that’s another story. In the end, the average pedestrian might be intrigued or pissed by all those elements that prevent him/her just to sit properly:
On a different note, I blog about that because this is important today. There are two forces at stake: one that drives urban space into this crappy defensible direction and another that tries to create more playful environments.
The Embarcadero was a legendary skate spot and these are pretty clearly antiskating devices, but this same trend often is coupled with a similar one, designing urban benches that are difficult or impossible for anyone to lie down or sleep on. This effects everyone of course, but the targets are just homeless people, who are forced further and further away from the more public spaces, which as it maybe are often the safer places for them to sleep. Both circumstances of course tell us a whole lot about the “target market” of city planners…
Indeed Abe, the “defensible space” concept targets whoever may be “dangerous” for places: homeless people, skateboarder and so forth. In this post, I was more describing the link between the skateboarding mecca (at least in the 90s, from what I remember when being a teenager) and this defensible space idea.
why do they hate on skating at least its something to do
There is no reason for this. skateboarding is a sport just like football so go screw yourselves. dont you all have anything better to do? What do you think you will accomplish by putting this anti skatting things up. what if someone put an anti football thing up in parking lots. everytime someone would throw a football, a sumo wresteler would tackle them and make them bleed.
THis is fucking retarded we could still skate it and if not we will figure out a way to remove them and skate it then. this is only going to cause more conflict between skaters and other citizens.
THESE PRODUCTS WILL NOT STOP US !NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRY, THE ONLY WAY TO GET SKATERS OFF YOUR PROPERTY IS TO GIVE THEM A BETTER PLACE TO SKATE AT!
BUILD A SKATEPARK, END OF STORY
Not to pee on anyone’s parade – and not that I find skateboarding on public property offensive, I don’t. But, in this area (embarcadero/ferry building) – people are coming and going to and from work, and these particular skaters are unusally rude and obnoxious. I’ve seen a board fly off and hit a car. Twice. I’ve also witnessed several people (one, an elderly lady) almost get completely run over. So, if they were a bit more polite with their recreation, I bet this would not have had to happen. (It won’t work anyway.) These skaters give other skaters a bad name.
And while we’re on the subject – the bus shelters with the revolving pads for seats are really uncomfortable to sit on while waiting for the bus. And they were designed for the sole purpose of preventing homeless people from sleeping there.
Good design article, shame about the angry skater comments….I skate and free ride, surf and snow board, and yes, am subject to a fair amount of abuse, no matter how considerate and careful.
It doesn’t matter where you go, the tribal instincts kick in and one group is some how at odds with the other. Long board vs short board; ski vs board; skate vs blade; blah, blah, blah…….What happens if we let eachother play in the way we enjoy, and learn to enjoy the way that other people play or live.
What about urban planning that supports these activities? There is alot through holland, belgium and Australia + NZ.
Sorry, for offtop, but can you help me?
Where I can find the good translator from English to Italian?
plz… its very impotent for me… (I can’t find the good program in Google.).
Even though it’s a great argument to use in obtaining a public skatepark, the fact is skateboarding will always take place in the streets and in public areas. Building public places to skate will pull some of the skaters into those areas if it posesses the elements they enjoy in the streets simply for the hassle-free factor of it. But just rendering the places they actually like to (illegally) skate “un-skateable”, cities only present skaters with a new challenge; to make the spot re-skateable again. Skateboarding is a series of dealing with obstacles and approaching them in different ways. Most of these after-market skate stoppers are easily removed with a little effort.
On Lodon’s south bank we have an area that is perfect for skaters, though not designed to be, and becamse very popular. Being sensible rather than stop people skating the management of the south bank centre incourage it.
If it were not for the fact that skateboards deface and destroy public and private property these measures would not be taken. Instead of blaming others and calling for someone else to build you a place to skate how about someone designing a skateboard that does not cause such damage?
I live in San Clemente CA, and during a recent revamp of the area directly surrounding the local beach I noticed a very stylized version of these. Rather than the standard metal boltish attachments, they’re all shaped as various sea shells – to fit into the beach motif. They actually look pretty nice, and I’m sure most people have no idea what they’re for. I’ll try to snap a picture next time I walk by them.
As somebody who’s faced this issue from the other side, I think I can offer a little insight. I used to work in a light industrial park that had a little bit of green space in it, with concrete benches and trash receptacles along the pathways that went through it. A group of high school kids started hanging out in the area in the afternoon and skating, and after a few weeks I noticed that where they were grinding on the benches, the concrete was getting torn up and there were dark skid marks everywhere. Then, when they got bored with the benches, they started knocking the big, 2-foot square concrete trash receptacles over and grinding on them, too.
I went out one afternoon and tried to have a talk with them, saying that I didn’t mind them being there or skating, but that if they kept doing destructive things like knocking over the trash cans and tearing up the benches, it was only a matter of time before the property management people got pissed and did something about it. They seemed pretty indifferent, and over the next month or so, nothing changed in the way they were treating the area.
You can probably guess what happened next. The trash receptacles got bolted down, those metal corner braces went on all the benches, and all of a sudden, there was a squad car coming through in the middle of the day 2-3 times a week looking for kids cutting school.
I love all the comments that say things like, “you can’t stop us” or “it’s a new challenge to make it re-skateable again.” How about trying not to wear out your welcome in the first place instead? It obviously costs time and money to put up those obstacles, and I’m sure the property owners wouldn’t bother to make the public spaces uglier and less comfortable unless they felt they had to for one reason or another.
I’m so glad, anything to keep those pesky punks off my property I’m happy for!
hey all you skate boarding homos
skateboarding is dead
almost as dead as all your social lives
only reason why i stumbled upon senseless discussion is because im doing three months at state pen for a firearms violation and right now i got fuck all to do but laugh at your pathectic lives as wanabe jeuvinile delinquits
so heres all your fucking wake up calls, you want to skate board go the fuck ahead but dont bitch and complain when a city alters their own property so you skate rats wont pollute the area with your fucking nosense
The reason why urban planners have has to resort to these devices is because of the damage skaters cause to benches, stairs, rails etc. We have a monument dedicated to men who gave their lives, apparently so that morons have the freedom to destroy it with their skateboards.
I know all skaters are not like that, but enough of them are for people to paint the whole bunch as bad.
Okay, this is just like video game puzzles. The first photos solution is a 2×4 and a 2×6 screwed together in an L shape with two notches in it to accomodate the metal brackets. just hang it over the edge on top and voila – your rail is back, and less damaging to your board. When your done, chuck it into the bushes for the next crew.
Second photo is a 2×6 and two cables to hook to the other side. etc
Guys, lets be honest. With a little bit of hard work, these things can be taken off. Sure, it’s a major offence, but who cares. They’re taking away your right to do something you enjoy. This is absurd. Don’t let them hold you down. Break the law. If you can play catch with a friend in this area, you can skate too. There is no difference.
“why do they hate on skating at least its something to do”
Really want the list?
- Destruction of public property
- Insurance
- Danger to non skaters
- Immaturity [as you have demonstrated] of skaters, and their attitudes towards non-skaters.
- Crime levels
To the other children who can’t formulate a sentance without ‘hating on’ others… seriously… grow up. People wouldn’t ‘hate on you’ if you acted a little more mature and realized you’re causing other people undue stress/time/money/etc.
Instead of trying to find ways to stop us from skating and making obstacles look ugly, they could spend their time and money inm finding a way to make the spots skateable but not having the obstacle be ruined… for example putting metal square coping on edges everywhere so that it looks uniform, looks good, doesn’t tear up and is still skateable. I also agree that skaters DO need to look out for other people in their way and not run people over. That gives us a VERY bad name/
Go back to your skate parks, miscreants.
Skate boarding ruins curbs, railings, benches and etc. The costs come to thousands of dollars a year in my city. I don’t think it’s such a bad thing to put anti-skate devices in place, sure they do look a bit ugly, but then again so do the defaced marble steps, scratched park benches etc.
i think it’s a form of vandalism.
I’m in SF so it’s funny you post this…we have this ‘defensive’ architecture EVERYWHERE in SF. Even random buildings far from the known spots. But like one guy mentioned, in many cases it’s about stopping homeless people from camping out. There’s a highway onramp to 101 near Daly City that has a bunch of rock patterns on the ground under a bridge. It’s got nothing to do with skaters, but to keep people from turning them into makeshift villages (there used to be a whole homeless ‘city’ with hundreds of residents under a maze of onramps at Cesar Chavez and 101 for example).
SF has one of the largest homeless populations in the country so that factor is probably an even bigger driver of this type of architecture than skaters…especially in a city where tourism is the largest industry. Tourism is even bigger than all the online and tech businesses we have in SF.
I have never seen skateboarders inconvenience pedestrians. I’m sure it has happened. But I bicycle AND walk and the people that lurch into your path, or cut you off, or just plain plow right into you, are adults, who should bloody well know better. Skateboarders have unfortunately, like bicyclists, perhaps more so, become a form of nigger, to be looked down and acted upon so real criminals and nuisances can be ignored. I’ll gladly overlook their antics in public because no one has convinced me it is preferable to have them be so constricted as to force them to expend their energies, oh, say, robbing people.
Just for the record, I’m 54–and I most emphatically remember what it was like to be young and full of energy. I honestly think we have become such a nation of whiners that it has become imperative to assign those with time enough on their hands to complain about and formulate ways of controlling what amounts to a non-problem compared to REAL PROBLEMS a goddamn hobby.
This is the epitome of the example for which the phrase “get a furshlugginer life” was invented.
skaters are a bunch of vandals. grinding on stuff damages it. this is the only way to stop the a-holes.
Baseball and football are sports but you don’t see baseball and football played on city sidewalks. There are appropriate places for ‘sports.’ City sidewalks and heavy pedestrian traffic areas are not appropriate places for skateboarding. It is a crime to damage public property in most places. If you remove these devices, I hope you lose your skateboards and are prosecuted and punished by fine and/or jail.
Most of you skaters seem to think that defacing (by “grinding”) public property is somehow your god-given right. Well, it’s time for you childish whiners to grow up and understand that WE all pay for these public areas, and YOU don’t.
I guess you’d all be cool with the “Shit Smearing” fad that is about to start soon too? See, smearing shit all over seats in parks, stair rails, and on public transportation will become the new “sport” with loser kids, trying to show how cool they are. Yeah, you’d all be down with that I’m sure….
I agree wholeheartedly with Mike P. I snow ski AND I snowboard. I would have a hard time choosing one over the other if I had to. I love them both.
