Reported on PDX Downhill, Eric Nagle, a Federal attorney in Portland Oregon made a presentation tonight advocating making skateboarding illegal in the Arlington Heights neighborhood of Portland, a wealthy area in the hills where the Zoobomb happens. If you’re not a local, Zoobomb is a essentially a free for all weekly-ish downhill event that is mainly a bicycle driven, but has a fair amount of skateboarders too. (At this point in the post I need to mention that I’ve never actually been to one.) I’ve always been surprised that the neighbors didn’t organize against it, and now at long last it appears the honeymoon is over:
He (Nagle) repeatedly referred to the recent bans on skating in Laguna Beach CA, Malibu CA, and Newport Oregon as examples of the type of laws that Portland needs to enact and constantly referred to the fact that the current hard-won skating law in Portland was only passed by a 3-2 vote.
Part of what makes Zoobomb a success is the fact that public transportation via light rail operates like a ski lift. Not content to just ban skateboarding, Nagle allegedly wants to shut down the Zoo Max (train) station in evenings and pepper the surrounding terrain with speed bumps, cobblestone and perpendicular grooves. I’m not sure why Nagle has such a hard-on for skateboarders specifically, and doesn’t appear to be concerned with bikes. Next on Nagle’s agenda is a presentation to Portland’s Mayor Sam Adams, who has traditionally been in the corner of the Portland skateboarder. However, Sam’s had a rocky first term not without scandal, so there’s no telling how he’ll respond to this.
– Thanks to James Hedman for the tip.
13 comments
Billy Bones
I attended a meeting on Tuesday with various city officials and members of the neighborhood association. The meeting went really well and I am very optimistic for the future of skating this hill. There is still lots to be done but we’ve opened up a line of communication between both communities and we are actively working towards a feasible solution. Will try to keep ya’ll posted on the progress with this issue.
zoobomb
we will never stop. NEVER!
Butthurt for BMX
This is little more than classism. Is there anything else we can do to make the wealthy comfortable?
And in all seriousness, if they can ban Zoobombers, then we should get to ban them from visiting our neigborhoods.
skuz
heh lemme let you folks in on a little secret. i live in place where skateboarding is illegal, where skaters get arrested and their boards seized as evidence. buuut if you skate well and fast you can always get away as long as you dont feel the need to be blatant about your presence in the areas you skate.
the problem solves itself, the world is like music and always creates harmony. maybe not the tune you were looking for but thats your problem not the world’s. the shitty dumb dick weasel skaters will get busted and the swift clever skaters will skate away. it is your prerogative to be the latter. aloha and roll with control!!
Tim Laidlaw
I think Billy and many others have taken the right course by approaching the association and being willing to respect the views of those that own homes up there even though they differ from their own. How about giving ZooBomb a rest and showing some conviction, then it will only be the “people who disregard our cultural norms and act like dicks”
Both sides will have to give a little to get what they want. I saw this whole thing coming years ago, I guess all the whining about skate harassment when it’s legal really cracks me up! Same shit – different flies, far be it from me to prevent you guys from blowing out your spots, that plan seems to be working well.
Moustache Max D
What do you expect the so-called “longboard community” to do? How exactly does the longboard community “take responsibility” for people who disregard our cultural norms and act like dicks? These dudes can’t be the 24/7 skate police.
Tad
I agree but, I does shed light on a bigger problem. I think with zoobomb it has come to the point out of the hands of the “downhill community” since it is a spot that is frequented skaters who may not have much interested in bombing hills other than zoobomb and know about it with out seeing any maps.
I have seen people nearly get in a fight while trying to self police there too.
When I first rode on zooboomb a map of the run existed but, the only people that knew about it were once who visited the site that had but, there was not nearly as many people were being sketchy.
Even when the was police prescience at one of the stop signs it got anyone who was running the stop sign to stop that was being responsible and now many people make a point so people can see that they are with out a doubt stopping for the sign.
To solely pin the blame downhill community for it is a bit much. For the sheer number of people that go and ride on zoobomb the majority of people skating have nothing to do with the downhill community.
If I went and told some one they should not ride it they may try and fight me or cause a fight with me and I sound like some grumpy “local”
Tim Laidlaw
Agreed, but the downhill community can’t shirk responsibility for what’s going on and take a stand that it’s just a few inconsiderate individuals. The downhill community encourages everyone to skate that hill whenever they want, even provide directions to and a map of the hill. It’s all about an inch and a mile, like I’ve said before, I remember getting tickets up there for just being in the street with a skateboard.
Tad
Tim,
The core of the Downhill community in Portland has been doing what they can to uphold it. The problem is that well as many of us have seen there has been a gigantic boom of people getting longboards and going to a hill without really knowing how to skate in the first place and well this is a very well known spot.
Sessions do end up going on through out town but, for me this is another reason to keep a lot of spots low key.
Tim Laidlaw
Too much of a good thing in my opinion, I think spreading sessions around town is the way to go. Sunday’s weren’t enough so this is the result and now switchbacks are at risk?! This isn’t the first sign of trouble there and the downhill community summarily dismissing those early signs lead to this action. I hope the downhill community can resolve this without modification to the hill.
scummerpdx
look it rains most of the winter so the richie rich have a long break from the screeching noise of urathane….this is Portland folks…if you dont like it move you rich ass back to Cali…got it?
enemy combatant
There were at least a couple of dozen residents at the meeting. They are totally freaked at the sheer number of longboarders that have appeared the last couple of years. Some typical complaints were running stop signs, slamming into parked cars and denting them, profanity, yelling and screaming, hooting and hollering till 2 o’clock in the morning, but most of all the sheer noise of wheels getting sideways and slide gloves on the pavement.
The soccer moms are way pissed.
Loblaw
Best guess is the noise from hard wheels. Repave the road and everyone’s happy. Shutting this down to the bike crews might put someone’s private property in danger.