I got an email alert about the grand opening of Sarasota’s Payne Park next Saturday. I got excited because my mother in-law lives in Sarasota and so I visit it on a regular basis. The existing skate park is fun, but nothing to write home about, so a little variety would be nice. It turns out that Sarasota isn’t getting another skatepark, it’s just phase two of the surrounding park facilities, which includes amphitheater, more tennis courts, a walking path (Whee!) and a “skateboard clubhouse,” whatever that means. Then I read that the skatepark fees would be waived for the day of the opening festivities and I really got mad. Sarasota has one of the highest concentrations of wealth in the southeastern US, but you have to pay to skate at that park. The land for the park? Donated outright. The construction costs? Paid for by a one percent sales tax. Public tennis courts? I think they are free, but for some reason, a facility that can be used kids from all demographics is pay-to-play. Absurd! It’s already annoying that the damn thing isn’t open on holidays or during school hours! I don’t know what the hell this “skateboard clubhouse” is supposed to be, but I’m guessing it’s part of the reason you have to pay to skate. Guess what Mayor Palmer, kids don’t want or need a skateboard clubhouse. It isn’t 1974 and Kristy McNichol isn’t going to show up. Kids (and a lot of adults) just want a place where they can for free without the bullshit of memberships and restrictive time constraints. Free skateparks open dawn to dusk? The rest of the country seems to be catching on, why not Sarasota? To top it off, it turns out they closed the entire skatepark for the month of August so they could build the rest of the park. That’s third of the time in the year when the park is open for semi-reasonable hours. Way to go geniuses. You can’t possibly even pretend to have the best interests of the Sarasota youth in mind.

According to the The Post Tribune article Doctor: Skateboarding can be fatal:

A taste for adventure can be fatal for skateboarders who practice their stunts without a helmet or hang onto the bumper of a car.

In a study of skateboarding injuries, one out of every five kids who were hospitalized needed help with feeding after they were released.

“Sometimes, these injuries can have long-lasting consequences. Not being able to feed yourself is not that cool,” said Dr. Kyran Quinlan at the University of Chicago.

In response to these findings, one local research group has funded further research. Results after the jump.

The Tuscaloosa News has a fascinating article titled LIVING ON THE EDGE – Skate park attracts enthusiasts, competitive boarders. Critical analysis of this thought provoking and controversial article after the jump.

The Tuscaloosa News – Skate park attracts enthusiasts.

Some kid (adult, actually) tried to ride his bike at a skatepark and got kicked out. Not a big deal, except for a few things that make this more interesting. The skatepark was already closed for a specai “summer camp only” session, so he was double barging. Not only that, but the kid came back a short time later and started yelling at kids while riding around the park “recklessly.” He even ran into and injured a nine year old kid. Way to go tough guy! To make it even stranger, he was friends with or at least on friendly terms with a bunch of the local skate kids. As if it couldn’t get any stranger, witness nine year old kids wearing pork pie hats as a fashion statement! This isn’t a really a BMX versus skateboarders story, just more of a moron vs. little kids story. In any case, the police picked up the kid, who hopefully has come down from whatever he was under the influence of before returning to the skatepark. Philip Delisle of Hillsboro Oregon, we salute you for your bravery! Watch the news report after the jump. [Source: Sleestak]

Police: Bicyclist Crashes Kids Skateboard Camp

From Fox 12 News:

Police: Bicyclist Crashes Kids Skateboard Camp

POSTED: 5:11 pm PDT July 27, 2007
UPDATED: 9:10 am PDT July 30, 2007

HILLSBORO, Ore. — A rowdy bicyclist was arrested after he disrupted a youth skateboard camp in Hillsboro, according to police.

Police said the 18-year-old man was riding a BMX bicycle when he tried to enter Reedville Skate Park during an organized skateboarding camp that had temporarily closed the skate park Tuesday. Staff members turned the man away, but he returned a short time later, officers said. While yelling profanities, he rode his bicycle recklessly through the skate park, causing an injury to a 9-year-old child who tried to avoid colliding with the bicyclist, according to police. Police said there were 18 children, ranging in age from 8 to 13 years old, who were attending the camp and riding their skateboards in the concrete bowl area of the skate park. Officers said a child’s parent took a digital photograph of the bicyclist and police were able to identify him as Phillip Delisle.

Delisle returned to the skate park Friday and was arrested on charges of assault, reckless endangering, disorderly conduct and trespassing.

The Examiner reports: “Skating a worldwide phenomenon.” Please click through for a thoughtful analysis of this late breaking news item.

See Duh! Part 1

Also stating the obvious is this How Stuff Works article titled “How Skateboarding Works.” Did you know “Surfers used to call skateboarding ’sidewalk surfing.’?” Fascinating!