They are equally fun, but people are always trashing the other, just like skaters, people on bikes or otherwise are always complaining about skateboarders. People should be able to enjoy themselves doing anything, including skateboarding. HOWEVER, it is up to ALL of us to try not to ruin it for everyone by being rude, disrespectful, tearing things up, putting stickers on everything, and being dangerous. It would help SO MUCH if we could have dialogue between city planners, pedestrians, bike riders, skaters, people who drive, everyone. But we can’t, because cities are prejudiced toward certain types of transportation and do not consider all types as agreeable.
As a snowboarder/skier, I think we could benefit greatly from talking together about what would make things more fun, safer, and less frustrating when sharing the mountain. same goes here.
Of course I do see where SF is probably doing this to also curb the homeless. That is a whole other problem right there.
This is ridiculous… Skaters travel from all over the world just to skate these “Legendary” spots. This is a huge chunk of the tourist market that is being wiped out. Look at Love Park in Philly. It cripples the economy. Just look at how popular skateboarding has become in the past 10 years… Jesus Christ, spend our tax dollars on something that matters…
The main problem is that skateboard part builders are not in touch with skateboarders and don’t build what skateboarders want to skate.
The obvious choice for a skate park would be elements found in business parks. But you don’t see that. You see badly formed transitions and tightly packed obstacles.
PS, I have tried to work with builders, but they have no interest in building what skateboarders want. They are only interested in money and filling their portfolio… for the most part.
Hey, you didn’t take photos of all the little octopi and starfish and cast critters they’ve put up that fall in the “killing you with cuteness” anti-skate category.
Those things are designed to stop skaters grinding, that’s a good thing.
People really enjoy sitting on waxed up damaged surfaces because people like to skate on them.
To all skaters, you brought it on yourself.
somebody should just go at night and weld some edging over that
It’s not a problem with skateboards or skateboarders. It’s a problem with the damage skateboards do, and the amount of public space a few are taking. You guys are in denial about it, but just take a look around your environment. Realize that once a piece of concrete starts to chip, it degenerates *very* quickly.
The skateboarders at Embarcadero don’t live there, and a few dozen or even a few hundred would be a tiny minority of the thousands of people who use that space every day. Think about just how much space 10 skateboarders roaming around for an hour takes up compared with how many people will pass through in that time. How many seats does a single pass on a skateboard take up? It’s not like there’s a lot of extra seating there – if there were, there wouldn’t be so many people sitting on the stairs eating lunch.
Go to a skate park. If there isn’t one near by, work to get one created. I mean really work, don’t just whine in blogs. Be realistic about where you’re going to get one too. It’s also only about a 100 yards from Embarcadero to a BART station, so there’s no excuse that you can’t get to someplace with a skate park.
Heather,
A bit off topic, but I’m a skier. I think a lot of the problem some skiers have with boarders is that it’s a lot easier for a boarder to get on to and feel good on a slope that’s really over their head. A skier in too steep *knows* they’re in trouble, and usually gets out after about one run. A boarder can slip down sideways, sit down frequently, and think they’re doing OK. It’s just the nature of how skis work and how boards work.
The result is, on somewhat tougher slopes, you wind up with good skiers, good boarders, and more bad boarders than bad skiers. The good skiers (and the good boarders) are going to see and have to avoid every one of the bad boarders on the way down.
Go down the green slopes, you’ll see bad skiers and bad boarders. Go down the double diamonds, you’ll see hot skier, hot boarders, and plenty of respect. Go down the blues and blacks, you’ll see what I mean. Next time you go (conditions are good right about now), try counting stopped skiers and stopped boarders on a more difficult blue or easy black run.
I think the right dialog to have with the boarders would be about being more aware of their own skill level.
For some boarders, being more aware of where they put their butt down on the trail instead of to the side would also help – but skiers have some bad habits about stopping in the middle too. It’s not as big a problem because skiers tend to stay standing so they’re easier to see, and they tend not to stay for as long, but it’s still bad manners.
it’s a “manual” not a wheelie fyi :
Funny thing this “sport”, I walk the embarcadero many times a week and never in many years have I seen any other sport being played on a heavily crowded sidewalk, would love to see a tag football game attempt to be played. The police would break it up immediately, so count your selves lucky that skating is not the same sport. if you were smart and want to skate try 2am when it is empty of people, doesn’t make it legal but at least you are not disrupting the public use the sidewalk was designed and built for.
I will not feel sorry for any skater that is whinning since they have never been to a city planning meeting nor have ever tried to become involved in local planning. But that will never happen because it would damage the rebel/outcast image that makes the skater who they want to be. Make the effort or shut up!
anti skateboarding devices are a crime.
build a mini ramp in your backyard.
Building more skate parks is an obvious solution, but who do you skaters expect to be just given a place to play. Start putting your own money and sweat equity on the line.
Buy some land of your own and you can ban anyone you want.
When a new public space was built at the end of a pedestrian bridge here in Milwaukee I thought it was an odd design. There are concrete/plastic benches all over, some of them lit from the inside, but instead of concrete surrounding them the entire ground is covered with 2″ round diamter stone. It took me a little bit to figure it out but I assume it is to keep people from skateboarding on them. I agree it is somewhat brought on by the boarders themselves but I also think having a good public skatepark would solve most problems.
Well..If they go far enough with this – the next step is – SWICTH to using Mountain Bikes! Dirt Bikes! Full Suspension monsters for Ripping Up the urban playspots! Those small metal thingies are no problem, and they simply cant install such obstacles in like staircases to prevent jumping em down…
Im an ex-skater from my younger days, nowadays and avid mountain/cityscape biker. ROCK ON BROTHERS! Never let the Evil Empire win!
Another thought…Theyve been doing that around here too, putting metal sticks on curbs etc. Local skaters started hitting back – they bought battery powered power tools, and at night time, or dressed as maintenance men, they simply removed them! I suggest the same thing where applicable. Thou here you can get a small fine mostly for something like that, dont know if the cops will like tazer you in the States for a similar “offense” of cleaning up Public space. And we ARE the public!
Destroying public property is illegal, as well as immoral. I mean, damaging a public good impoverishes everyone in the community who uses it. The skater gets 15 seconds of immature fun. Are skaters really that selfish?
Go to a skate park. If there isn’t one, petition for it, or build it yourselves. Just don’t be miscreants.
Ha ha. You losers can’t skate anymore. Like any of you are smart enough to figure out how to get those things off.
“Skaters” are the poor underdogs – little brothers to surfers. Wannabe kids with no brain and no looks.
Yep – no one wnats you around not the girls, not the grownups- you are the true loosers!!
>>BUILD A SKATEPARK, END OF STORY
ummm, no.
Why should I pay to build a skatepark that I’ll never use? A better idea is for you skaters to pool your money, and build it yourselves.
oh, and please stop running us pedestrains over.
for every public area that is shutdown the city should open an area where skaters can do there thing. imagine your work blocking digg.
Reading people hating on skaters reinforces my reasons why I hate all Americans.
Half our youth is so fat we can’t get them off the couches and their hands outta the chips – but as soon as people start getting athletic in an urban enviornment in a way you don’t like you bitch.
instead of worrying about chasing the skaters off contact your city officials and make sure they know that you want your tax dollars spent on a skate park and not on devices to make your place of business uglier.
I skated for 15 years and its possibly the most productive sports activity anyone can do. Yah we got in trouble – but I had friends that didn’t skate getting in trouble to.
Why do I hate Americans? Cause they want to fix everyones problems as long as it doesn’t affect them and their personal view.
If you don’t like skating in your area – help them get a skatepark instead of coming back with some inbred redneck reply of “GET OFF MY LAWN”.
The reason people have such an issue with skaters is twofold. First, there’s the fact that there are many that are rude and obnoxious. This is not a sweeping generalization either, this is from a lot of firsthand experience.
The second is the fact that this kind of skating destroys property. Grinding shreds concrete, that’s all there is to it. I have no problem with skaters as long as they’re not getting in people’s way, not being assholes, and not destroying things.
I live next to and above the Embarcadero. I love skateboarding, but I hate listening to the clatter of skateboarders late into the night.
Skateboarding can be very noisy – especially to people who are trying to get to sleep. Night time can be a really good time to practice a new trick – there are few pedestrians to get in the way. But each time the board tumbles on the pavement – I get a few minutes less sleep.
I’m sick of hearing the same tired “skateboarders are jerks” or “skateboarders are troublesome”, etc etc. If you take any group of kids I can almost guarantee you that there will be the same ratio of “bad” to “good” kids. It’s that simple. Matter of fact, the kids in my area who skate or BMX are more well mannered than the team sport players. Most all of these kids are in school, working or both. Out of about 20 combined in my city alone, only one has dropped out of High School but has gotten his GED (even though he was home-schooled). One is in school for physical therapy, another is nearing graduation for respiratory therapy. 2 others are “pro” status. One riding for Levi Signature Jeans, Redbull and bicycle companies. Another rides for Target (yes, the store), Right Guard, and other bicycle companies in addition to being in a video game- Mat Hoffman’s Pro BMX 2 for the PS2 & other consoles. I myself am 24 and been in BMX for 8 years, work for NASA and majored in Aerospace Engineering in college with a 3.4 GPA while working. Really fit the stereotype, don’t we?
I agree that for most people we may be annoying, and in all honesty we do tear things up. We all, however, are not spawns of the devil like you wish we were thus making it easier to justify your pre-judgement. On the other hand, I’ve actually gotten hand-written permission from downtown business owners who TRULY feel safer knowing we ride downtown because they trust us, and believe that we actually prevent crime. Imagine that; “bad” bikers & skateboarders actually having a positive impact on society. *rolls eyes*
I think those ex-football players & other high school sport alums need to step back and think for a few before dismissing our extreme hobbies. I played baseball, ran track, and wrestled for various years up until 10th grade. I traded it all in for my BMX and have never looked back. And for what it’s worth, the freedom I have can never be compared to any of the other sports. Period. In case that didn’t sink in……..Period.
it sucks that we have to install these devices because of shitbag skate-rats…
they should start ticketing these scum…
i got a 150 dollar ticket for skating in a public place on a manual pad which doesnt even do any damage to anything..
if they can build giant baseball stadiums that i dont use that i have to pay for im sure a few little skateparks wont hurt
I’m over 30 years old and have been skating for over 20 years. Skateboarding has remained a crime for the entire period of my skating career.
