The problem here(Maryland) is that our parks administration thinks that smaller is safer. We went through a terrible back and forth when trying to finalize a design with Grindline. So frustrating. The skaters and town came to a design agreement with a pretty nice bowl and some street elements. Once the design was handed over to Maryland National-Capitol Parks and Planning Commission, they down sized the entire project deeming the bowl an abduction threat as well as a drowning threat when leaves would cover and block the drainage. So absurd. We wrote countless emails and the Parks department would not listen to us.
Yeah, but if they manage to make it shitty enough that nobody skates there, that IS safer, man. (Unless you are tax money in that county, in which case you have met a senseless fate, after what turns out to have been an abduction.) (In fact, not that I’m conservative or anything, but a few municipalities wind up being slightly reminiscent of Elizabeth Smart’s abductors, when it comes to what’s good for “us”.)
Good, just keep the parks coming and keep them different! I ain’t complaining as long as I live in the NW, where the parks are awesome and plenty. I do especially like the recent change in park sizes/bowl depths, it means that more and more different (younger) skaters are going to meetings and making their voices and opinions heard. I like Pier in the background, MC.
Here’s my take: It’s not the little stuff that’s more democratic, it’s the unpaddedness. They just don’t want false leaders, and once the Michelin Man generation goes away, you’ll see more 6-8 foot stuff across the country, as ‘democratically elected leaders’ emerge, in an order that they can live with, and so demand expands… and then the only challenge will be educating POLITICAL leaders that tight little transitions can slam you worse than big ones, and are not really inherently safer so long as speed can be generated on them.
10 comments
roszco
The problem here(Maryland) is that our parks administration thinks that smaller is safer. We went through a terrible back and forth when trying to finalize a design with Grindline. So frustrating. The skaters and town came to a design agreement with a pretty nice bowl and some street elements. Once the design was handed over to Maryland National-Capitol Parks and Planning Commission, they down sized the entire project deeming the bowl an abduction threat as well as a drowning threat when leaves would cover and block the drainage. So absurd. We wrote countless emails and the Parks department would not listen to us.
RH
Yeah, but if they manage to make it shitty enough that nobody skates there, that IS safer, man. (Unless you are tax money in that county, in which case you have met a senseless fate, after what turns out to have been an abduction.) (In fact, not that I’m conservative or anything, but a few municipalities wind up being slightly reminiscent of Elizabeth Smart’s abductors, when it comes to what’s good for “us”.)
francisco
Good, just keep the parks coming and keep them different! I ain’t complaining as long as I live in the NW, where the parks are awesome and plenty. I do especially like the recent change in park sizes/bowl depths, it means that more and more different (younger) skaters are going to meetings and making their voices and opinions heard. I like Pier in the background, MC.
K.C.
Great MC!
RH
Here’s my take: It’s not the little stuff that’s more democratic, it’s the unpaddedness. They just don’t want false leaders, and once the Michelin Man generation goes away, you’ll see more 6-8 foot stuff across the country, as ‘democratically elected leaders’ emerge, in an order that they can live with, and so demand expands… and then the only challenge will be educating POLITICAL leaders that tight little transitions can slam you worse than big ones, and are not really inherently safer so long as speed can be generated on them.
Troy
“I am the 1%”
mc
A greater proportion of the citizenry is served by wimpy little skateparks.
Heath
MC is currently wearing a monocle and top hat, and smoking a big cigar!
scott o
Finally. Thanks for saying what 99.875% of us are thinking.
masterochicken
I want a kiddie pool.