I feel the skaters’ pain. I have been kicked out of countless places. Chased by the police. Once I was rammed by a security guard’s Bronco and had to run away with a sprained ankle and minus one shoe. I truly believe I’ve seen it all. The public’s perception of and reaction to skateboarders remains negative. I won’t attempt to say that I didn’t deserve this treatment, nor will I say that I did. What happened happened, and I believe the issues I’ve experienced are indicative of a greater problem.
I see comments above telling skaters to go back to their skateparks. What if there is no skatepark? Do you really think that a group that garners such negative public perception as skateboarders is going to sway public opinion so much that the public is willing to approve of their sport?
Which brings me to my point. Skaters are labeled as undesirables, vandals, “punks” and have been for as long as I can remember and certainly for as long as I’ve been skateboarding. Complaints are made regarding the wear to benches, etc. caused by skateboards. Knee-jerk, stop-gap measures such as skate stoppers are used in an attempt to stop us.
Skate stoppers are merely a symptom of the greater problem. Others have conveniently judged us in a way that reifies their stilted and close-minded world-view. Do you really think that we care about “property”? If our activity is a crime, if we are vandals and miscreants, if we are undesirable, then do you really think we give a sh*t about what those that judge us want?
As long as this sport is perceived as a crime, we will be treated as criminals. As long as we are treated as criminals, we will behave as criminals. The powers that be are free to try to stop us, but I would hope that they don’t expect us to actually pay any attention.
“OMG! They won’t let uz sk8rz on the proparty???? We do dammagies???” – Quote from a typical skater fag. Instead of being whiny bitches go do something useful to society. Are you just sad because mommy is humping everyone but daddy or do you really think you look cool?
Don’t moan about having no place to skate, go build a place. Surely if you all get together you might have the IQ of a common housefly and figure out how to work a hammer.
What is all this crap about football? Good fun SPORT beats ghey no talent skating any day! Look daddy I can stand on a moving board! Wow son, you’re an idiot and bring society down…
Tony Hawk is a transvestite. All of your idols are losers. Now go die!
at least this encourages kids to not skate anymore and do other, more idiotic and dangerous things, like developing a nasty meth habit. way to go. you’re really doing the world a service.
Skateboarders are one of the most stereotyped groups of people these days. No we are not all mean and rude.
It sickens me how some skateboarder do, reinforce our stereotype by being assholes.
The only things we damage are ledges and haindarails and thats not our intent. Our intent is to do the trick not damage the property, and for the reccord, me and a bunch of freinds were skating a haindrail and when we were done we sprayed over the paint chips and scratches with spraypaint, so wheres the damage there?
As far as the ledges, in my oppinion a few chips on the side and a little blackness on the edges of the ledge dosent look nearly as bad as these disgusting long metal plates.
I live in metro Atlanta and I know the above spot as Peir 7, and its a landmark to us skateboarders, as was Love Park and its upseting to see how many people dislike us and want to make our experiance in our sport bad for us.
Another thing is I was kicked out of a “Public” recreational park the other day that was ful of kids riding bikes, scooters and rollerskates. If we cant skate anywhere in public even at parks where are we supposed to be able to freely enjoy our sport?
i see the ignorance going on here and i dont like what i see. your hostility really amuses me. you all are so closed minded about the world. for one, skateboarding puts a smile on my face, as apposed to working at a job i hate to buy shit i dont need. the majority of people i see are just mad that im getting kicks from incredible things theyll never know. is this what we’ve come to? this material world where marble ledges mean more to few than to the betterment of people who literally come from everywhere in the world to skate such iconic spots as EMB.
you people are going into the stereotype thing too. ya, some people who skate are dicks, assholes, pick your insult, but who the fuck do you think you are to say “screw these “skater punks” (nice avril lavigne cliche reference by the way)? you say we’re criminals and delinquents but look what youre doing, trying to fight against kids with planks of wood. and youre losing! oh youre going to continue to lose because you have the bay area but we have the world. people skate in every major city of the world, and you cant go stop me from skating in barcelona.
but to those who say a great alternative is skateparks, THIS IS FALSE. this is against what skatings founded on, creativity, and originality in the environment around you.
the fact of the matter is however that we can whine and you can whine but we will always win. ticket me, i love tickets, arrest me, i dont care, you look stupid for putting me in a cell with theives and junkies. put up stoppers and we’ll take em down, send security guards, ill come back with my generator and lights and get my trick. see retards? we can find ways around your dumb attempts while you waste money on your best attempts even though theyll be beat. YOU HAVE EVERYTHING TO LOSE, WE HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE. WE’LL KEEP FIGHTING BECAUSE MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE ARE FREE IN ALL THE WAYS THAT YOU ARE NOT.
Skateboarders are rude, noisy, and inconsiderate. Good riddance!!!!
It never really bothered me until I read the stupid assed comments of these skaters who think they have the right to destroy property, injure people and do pretty much anything they want in a public area.
Don’t skate anywhere near me, if you do, you will be eating concrete…
I may just stick my steel toe in front of your wheels to see if you can fly…maybe a pocker full of pebbles to spread on the ground will do….get the picture?
You punks are getting what you deserve.
It’s really very saddening to see all of the hateful remarks above. On the one side we have the older generation who doesn’t understand that kids these days have found new ways to have fun. And then there are the ignorant skater kids who still think the world revolves them…that it’s them verses the system.
I can see both sides. I don’t fit into what most of the older generation would consider the skateboarder profile. I’m 27 years old. I’ve been skateboarding since I was in 8th grade. I have a masters degree in economics. I have a very respectable job.
Skateboarding has always been a form of release for me. It’s fun. It’s challenging, and despite what people have said above, it’s the single most physically and technically demanding sport there is. Period. I’d like to see any skateboarding ‘haters’ out there do something as simple as jump on a rail and balance their way down it without falling, let alone do it with a wheeled board under their feet. It takes immense amounts of skill and determination to master the various tricks out there. There is a true beauty to it, if you’re willing to see it.
And then on the flip side of things, there’s the attitudes of some skateboarders out there who think that the world is theirs for the taking, and screw anyone who thinks otherwise. On one hand I feel for them, because to an extent that state of mind is a product of society constantly beating down on them, making them stop doing the one thing that makes them happy. But on the other hand, it’s just a typical juvenile thought process that will slowly change as they grow older. I sincerely doubt that there’s a single person out there that has had the same world view from birth until now. Sure, teenagers can be annoying, but they’re annoying everywhere, not just on a skateboard.
For those that think that the solution lies in telling skateboarders to build a skatepark, or just skate the local skatepark, you have a severely limited viewpoint of what’s going on…
First off, there’s the stigma that skateboarders carry. Why would the public want to help skateboarders out when all they do is view them as “rude, noisy, and inconsiderate” as the very ignorant John Galt posted above? It’s like asking the city to build a campsite for homeless people to camp on.
Second, most cities don’t have the necessary resources to build a skatepark. Most of the time, the land is worth more than they are will to give up.
Third, for those cities that do have skateparks, they are almost always either far too small to accomodate the number of skateboarders in the area, or they are built to be something that no skateboarder would want to actually skateboard on. If people don’t like having handrails and benches marked up, then build an area that has handrails and benches that are worthy of the physical creativity of skateboarders.
There are acres and acres of land in cities dedicated to basketball courts, tennis courts, baseball fields, etc., but if you look at the square footage of land that is dedicated to the typical skatepark, I’d have to wager that it’s rarely larger than one or two basketball courts. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of skateboarders in a given city. If you expect every skateboarder in a city to congregate and have the room enough to perform the same tricks that they were doing in public areas in an area the size of one or two basketball courts, then you are severley deluding yourself.
In the end, both sides need to calm down and talk civily. Spouting off ignorant comments gets no one anywhere. Times have changed. The term “sport” refers to far more nowadays than it did in the past. The older generation needs to realize this and get past the stereotype that skateboarders are ignorant punks. Skateboarders are actually some of the most creative, intelligent and open minded people you could ever come across…and you’d realize that if you’d actually talk to them before yelling at them.
Wow, Mr.Sailor threatens kids, how admirable.
You people are so incredibly igorant to skateboarders. A good majority of us will not cut you off, run into you, or purpousfully do damage, we just want freedom.
any activity necessarily wears down surfaces over time (even walking — scuff marks — and taking lunch on Embarcadero’s steps — litter, gum, etc.). unfortunately, the “grinds” and “manuals” of skateboarders might be more destructive to property than other activities. and because street-skating occurs near traffic, there will be instances where a skater falls and his board strikes a car. i admit these damages caused by the sport.
i also admit that a large segment of skateboarders may appear at first glance to be juvenile delinquents. but of course they’re the ones you notice because they’re loud and obnoxious.
the sad thing about all of this is that for an equally large segment of kids — a segment getting larger and larger every day — skateboarding is a legitimate sport and passion. most importantly, the sport rewards the dedicated (not those just “hanging out” with a skateboard or getting to the mall quicker) with a sense of accomplishment, increased self-esteem, and less distraction by true delinquent behavior.
property owners understandably deserve to protect investment and minimize liability, but skaters also deserve a playing field, just as every town in america has basketball/tennis courts, swimming pools and baseball fields.
let’s imagine for a moment the birth of baseball. this may sound crazy at first, but bear with me. imagine your first glance of the neighborhood kids as if you had never seen the sport before — a gang of them, in the street, whooping and hollering, taking turns smashing a ball to bits with a stick. of course there’s property and pedestrians around, at risk of getting hit by a ball (this is before whiffleballs) or run over, and also exposed to the noise nuisance. imagine a ball crashes through your window. would you call those kids vandals and miscreants? would you tell them to buy their own property if they want to play? would you tell them to grow up because swinging at a ball is a loser’s sport?
skateboarding today is baseball in the late-18th century. from wikipedia’s entry on our nation’s favorite pastime: “The earliest known American reference to the game was published in a 1791 Pittsfield, Massachusetts, statute that prohibited the playing of baseball within 80 yards of the town’s new meeting house.” i’ll bet money that was because of potential property damage and noise, and i’ll bet even more money that soon thereafter the town of pittsfield had a baseball diamond or at least dedicated a field for the activity.
let’s keep an open mind here. let’s imagine that some 9 year-old in your neighborhood goes to sleep dreaming of becoming the next Tony Hawk (skateboarding’s Michael Jordan, 39, who, incidentally, earns north of $15M a year), and just like the young Babe Ruth who once needed a place in the neighborhood to freely swing at balls with a stick, this kid needs a place to grind ledges.
skateboarders wouldn’t mind being banned from skating Embarcadero if there was a decent skatepark nearby. here’s an idea — put it next to the little league field.
any activity necessarily wears down surfaces over time (even walking — scuff marks — and taking lunch on Embarcadero’s steps — litter, gum, etc.). unfortunately, the “grinds” and “manuals” of skateboarders might be more destructive to property than other activities. and because street-skating occurs near traffic, there will be instances where a skater falls and his board strikes a car. i admit these damages caused by the sport.
i also admit that a large segment of skateboarders may appear at first glance to be juvenile delinquents. but of course they’re the ones you notice because they’re loud and obnoxious.
the sad thing about all of this is that for an equally large segment of kids — a segment getting larger and larger every day — skateboarding is a legitimate sport and passion. most importantly, the sport rewards the dedicated (not those just “hanging out” with a skateboard or getting to the mall quicker) with a sense of accomplishment, increased self-esteem, and less distraction by true delinquent behavior.
property owners understandably deserve to protect investment and minimize liability, but skaters also deserve a playing field, just as every town in america has basketball courts and baseball fields.
let’s imagine for a moment the birth of baseball. this may sound crazy at first, but bear with me. imagine your first glance of the neighborhood kids as if you had never seen the sport before — a gang of them, in the street, whooping and hollering, taking turns smashing a ball to bits with a stick. of course there’s property and pedestrians around, at risk of getting hit by a ball (this is before whiffleballs) or run over, and also exposed to the noise nuisance. imagine a ball crashes through your window. would you call those kids vandals and miscreants? would you tell them to buy their own property if they want to play? would you tell them to grow up because swinging at a ball is a loser’s sport?
skateboarding today is baseball in the late-18th century. from wikipedia’s entry on our nation’s favorite pastime: “The earliest known American reference to the game was published in a 1791 Pittsfield, Massachusetts, statute that prohibited the playing of baseball within 80 yards of the town’s new meeting house.” i’ll bet money that was because of potential property damage and noise, and i’ll bet even more money that soon thereafter the town of pittsfield had a baseball diamond or at least dedicated a field for the activity.
let’s keep an open mind here. let’s imagine that some 9 year-old in your neighborhood goes to sleep dreaming of becoming the next Tony Hawk (skateboarding’s Michael Jordan, 39, who, incidentally, earns north of $15M a year), and just like the young Babe Ruth who once needed a place in the neighborhood to freely swing at balls with a stick, this kid needs a place to grind ledges.
skateboarders wouldn’t mind being banned from skating Embarcadero if there was a decent skatepark nearby.
here’s an idea — put it next to the little league field.
icaruslives,
You said “skateboarders wouldn’t mind being banned from skating Embarcadero if there was a decent skatepark nearby.” Do you think the majority of skateboarders at Embarcadero live anywhere near there? They don’t. They’re going out of their way to get to this spot. They could easily go elsewhere – Embarcadero is very close to a BART station, which gives easy access to a huge area.
Many of the posters here focus on being misunderstood, stereotyped, whatever. Here’s a news flash: I don’t care what you look like. I care about the damage you are doing. If nicely dressed lawyers were doing that property damage, I’d probably be even more pissed off.
IT’S ABOUT THE DAMAGE
The city where I live and pay taxes has built two skateparks and a BMX park. I don’t use them. I do use the other parks and fields. I’m happy to pay for all of them. I am not happy to pay for damage selfish vandals do to public places.
Here is a list of skate parks:
http://www.socalskatepark.org/locations-nc.htm
It’s amusing to see such hateful comments from both sides of the coin, especially from the anti-skateboarders here. Some of you hate-mongers speak as ignorantly as the preteen “scumbags” you so passionately belittle. I am a productive college student that loves to skateboard, and wouldn’t consider myself a delinquent at all. I understand that skating damages property and may make a few pedestrians angry, but does a chipped concrete legde really affect your life? Most of the time you’re just going to walk by and not even sit on the bench or ledge, so why complain? Either way, skateboarding will still exist and there will always be people that try to stop it or control it. Money is the foundation for this debate, and it’s pretty sad to see how people will act just to gain a little or keep from losing a little. I build my own ramps and grind-boxes and benches, but the street is where skateboarding originated and is where skaters will eventually end up after the city stops funding the skatepark that many of you think is the solution to this problem. It’s a never-ending cycle, kind of like the war on drugs.
Very well said openyourmindcloseyourmouth. Its interesting how people usually think of college students as crazy frat boys, when you make the most sense at all. I wish that the skateboarders that do give us a bad name would calm down and be more reasonable. But in truth, there are “bad” of everything, bad employees, bad cops, bad teachers, bad lawyers, so people should give us a little leighway. I try to be respectful and wait for pedestrians and cars to cross my path and leave when I am kicked out without an argument. To be honest, Yes, I have slipped out and hit a car. It didnt do a whole lot of damage but I found the owner and talked to them, and she let me go. But I felt bad because of it and most of all because I felt I was setting a bad example to the kids watching.
People dont understand skateboarding, its a very free sport. There arent any rules like other sports, you can contribute your own creativity to it, it can be done all over the place and we adapt to the obstacles we skate. We dont have a coach so its up to us how we progress and the better you get the more is open to you, new spots you couldnt skat before new tricks on all the old spots etc. It, unlike all other sports evolves.
Skateboarding has become something more than just a hobby on the side, its now a job. Skateparks are great and all but no mater how many you make there will always be street skating.I also understand were people are coming from with skate stoppers and all but what looks better, a ledge with scraped up edges or a ledge with big bulky balls or plates.From and outsiders perspective I can see how you could say “just go to a skatepark” but from mine its not that easy.And people gettin tickets or even arrested for one of the biggest SPORTS out there is rediculous. I guess the only thing im really trying to get through is that if you love something, your gonna persue it by all means. And I know getting a clip or picture at a spot is a great feeling and unfortuantly alot of you dont understand that or the priority’s of a skateboarder, its not to destroy your property…. its to do what they love
And to every adult stereotyping every skateboarder as a criminal,juvenile,asshole i think it would be more appropriate for you to infact grow up.Im 16 years old and trust me, I understand about law but calling saying were immature for skating is really stupid. There are unfortuantly kids that take it among them selves to destroy your property on purpose and i apologize.And on the topic of going places at night, we do that.13 ticket,60 hours of community service with people that robbed stores, jumped people, stole cars and for what?skateboarding.Imagine a world were you couldnt walk at certain places because in time the conrecte would become dirty and getting tickets.You think about that.Put on you skatestoppers and do what you must but dont deface a skateboarders name when you infact have no idea.
I have been the recipient of the youth of today plying their skateboarding tricks in my neighborhood. They arrive by the car load and are disruptive to the tranquility of MY HOME tearing up the gutters and roads so they can amuse themselves. Why don’t they go to the schools or parks to “skate”. The noise level of their tricks is comparable to gunshots going off. I have complained and asked them to move down the street, but to no avail, I only get looked at with blank stares.
One day they will be home owners and find themselves in a similar situation. What goes around COMES around…… They should ask their parents for the money or better yet start a drive to get their parks constructed, ask your community and government to get involved. BUT, then that would entail too much time on their part.
Tsk, tsk, tsk, where are the parents in guiding these youths today?
Hmmm… What does the fact, that most of the idiots here, who label skateboarders as “scum” and such, are not capable of using proper grammar and/or typing, tell me?
And you?
And I have yet to find a skateboarder with “no social life” … Y’all should better keep violating firearms bullshit, jail is the perfect place for you. Heck, you even have some internet to play with. Great, no?
Why put something up if Skateboarders are just going to find a way around it. I skate. It’s fun, it challenges me almost everytime I go out and do it. It is also an art form for me. Ths might sound gay but it insires me to get better at what I do and not say, “This stuff is freaking hard I quit.” Maybe if you made stuff more skatable and wouldn’t get destroyed then it would be a whole lot better to do that. I’m not sayin that messing up stuff, knocking people over, or just being retards is a good thing, but it would be better if you changed it to be better for skateboarding than to make it almost unskateable, because if you do that then people are going to get pissed and are only going to want to try it out even more.
For people who call us stupid, punks, or scumbags, why don’t you try to get on a skateboard and try to do a trick or get on a skateboard on a slightly breezy day and just ride, It feels awesome
I’m a 53 years old bussinessman and I think skateboarding is one of the most creative sports that have been created. I think poeple should not stop skateboarders from griding or sliding the ocstacles. It is so much fun to even watch them trying and trying just to get a trick done.
I like this jack guy above me…He appreciates skateboarding. I’ll agree with some non-skaters some of us can be a be nusance and immature. Some of these comments are just obscene…”crime levels” and “danger to non-skaters” Little over the top everything can be a danger to “non-skaters” not just skateboards crime levels are irrelevant it all depends on the person. You dont just adopt new traits of stealing n what not once you start skating….maybe someone needs to get some better reasons about how skateboarding affects a place. state pen boy? I’m pretty sure you need to get a life and maybe work on correcting yourself after the firearms charge…as for many other on this page come on guys…go back to school and learn some english and how to type please and my not using words like “a-holes” and “homos” will make you sound smarter…and to the deliquant skateboarders…learn some respect… respect the people around you, if someone asks you to leave show some respect and just leave dont give smart comments and keep giving the rest of us a bad name thank you
thats such garbage to make everything anti skate is crap… why do they hate on us… its something to do… u spend ur time making it anti skate cause ur a homo
What The Fuck you cant go 20 ft downtown without seeing a skatestopper they ceep on telling us the we mess up there property but fuckthem cuz the most damage we do is the wax we put on the dam ledge. tell theat assholoe staterep that he can suck my left nut.
Personally, owing to all the damage you selfish, self centered, juvenile assholes cause, I favor knee-capping you as you go by.
ANTI-SKATERS SUCK!!!!!!!!!
I think that having skate stoppers are stupid…if no bodys setting there wats the harm…assholes they have no idea ..skating is going to not exsist if they take our places a ways ..if they want us to stop skating on the stupid places make us more skateparks thats all i can say….gosh damn it….fuck you
I think that having skate stoppers are stupid…if no bodys setting there wats the harm…assholes they have no idea ..skating is going to not exsist if they take our places a ways ..if they want us to stop skating on the stupid places make us more skateparks thats all i can say….
Instead of spending all of this money on skate blockers, just put angle iron on these ledges. People will wax the metal, not the ledge, no stains, less money. And, they can still express themselves through skateboarding. Everybody wins.
Being that I ride a bmx bike, I too come in conflict with elements that cover urban structures that could be used in my sport. But instead of ranting on how everyone should leave us alone, im only going to say this. Ends dont meet when intentions are to only make things stop. Or you could say reverse psychology works for everyone. I believe if cities and towns were to not so much encourage, but apply the urban structures to skateboarding. Why not just have the corners of ledges with angle iron on them? It would prevent chipping and the majority of black marks you see, and would be performing the same action of putting metal on the ledges, except that it looks better. Now I know that policies and incurance and all the legality issues of people getting hurt are a factor, but dont you think that cities and towns have already spent more money trying to prevent anyone from skating on their property than if they set up a policy of a skate at your own risk sort of deal? I think that if everyone would look at things from a “That being said, what could we do to make it better” view, people would encourage each other and everyone would be working for one another and things would grow from there.
this is totally fucking stupid. i mean, the people that put these dumb guards and shit up to prevent skaters from doing anything is never going to work. like, the other day, my friends and i were skating and noticed this fence at the bus station that they put up over a sweet gap from the alley into a bank, and they put a fence in the grass area to prevent anyone from doing anything over it. right after i noticed that, i did a kickflip right over the fence. so come on you fucking cops, your shit is never going to work.
fuck the police, the anti skate thing is stupid, and the whole white race is going to die because of this.
parents are complaining that there kids dont get outside and do stuff. that all they do is watch tv…..stoping kids from skating is just making is worse….
ok,
To you ageing adults, please think if you have a grandchild or son or family member that owns a skateboard, are you yelling at them in offensive language.
To the skaters you need to make an effort to be more respectful to the other occupants of the area. Then they may not fear or look upon you with distaste. I understand this can be hard being a teenager when you resent adults and what they think but they are people too.
Building a skatepark will not help, most skating is seen and publicised as an extreme and a challenge to tackle random urban obstacles.
The sport has been around for generations now, you cant stop it unfortuanetly,you are only motivating skaters to work harder to continue skating in the area.
I agree with the idea of run-down city areas being opened for skaters to freely enjoy.
I also agree with the idea of creating areas that skate boarders are unable to destroy. Metal across ledges or possibly very hard plastic that doesnt chip? I am sure there is some cheap engineering option to accomadate both view points.
I dont skate, I just read this blog as a sociological assignment how society rejects youth culture haha I`m a car enthusiast that hoons on friday nights and enjoys getting drunk and being loud and socialising on saturday nights. Though i dont get in fights or do burn outs in residential streets. And i`ve studied both and learnt you adults did the exactly the same thing when young!
Find a way to accomadate for everyone instead of fighting one another because neither will ever win hahaha HAVE FUN
Adults think what you were like when young
Teenagers think how you could have fun, but make life enjoyable for the adults as well.
umm i have grinded on of these before and it just makes it more challenging and makes ppl want to do it even more
Haha stupid idiots with their skate stoppers. Skateboarders might get stuck on these things but I’m a blader and the first time I came across these in Canada I didn’t think much about it. See skateboards are hard to control whilst grinding but when I grind on my inlines I just step over the stupid little things. They only hindered my grinding a little. They actually almost help because it challenges me and makes it more exiting. And anyway rollerblades barely mess up ledges at all. It’s plastic on concrete. Not metal on concrete.
hey first off i want to say that anti skating is stupid.I would like to see mr. sailor (that homo) or any of you adults or teens or kids for that matter acually try to do a kickflip or even a ollie ok?u adults that hate skaters are sorely mistaken about us skaters.did u know that there is a national GO SKATEBOARDING DAY! now correct me if im wrong but is there a national go play football day?i think not.so go fuck your mom mr. sailor cause if u stick your steeled toed boot out or throw rocks in my way i will fuckin truck slap u in the face and kick your ass so hard u will end up in the hospital ok?im 16.how would feel if u got beat down by a 16 year old huh?
ok now i agree that our grings and stuff mess up the curbs and stuff and thats why me and all the skaters i know try not to deface property and nonsense like that.we build our half pipes and we skate our homemade rails but u tell me for example: would your rather drive a car u built yourself or buy a expertly made one from the dealership? you would buy one from the dealership.i mean our halfpipes and rails our good but we would rather skate one that was made by an expert architecht.i mean i live in San Diego and i have tried to talk with the mayor and whoever else i could to try and get more skateparks built and acually designed by and for skaters but no one wants to help out so what does that leave?once we have mastered our halfpipes and our rails where else does that leave? the answer……the streets. we get tired off doing the same thing day in and day out so we need new challenges and new things to skate.so go ahead and ticket me,shoot pepper spray in my face or even arrest me!i will just fight back twice as hard because its something i love to do.and if your son or daughter takes up skateboarding and you say something like what Mr.Sk8rzRgHey said
“What is all this crap about football? Good fun SPORT beats ghey no talent skating any day! Look daddy I can stand on a moving board! Wow son, you’re an idiot and bring society down…
Tony Hawk is a transvestite. All of your idols are losers
then you are the idiot for fuckin demoralizing your kid you insensitive asshole!and another thing tony hawk is not a transvestite you were probably sexually abused by your dad and never had any chances in life so your mad that he is successful at what he loves.and i have more idols than just him…my mom for example is my biggest hero and she supports me 110% so your are calling her an idiot u asshole?and you cant even spell “GAY” right!
so we just need more freedoms and more room to skate and have fun.maybe even a skatepark.
word, matt.
I can’t believe how many old men are arguing about this. They go around on the internet with a grumpy ass attitude just to start shit with people, while skaters are just out destroying property and having fun. I’d rather be a happy delinquent than a grumpy ass old fuck.
You old guys should rally against something else, like cancer. shit.
All the CEO’s and pigs out there are complaining about us ruining park benches (which are too degrading for them to sit on anyway) while they are ruining the entire world.
Fuckin fascists.
This blog is another one-sided attack by the man on skateboarding. There are not enough cops and anti-skating devices to stop skateboarders from doing there thing. So let the man bring it on.
We have 2 nice skate parks (one pay to skate) and a bike park in my town, and then about 10 minutes away theres another good skate park. Thanks to this, there’s hardly anyone riding around the town area and we have no problems like you people are saying.
I Love to skate… Skating gives me money. For some people its a living, for me its just play money. I have a job to make bills but skating is fun and i make money doing it… All the chips of concrete missing on ledges or wax on rails and curbs can all be replaced or washed off.. Everyone who is with the banning of skateboarding are DICK HEADS.. Get a life!.. You have nothing else to do besides complain about something so small. Sure there are skaters who run pedestrians off the sidewalk, its wrong but if you don’t like it then you shouldn’t be stubborn and take up the sidewalk. It keeps kids aways from drugs and gang violence (in some cases) but its better than none at all.. So I’m done typing. I am going to take a BT and go skate downtown…
Hahahaha oh my god! that shit isnt go to change a fucking thing! you retarded gayfags!!!
SKATEBOARDING KEEPS KIDS AWAYS FROM DRUGS AND GANG VIOLENCE!!! skateboarding will never die…it´s a fact
Why do city / town planners so often make space for tennis courts when the space would be much better used for a skate park?
No more than 4 people can use a tennis court at any time, often for several hours, (although how often do you see empty, unused tennis courts?)
If the space was a skatepark, loads of kids would be able to use the space and they might be tempted away from the city centers for a while.
Finally, if you don’t want skaters around your cities, don’t build so many tempting and challenging ledges. You are your own worse enemies!
BTW, all the stuff about skateboarding and crime is proven to be wrong. Skateboarding keeps most kids away from crime and/or drugs.
to all you haters whining about skateboarders tearing up ur property you should have known that they we were going to come anyway when you built a set of stairs or something, but i think skateboarders give life to some archeticture that normal people would never even think about unless someone was skating it so thats what i think about it………………………….ohhh by the way fuck all you bitches who hate skateboarders cause ur gay
Great topic. I have seen these little urban designs creeping into
the cityscape over the years to foil Skateboarders.
Of course I understand grinding benches and other obstacles marks
up the concrete a bit, but come on, really –
Is this going to keep you awake at night?
If your answer is yes….. then you seriously need to get
a hobby or into an activity that you can appreciate
and have a good time with, and then maybe your focus and
energy can be fed into a more positive direction.
Consider this – Skaters are having fun, burning calories, problem solving,
encouraging each other and getting respect from their peers through prowess.
Doesn’t sound like too bad a pastime to me.
To all of these posters above with their anti-skateboarding sentiments,
take a second to look at your own life and try to find what it is that you
are missing. It’s obviously something, because a fulfilled life
would not have the time or inclination to want to take
away someone’s enjoyment.
That concrete is going to last longer than any of you will live.
So get out their and make the most of what’s left of your life,
forget the rails and benches because I am sure that on your deathbed you won’t be saying
“Boy i’m glad I stopped that skateboarder grinding that bench!”
And as for the cops, it’s easy for them to make an example out of
Skateboarders. Easy target.
And in the general public’s perception the police are see as doing
something to help society by eradicating those “punk skateboarders”.
The police have it tough enough as it is with trying to catch the real criminals
in the world today. And by stigmatizing skateboarders, the police are
encouraged to discourage skateboarders.
I’m pretty sure they would rather be out catching the REAL bad
guys instead of putting man hours into such a futile enterprise.
I am 24 years old, and started skateboarding at 10 years old.
I live in a city in New Zealand, and our public transport
is practically non existent. So as well as being my expression tool
through tricks and moves, it also was my best friend for years
by enabling me to get from A to B….
So while most of you were choking me with petrol fumes,
I kept on skating, nor did I complain about the effect big business and
car pollution had on my health. And people complain about chipped concrete.
It’s all about perspective. Don’t prejudge a skateboarder.
Whats wrongs with skatin
By u puttin the metal thingos you are stoping us doin our sport
im 15 and have been skating for 7 years
get over yourselves dont built planters and handrails than and build a skate park
SK8 will Neva die
Give skate a chance
there are more problems on this planet than chipped concrete and rusted handrails
and the day i see fukin ollie a planter or 50-50 a handrail maby well stop
By callin us “Shitbag skaterats” and so on aint doin yous any good
and i bet us skaters have a much more fukin interesting life that use bitching about us having fun ya pricks
Let Us Skaters Be.
Skate stoppers are bullshit. Skateboarding takes so much fucking ability, and is so much more positive of an influence than anything else in my life, that taking spots like Pier 7, 3rd and Army, and Embarcadero and putting up skate stoppers is like taking away my legs. There is a reason why X-games is televised and why skating is one of the most WIDELY recognized extreme sports. People have ACCEPTED it. So why bother putting up obstacles for something that is keeping kids out of trouble? I have talked to so many old timers that say that this “Skate stopper” shit is ludicrous. It doesnt fucking matter what you do, skating will still be around no matter what you put up to prevent it. Also, think about maybe putting money into a fucking SKATEPARK thats big and open and adequately built and maybe you would have LESS of a problem with skateboarders on property. My 10 pound skateboard does a whole lot less damage to the streets than any given consumers 2,500-5,000 lb. car. Keep putting “Skate Stoppers” up and see how much worse graffiti and drug abuse gets. You stupid assholes leave kids running around with nothing to do but get into trouble. Regardless of what you do WE WILL NOT FUCKING STOP FOR ANYTHING, AND IT WILL NEVER DIE OUT.You fucking killjoy. Alot of people call cops “Pigs” but when and Rent o’ cop decides to give me a ticket for doing NOTHING wrong I prefer to call them “Bacon Bits” instead due to the fact that they are not even a real “Pig”. Those who are a “Rent O’ Cop” get over the fact that you had your underwear shoved up your ass, and your face stuck in a toilet bowl/garbage can as a kid and get a real meaningful job. There are plenty of Crack Whores and Dirt bags out there who deserve tickets for REAL CRIMES.
After saying all this it all boils down to:
Whoever invented these skate stoppers needs to be kicked swiftly in the fucking balls or hit with a large heavy metal object moving at HIGH speeds.
thankyou.
go UP AND READ SOME OF THE ANTI SKATERS
Infoman says:
April 3rd, 2007 at 5:30 pm
Personally, owing to all the damage you selfish, self centered, juvenile assholes cause, I favor knee-capping you as you go by.
I say: Well your really mature and I hope karma is a bitch to you Infoman. Knee cap me and see if I dont give you a fresh brand new asshole.
# Charlamagne Says:
March 9th, 2007 at 2:00 am
I have been the recipient of the youth of today plying their skateboarding tricks in my neighborhood. They arrive by the car load and are disruptive to the tranquility of MY HOME tearing up the gutters and roads so they can amuse themselves. Why don’t they go to the schools or parks to “skate”. The noise level of their tricks is comparable to gunshots going off. I have complained and asked them to move down the street, but to no avail, I only get looked at with blank stares.
One day they will be home owners and find themselves in a similar situation. What goes around COMES around…… They should ask their parents for the money or better yet start a drive to get their parks constructed, ask your community and government to get involved. BUT, then that would entail too much time on their part.
Tsk, tsk, tsk, where are the parents in guiding these youths today?
I say: You are a fucking CUNT. What goes around comes around? than LET IT BE. My parents ENCOURAGE ME to skateboard due to the FACT that it keeps ME AND MY FRIENDS away from DRUGS AND CRIME, selfish bitch. It isnt so EASY to get money for a Skatepark. Are you willing to donate $1000 dollars to the cause, is that the equivalent amount of money to your level of “annoyance”. Cuz if its not quit bitching and realize that these kids are positively motivated to be athletic and stay away from drugs and crime, for the most part.
# sailor Says:
March 2nd, 2007 at 11:32 pm
It never really bothered me until I read the stupid assed comments of these skaters who think they have the right to destroy property, injure people and do pretty much anything they want in a public area.
Don’t skate anywhere near me, if you do, you will be eating concrete…
I may just stick my steel toe in front of your wheels to see if you can fly…maybe a pocker full of pebbles to spread on the ground will do….get the picture?
You punks are getting what you deserve.
I say: We dont feel we have “The Right” but we feel there are much better solutions to aid in the benefit and progress of the youth than simply putting a skate stopper on any given skate spot. And steel toe botts and pebbles in your pockets…. and we are degenerates??? that sounds pretty trashy to me. Maybe someone will beat the shit out of you when you trip us or hurt us and then you will be eating your words.
# chris Says:
March 2nd, 2007 at 4:38 pm
it sucks that we have to install these devices because of shitbag skate-rats…
they should start ticketing these scum…
I say: Really mature how you define all of the skateboarding community in three words.
Maybe we should start ticketing people for COMPLETE FUCKING IGNORANCE.
We are not degenerates or juveniles. I will start showing my respect when society is kind enough to give me some.
This stops NOTHING from happening and prevents EVERYTHING from growing.
theres alot of hate for skaters here. i think some of it is based in reality cause i know alot of skateboarders and i know some of them can be dicks. but really theres dicks everywhere in society. like the guys driving there hummers down the freeway every day.
im not your average skater, but ive been skateboarding for a long long time and it truly is the best thing that has ever happened to me, AND AS FAR AS I KNOW I HAVE NEVER DEFACED ANY PUBLIC OR PRIVATE PROPERTY, but i still get shit on all the time by people. security guards, soccer moms in mini vans, gangster G’s, whoever. theres just alot of hate and its based on some real stupid assumptions that people make. first of all not all skateboards are the same, there are many disciplines and many board styles that go along with that. skateboarding does not only consist of grinding on benches theres WAY MORE TO IT THAN EVEN MOST SKATERS REALISE. its not skateboarders as a group that are defacing property its the shit disturbers. i know people from all demographics who skate and are productive members of society, including my good freind doug who just turned 50 and still shreds it.
skateboarding has tought me many life skills, especially how to commit to things, and get things done. it has given me the confidence that i can do anything, as long as i try hard enough and really put myself into it. these skills have come in handy during my studies to become an urban planner. thats right dude up there who said all skaters are punks and never go to planning mettings, well hes wrong. and im not the only one. Mike Gordon is a Vancouver city planner and he is a life long skateboarder. he has done great things for the skateboarding community in this city.
just remember all you critics. things are never as cut and dry as they look, you have to look deeper into it to see what its really all about. skateboarders are not all punk kids who dropped out of school
The expense the authorities go to in order to abolish skateboarding is ridiculous.
I think skateboarding is an amazingly impressive sport. It engages a massive amount of people, of whom are 99% polite, considerate and talented. It’s an amazing ting to watch and if anything should be promoted.
People stereotype skaters as thugs and rebels. Admittedly, some are assholes. But so are a lot of people. Footballers, shop-assistants, sales-representatives, builders, religous preachers, anything, you name it, and a small minority will be complete nobs.
The fact is, if you try and stop such a popular sport, people will be upset and it is in our genes to rebel and change things for what we believe is better.
People are encouraging and forming the stereotype by trying to stop it. I find skateboarders are even more polite and friendly when allowed to use the urban environment to skate.
A simple sign advising people to be cautious would be simple enough.
And as for a comment telling people to make a skateboard that wont damage the environment is just plain stupid.
Its like asking someone to make a snowboard that won’t leave a mark in the snow.
A surfboard that won’t touch the wave or scare the fish.
It’s just idiotic.
Why don’t you make an environment that wont be damaged by people using it, instead of starting fights and committing REAL crimes.
To be honest, the attempt to stop skating have become the art of skateboarding. By trying to prevent it, people are developing it, and progressing it. Let them, if anything its a good thing.
Also, someone claimed to have seen a skateboard hit a car, and nearly a person. How many times have people been hit with footballs? or smashed windows with them?
It would be insane to ban football on these grounds. So why ban skating?
wow, we could be selling crack to ur kids but instead of being dumb jocks we decided to be different we find something creative to do and u try to take it away and i hope u die sailor ur the biggest faget alive try to stop me from sk8ing id kill you with a 1-2-3 combo go suck a cock
umm so like… yea weed is cool
I’d prefer reading in my native language, because my knowledge of your languange is no so well. But it was interesting! Look for some my links:
“They should ask their parents for the money or better yet start a drive to get their parks constructed, ask your community and government to get involved. BUT, then that would entail too much time on their part.
Tsk, tsk, tsk, where are the parents in guiding these youths today?”
now i am a die hard skater and in an answer to charlemange’s(^^^) dumbass question i have personally gathered up every skater an even bmx rider in my community to go in front of our city meeting. we took up half the room and all took part in having something to say about building us a skatepark. i even contacted a local skatepark builder and got price ranges on some of there products, i also came up with locations that they could construct it. and after all that work they told us it was to much of a hassle in some areas of our city and to pricy. so fuck u asshole i did all my work and research and they looked at me like i was speaking a foriegn language. and also in the article i just replied to by charlemange he said “One day they will be home owners and find themselves in a similar situation. What goes around COMES around” and ya i probably will find myself in a similar situation but insted of cussing them out and telling them to leave ill envite ‘em in give em a drink and let them skate the ramp in my backyard.then we’ll see if i have any problems with those so called “skate rats” once a skateboarder always a skateboarder muthafuka!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
sailor Says:
March 2nd, 2007 at 11:32 pm
It never really bothered me until I read the stupid assed comments of these skaters who think they have the right to destroy property, injure people and do pretty much anything they want in a public area.
Don’t skate anywhere near me, if you do, you will be eating concrete…
I may just stick my steel toe in front of your wheels to see if you can fly…maybe a pocker full of pebbles to spread on the ground will do….get the picture?
You punks are getting what you deserve.
And oh yea the mutherfucker who wrote this is probably sum dumass 5 foot 2 bitch who thinks hes hard! Stick ur steel toe boot in front of me? dumbass hick ill stick my fist in ur face. and if u throw pebbles infront of me ill tre flip them bitches u stupid ass
Skateboarding in public on public property IS annoying: it’s incredibly noisy, especially at night when people are trying to sleep or during the day when folks are outside trying to relax in peace. Please understand that when you’re in public, you have to be responsible and take other people into consideration. Public areas belong to everyone, not just one group. If boarders can’t understand that, then they will rightfully be ostracized and dealt with, just like anyone else would be. Like everything else in the world, skateboarding is fine as long as it doesn’t damage property or infringe on other people’s rights to enjoy public space.
Don’t take things so personally, skateboarding crew. Your identity is bigger than your board.
okay first of all those anti grind rails dont work second why are people wasting time on sk8ers when really society should be cleaning drugs and shootings off the streets not aresting some kid for buying a skateboard at walmart and riding it around oh yeah and all u who say work hard if u want a skatepark and stop bitching well tell me this. do any swimmers work hard for public swimming pools do kids work hard for public football fields at school do kids work hard for public baseball dimonds NO THEY SURE AS HELL DONT SO WHY SHOULD WE SPEND OUR MONEY AND TIME ON A PUBLIC PLACE FOR AND OVER POPULTED GROUP OF SKATERS there are way more skaters then baseball players in this world and were forced to go on the streets and u wonder why we ruin benches becuase we are forced to pay money out of our pockets to do a sport we love where as any other kid can go to a public place for free without an asswhole trying to be a prick and stop us???? so we resort to other ways of grinding using somebody elses hard earned money like every other soccer player or baseball player.. what if people started playing baseball on the streets becuase they had no where else to go like sk8ers what if i kid hit a homer right into somebodys window or hits a pedestrain then u would try and take baseball players of the streets to and how do u do that well its ur problem right u want them to stop then u pay money to give em a field right then they play there well do that with sk8ers u want em to stop so badly pay ur self to get them off the streets instead of these quick and not very affective solutions
WHOEVER SAYS SK8ING IS BAD OR DEAD OR ANYTHING TO THAT AND WHOEVER SAYS WERE PESKY PUNKS JUST THINK ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THAT GRIND MY GEARS LIKE OLD PEOPLE DRIVING, OR HOW BOLOGNA IS ROUND AND BREAD IS SQUARE AND HOW NOBODYS MADE A NEW PRIEST AND RABBI JOKE IN LIKE 30 YEARS SK8 OR DIE
William J. you will never ever destroy skateing I can board slide rite over a grind block & where are people going to get enuf $$$$$Money for stupid grind blocks stupid rich neaborhoods there are plenty of other things to do like throw molotovs at houses and spray and tag houses.You are a stupid golf player and there are plenty of ways to rip off thows stupid ass “grind blocks” go kill yourself bitch
You know what..skateboarding IS a sport so fuck all you old pricks that are against it and putting these “anti-skateboarding devices” up.
Sucka my cock bitchez
I am 24 years old, and I recently started skating for the first time in my life. Given my car doesn’t work and I don’t always have the money to take the bus, I find myself skating to and from work very often. I can’t even ollie yet, much less grind on anything. Yet sidewalks themselves seem to be designed to prevent even lowbie skaters such as myself from simply being able to transport to work. Many sidewalk ramps have those metal plates with their metal bubbles all over them, so instead of being able to just skate across the street, I have to get off my board, walk across the street, and then get back on my board when I get to the other side. On top of that, it seems that EVERY sidewalk ramp has these lines that significantly slow you down when you’re either going up or down them. This causes me to have to work even harder at just trying to get to work. The sidewalks are fucked up enough as it is, with roots busting them up and other holes/bumps that hinder my transportation. This extra shit in the way is just overkill.
As far as grinding goes, lets face it: It defaces property. I feel that if you’re going to do tricks on your board, as opposed to using it solely for transportation, you should find a spot where you won’t be bothered, and you won’t bother anyone else. Once you hone your Tony Hawk skills, sign up for the X-games and make a profession out of it.
I think alot of the people who are against skateboarding or skateboarders are people who look at skateboarders as inconsiderate punks and have had bad run ins with skateboarders. What these people need to realize is that these people are a very very small population of the skateboarding community. I have been skateboarding my whole life and love it with all my heart and i never associate myself with these people. I think people need have a broader view before they criticize what we do.
I just skimmed this blog, I normally don’t but I needed a break.. I would like to address some of the stuff that I read.
First, I love the argument that taxpayers pay for the public places that we skate, I have been paying taxes for 11 years and I skate the spots my tax dollars paid for.
Second, So we should stop whining about not having a place to skate and pay for one ourselves.. did you pay for the local park with football fields in your town.. I doubt it. Why is it that our request for a public place to skate is so ridiculous to you. I lived in a town that promised us a park in 1994 we got one in 2002. That is why we skate your public places.
Really it all boils down to small minded individuals who can’t seem to cope with their non-comprehension of skateboarding as a sport. The “adults” going to city planning meetings don’t want to build public skateparks, they would rather build parking lots. I know this because I have been to plenty of planning meetings.
Yeah we erode public property just like rain, wind, freezing weather, or the daily barage of obese Americans who walk/sit on these structures. But, like me, many of us paid tax dollars to build that bench, ledge, rail etc… You don’t hear us complaining about paying for your social security when there won’t be any left for us.
Basically, this dilemma will never go away…until all the old fogeys (baby boomers) that are from the non-skate era die, then we will see plazas like those in Canada where skater and pedestrian are in harmony. What a beautiful day that will be, I can’t wait to be rid of thos damn aging hippies. You all should have OD’ed while you had the chance.
The skate stoppers are doing more harm than good. We WILL find a way, we WILL keep fighting until there are no more trees to make skateboards out of. People DID die for our freedom, we don’t abuse it, we take advantage of it by expressing ourselves through skateboarding. No doubt there are kids that damage public property and I emphasize on public because it belongs to everyone. The more you stop us from skating the more we will find places closer to you or in your way. It shouldn’t take 1 million years for you to adapt to the fact skateboarding is here to stay and will be pretty much where ever you go. This part is for shop owners or people complaining about us defacing stairs and such. How long honestly do you think that handrail is going to last without us? The property will have something happen to it some day. If your dear son/daughter is in the hospital dieing of a disease, you want to keep him/her alive right? But you know that one fateful day, he/she is going to die. I got off track anyways…. I guess my point is, you can put all the skate stoppers you want on a spot, we will find a way. You promote our entertainment and love for a challenge and we thank you.
Don’t judge as a group, judge as an individual.
Skate on.
William J. you are a hypocrite. “Public areas belong to everyone, not just one group”. Hmmm…. So you are saying it doesn’t belong to just 1 group? Why are we still kicked out of public spaces, why are we still being put down? No shit we destroy property but if we don’t mother nature will.
“they have never been to a city planning meeting nor have ever tried to become involved in local planning. But that will never happen because it would damage the rebel/outcast image that makes the skater who they want to be. Make the effort or shut up!”
While many skaters haven’t like it was said above it’s because we don’t feel they would pay us attention, because of our reputation.
Although, I don’t agree with that. I live in South Carolina and have been skating for five years. I’ve never smoked anything, never been drunk, never hurt anybody, never started a fight, never really damaged property. In response to the quote above and the view of skateboarders that city’s never listen, that is all wrong.
At 15 years old, I started Blythewood Skate Movement, which later was incorporated into POUR IT NOW, (as POUR IT NOW, Blythewood. POUR IT NOW (meaning pour the concrete now) is a non-profit organization that advocates and raises money for public skateboard parks in South Carolina. We have met with town/city officials in Columbia, Charleston, and Blythewood and started advocacy for real skateparks. Grassroots efforts and advocacy have grown into a soon to be park in Columbia. Columbia has been working on their project almost three years. So far they have obtained $300,000 from the city, and have raised a little over $125,000. Now, they qualify for grants, they just obtained a Tony Hawk Foundation grant for $25,0000 at a level where they qualify for all sorts of grants, it will be completed by the end of this summer. How did this happen? The city tore down their park, the skaters came to city government meetings to propose another idea. With some work and patience they have come a long ways.
The “punk” stereotype is wrong. It developed when street skating began. With no “institution” or professional league to make us seem educated and sophisticated, and to shine a spotlight of beauty upon us, we were succeptible to being viewed badly. So when street skating began, it was at a point when there were virtually no skateparks, expanding our boundaries in public property, (the only option) we were legally “loitering” and “trespassing” and eventually skateboarding wear would build up and become “vandalism”. We had no jerseys, no helmets, or pads. We wore t-shirts and jeans. Nothing too nice, pro skaters didn’t make any money, and who wants to ruin their nice clothes falling? Falls rip jeans, tricks tear shoes, the wind would blow our hair every which way. We weren’t televised, just shadows in urban landscapes. We didn’t do it to “fit in” we did for ourselves, and our bros. this caused us to be viewed as “rebels”. Ever since the beginning in the seventies, there was always a slight rebel connotation due to our roots in surfing. The publics view grew, and while we grew too, we expanded to wider and wider audiences. We are now a diverse spectrum of kids, teenagers, and adults, mostly good and bad. Today there are 16 million skaters in the U.S. according the the national institute of government purchasing. That’s more than football or baseball. Yet, as every city has a place for those, for skateboarding, many do not.
Real skaters do it to improve themselves, and find satisfaction and personal identity. However, when people treat us like criminals, it helps shape this “identity” of up and comers. Ingrained into their mind is societies grudge against them. So some take on these stereotypes why? It’s called a self-fullfilling prophecy, a statement that inadvertedly causes itself to become true. Like how racism put african americans into povery, where some of the youth became involved in gangs and violence. Now white supremecists that still exist claim that since intergration black people have gone out control, dealing drugs and shooting. The truth is most aren’t but some are. This would have never have became if people did not stereotype. So I say that stereotypes influence, oppress, and eventually can KILL, depending on how bad the stereotype is.
My message for skateboarders, don’t let these stereotypes shape your thinking. The better we look, the less we will be run off, knobbed, discriminated, ticketed, and criminalized. A good appearance the more skate You can DEFY THE STEREOTYPE! how?
-be considerate when skating (don’t be rude, don’t grind anything nice (stick to skateparks and tire marred ledges in the back of parking lots.) no city monuments.
-don’t feel like you need to fashion yourself to any “style”.
-be advocates, constantly searching for ways to reverse our reputation
-make sure there are those among you taking the lead and representing you to City
officials. We cannot keep being run out forever, we must step up and do something. If
there are no advocacy groups in your city, YOU KNOW YOUR JOB- petition, advocate,
raise money if needed.
-SUPPORT- (you do it for your local skate shops) so stand right behind any advocacy
group, volunteer, buy their products as much as possible. Go to their meetings and both
of the advocacy group and the city.
I go the Blythewood town hall meeting in a suit and tie. A critic of the skatepark came up to tell how skateboarders “don’t look like honor students to me” calling us hoods. I came up to the front, all dressed up, and explained to them who we are and what the skatepark will do. Later he congratulated me. “good job” The point is most people don’t know who we really are, it’s up to us to show them.
I want to tell any city government that they should build parks, based on what the SKATEBOARDERS want. Don’t build all vert or clunky metal. Don’t enforce rules like pad requirements, you can hardly walk in those things. Don’t charge. BUILD CONCRETE have a variety of obstacles, an SP system with medium sized parks in reach of all skaters (One big one is not what you want). And you will find that skateparks are the most used public facilities around. The skaters will be more than willing to help.
If americans are serious about wanting to keep kids out of trouble, then get us off the streets, quit criminalizing us and start listening to us.
Some skateboarders may do illegal things. Most are fairly clean. Some skaters do bad things. But one thing we all have in common is we simply want to skate, no real skaters are looking for trouble. This prevents us from seeking out drugs and gangs. And we are a close knit community, we’re like a family, accepting, supporting, and embracing each of us. Accept us as a potential positive contributors in society, and we will be urged to accept ourselves the same. The key to this, is through skateparks(/skate plazas) which give us a place to go, where we belong, a place in community, society, and life.
Need some help with whole “advocacy”
visit Skaters For Public Skateparks a global advocacy group, they’ve published the public skatepark deveolopement guide (the sp advocacy bible)- YOU WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY NEED IT
SPS- http://www.skatepark.org
Okay, let’s start off with this. Honestly, all the people on here who say that skaters are all delinquents and rude and assholes, that is not true. Don’t stereotype people if you have no idea what you’re talking about. I skate, and believe me, i’m not just trying to defend skaters, but grinding on ledges and benches does NOT damage them, bike pegs, however, do damage them. We are being set aside as a “terrible” group of teenagers, when we’re really just doing what we love. Now, to all you people who say it takes no talent, try doing one trick. Sure, riding on the board is easy, but everything else takes time and hard work to learn. Skating is only a hobby, there’s nothing wrong with it. Think back to when you were kids. All you adults who have nothing better to do need to get over it and do something with your life. Seriously, haha, you’re sitting at a computer trying to scheme and plot about ways to make skateboarders lives miserable, real mature jackasses. Just stop hating on skaters and go get a hobby.
Hi!
I’m a 22 y/o french guy who moved to SF, and I’m looking for some last spots to ride.
Not really into griding, more looking for some flat place like Wallenberg high school to skate “quietly” without being hassled !
Also could meet some cool people to chill!
Get back at me !
Take care m8s
ok wat would u rather have: a chava beating up and assaulting people or a skater grinding stuff?
i think theyre more important things than keeping skateboarders from skating and its not called a wheely its called a manual so if your gonna prove a point get your facts right
nice to see all sides of the arguments represented, I fell these anti skate devices are definitely poor compromises in design. Landscape Architects, Architects, Planners and Designers today have to consider skateboarding and other similar pursuits when designing in the urban realm, it’s not going to go away.
As a creative people skaters will just engage with these new obstacles in a different fashion, however i disagree that grind/slide marks are ugly, they generally smooth away a sharp edge and contribute to the texture of the environment, furthermore skaters bring energy and life into what are often quite sterile places .
In todays climate of rising obesity, youth crime and impending environmental catastrophe, an activity that draws people away from their couches, provides an outlet for the youthful energy and needs for socialising/personality affirmation etc and provides an alternative method of transport to cars/motorbilkes is definately a good thing.
These anti skate devices are a testament to the lazy, unimaginative, unprogressive and anti-social attitudes that unfortunately still exist in some parts of society today.
Why do they try to stop you, it is easy. These people have to pay for the damage skateboards cause to their property, I mean would you want some stranger coming into your room and playing football in it and damage your stuff? No. The same go for businesses. Also skateboarding in parking garages were other people drive and don’t know you are there also posses a danger for you. I mean a bit of common sense people. You are a lawsuit waiting to happen if you get hurt, you are costly damages to expesive property and you are front page news when a trick goes wring and a car runs you over.
Don’t take skateboarding from us!
That’s all we have!
Skateparks cost to much and arn’t designed like real street skating wants!
I wonder why soooo many people complain about skating…I also wonder about why working professionals would go to such great lengths to stop skating in densely populated centers. If I was running down the street and did a jump off a retaining wall smashing into someone, it would be all in good fun… No big deal if a skater tackles me, I will simply return the favour, all in good fun.
SkH8ter is a dick! and needs to realise that skateboarding is a unique and technical sport, when skaters start skating, and get really into it, they cant just stay in one spot for the whole day, we feel the need to explore and use seeminly unskateable obstacles to improvise and use! its unfair treating skateboarders in this way, if you dont like us skating in your public places build us more skateparks or unique street style spots to skate!!
i hate all you people who hate “US” skaters i love too skate and so do all my friends. skating is not a crime its the same thing as biking or rollerblading “US” skaters are gonna keep skating and none of those blockers are going too help so just stop and let us skate. where ever and ps most people are dicks too us so seriously fuck off you fucken dumb asses… so many people are with us too. you people try too kick me out ill come right back there im never going too give up its not fucken crime.
I see people are still commenting on this article so I’ll give my story.
Skateboarders were tearing up the cement benches and walks down by the lake downtown in my hometown. I yelled at one to knock it off after they nearly struck an old woman on a bench with a flying board.
He flipped me the bird right in my face. Do you know how hard it is to break a single exposed digit like that? It isn’t. I snapped his finger and he screamed like a b-tch. He said “W.T.F. you do that for, Ahole?” and I told him to stop being a punk-a$$ b-tch.
One of his friends ran up to hit me and I lifted my leg right into his path. I didn’t have to do anything other than straighten my leg as his momentum provided the push needed to knock him unconcious with the bottom of my boots. I monkey-stomped his head once afterwards. I guess it is bad sportsmanship to hit an unconcious fellow, and for that I’m sorry.
Cops came, I was on video “defending myself” and the kids got charged with assault. LoL. The middle-finger flipping appeared like a swing at my face on tape. Open and shut case!
I sued the parents of the kids to recover damage from my boots which had blood stains on them.
Look i am not to worried about those skate stoppers, but you people have no right to say were bad people I skate, i go to school, i do what my my mother says, i even say excuse me when i get in someones way. people are always in my way, either they walk really fucking slow or they just arent looking, whether im walking or skateboarding i’m always watching my own step, how about you watch where you’re going and we won’t run into eachother, oh and i dont need you to build me a skate park… I already skate in front of your business. hahaha. no offense but fuck all of you!!!
i’ll be waiting to see what you have to say!
http://filmtalks.net/post/2007/10/24/freedom-of-space/#a
Watch this it’s about skateboarding spots and the significance of them. When there is a spot that is not made for skateboarding it is art. Just look at how stupid the mayor of philadephia was about love park.
yeah well i just like skating the perfect spot even if you have to pay it with your childrens college fund, im going to skateboard wherever, and whenever i want i hate all of you. faggots
if skaters weren’t so ignorant, they wouldn’thave to put this stuff up… its not your property jack-whole, stay off it.
whell yea lets just start with F–K YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SKATEBOARDING IS A SPORT!!! GET A LIFE! just let us do our s–t and we’ll leave you alone ! get it straight SKATER HATER. if you can not handle the extemety of skate boarding go back and suck your moms nipples B—H
“There are two forces at stake: one that drives urban space into this crappy defensible direction and another that tries to create more playful environments.” Skate boarding is a nice hobby but it is dangerous sometimes.
Skateboarding is a good sport and it is encouraged to be played by young people rather than engaging on any other unlikely activities but it should really be played at the right place. You should not be disturbing other people with your skateboarding trick in the wrong places.
Wow what an ecelennt way to spend money. i mean wow… How much do you think were spent on these? the money could have been spent on a few blocks of concrete and some curb sections in a skater only area.
however you ALMIGHTY ADULT CUNTS SEE FIT TO ACCUSE US! AS CRIMINALS AND VANDALS!
get your facts right, YOU refuse to recognise a valid hobby as a SPORT. just because back in your childhood days you had to suck DICK for a go on the family bicycle. MAN THE FUCK UP.
think about it. you stop spending money on your wank little grind stoppers and we’ll stop skating places you don’t want to skate. all it takes is the common sense to listen to skaters rather than try and arrest them. so that a good skatepark that has all the features that a skater could want is there. jesus is it really so hard.
q se mueran los putos antiskaters
chingen su culo putos
q biba ell pince skate
These comments are hilarious.
You skateboarders keep on with the vandalism and removing all the ways that property owners try to keep you and your damn little boards away.
Keep on doing it – because you are MAKING AN INDUSTRY.
There is good money for those of us who can look at a pot and say “Yeah, I can do this, this and this to keep the little bastards away. It will cost this much.”
You guys bought me a new car – Thanks!!
all we want to do is skate!! i live in san jose, and they have told us that they were going to make a good skate park. they have been saying that for years!! if they dont wana make a skate park cus they dont have enough money why dont they just let us skate in public places!!! how much is it for just one skat blocker?? skateboarding is one thing that keeps us kids away from anything bad, the more you can skate the more time you waste on skating than doind drugs or anything bad
wow my real name not a psudonym (i probably spelt that wrong please fell free to inform me of my ‘dumb assness’) i am 38 yrs old i spent 15 yrs behind the board i can safely say that it is the most positive fun challenging thing i have ever done in my life i can also say that most of my other skateboarding contemporaries were very pleasant people some of them were of course dicks but then you always get good people and bad people in all areas of life bad people like info man (cool name too bad you couldnt back up your rhetoric with your real name but then anonymity is handy when threatening actual bodily harm) who says that he would like to kneecap you as you go by too bad he didnt provide his real name i think it would be quite funny to send a freind request via fb to him all you would need to get on his freinds list would be to do a google image search for redneck asshole and use that as an avatar picture Infoman could readily identify with. another brain doner who goes by the name of tom (hope you dont mind i didnt capitalise your first name ) who spouts on about how you wouldnt like it if some people came and played football in your living room and then goes on to lawsuits waiting to happen come on tom you realy have got the wring end of the stick (did you see what i did there i lampooned your literacy skills ho ho) and as for id50 who thinks a skateboard that does not deface property is the answer is clearly urinating into the wind, turning and showing you the piss on his trousers with a big smile on his oh so stupid face while you laugh at the pissy trouserman. And the humourously titled sailor (did you hear the one about marc almond and the sailors) who whants to throw pebbles from his pocker as far as i am concerned sailor can take his pocker and stuff it where the sun doesnt shine, its a valid life style choice and is probably quite diverting when your stuck on a boat with no ladies around. It saddens me that emb is dead i never whent there i live thousands of miles away but from my tiny island it seemed to me to be the place where modern street skating was born and that made it so very important realy it shouldve been given the same status as the southbank has in London where skateboarding is actively encouraged tis a shame that a living breathing community of physical artists are denied their canvas to create and share because come on people its a lawsuit waiting to happen . hope to see some iliterate haters keep this thread alive for another four years happy birthday.
these obstacles are almost useless…you can still use benches and flat tops to wheelie and do other tricks…other than stop you from grinding on them…not really that helpful. there’s still enough rails out there to practice. other than that theres always skate parks to go to that pretty much have the same features.