Skateboarding Bias

Felix d’Hermillon

Skateboarding Bias Essay

A bias is made against skateboarders today, from past events, planting the thought in people’s mind that skateboarding is for trouble makers. There has always been a bias against skateboarders. There are many different kinds of people all over the globe that have a bias against skateboarding. Police, Security Guards, and many more.

They have been known for being troublemakers. Skateboarding was first invented in the 1950’s. Surfer’s wanted to explore their possibilities. The surfers decided to take it to the streets. “Concrete Surfing” a.k.a “Skateboarding”. The surfers made the board out of taking roller skate wheels and putting them onto a wooden box and riding it through the streets. Skateboarding got its bad name from Dogtown and the Z-boys. Back in the 60’s and 70’s, skateboarder’s used to break into backyard pools. They would shred these pools illegally knowing full well what they were doing. They weren’t thinking clearly but that doesn’t mean that all skater’s are trouble makers from today and from back then as well.

There are many laws against skateboarding all over the world. Love park is one of the most famous skate spots on the east coast. Love park is skated everyday by skateboarders all over, but sadly it is illegal. Skaters are ticketed with a $300 fine and then they have their boards taken. People have been arrested if they aren’t a minor.  It is not only a monument in artwork standards, but a monument in skateboarding. In this quote, skaters are protesting to keep love park open to skaters(when it was closed down in 2002). “Before LOVE was officially closed in late April 2002 for the redesign, skateboarders and others organized a protest on April 22, 2002. Dozens of skaters and supporters flooded the park for one last session together before police came and dispersed the skaters and the session. However, before the protest was over, skateboarders and their advocates made numerous statements to the media. Some noted the sad loss of this great skate spot, others pointed out that the loss of skateboarding at LOVE is a scar on the attractiveness and accessibility of Philadelphia to a younger generation” says UHistory.org. This quote is stating clearly that skaters are feeling the loss. They clearly stated to the media that they are feeling neglected. I don’t believe having that last skate session was he most helpful way of convincing the city to allow it but I do think that it helps the community hear about the banning of skateboarding at Love and I think it did spread the word to help support the community of skaters.

Another example of skateboarding being known as thugs is that it is out lawed in San Francisco, California. In the City of San Francisco, Police officers are allowed to arrest skateboarders for skating on Public Property. When I say public property, I mean streets, ledges plazas, parking lots, or anything else you can think of. Police officers will always arrest you if you are riding a skateboard in San Francisco, they will depending on what ever mood they are in, so if you are skating through the streets of San Francisco and a Police officer stops you to give you a warning, don’t provoke him because he can arrest you if you set him off.

Skater’s should be awarded for the amount of effort that they put in. Most skater’s aren’t causing trouble while doing so. At least people are doing something. For kids, at least they are doing something instead of drugs or any other bad thing you can think of. And for older people skating, at least they aren’t just sitting around not doing anything. They are being active and thats all that matters. Much of today’s modern architecture is perfectly made for skateboarders. Skater’s have searched for these architecturally advanced spots.

All around the world, there is tons of police brutality with skaters. All over youtube there are videos. In baltimore there was an instance where a group of skateboarders were skating at the inner harbor. Police officer, Salvator Rivieri, stopped these kids and started verbally harassing them about skateboarding there. Then, the police officer man-handled a 14 year old skateboarder Eric Bush. Officer Rivieri grabs the minor around the neck and throws him on the ground.

There are a lot of parents that are really supportive of their kids. There are professional skateboarders all over the world that all have had supportive parents to help them get somewhere. Their parents helped them achieve their goal of making a living out of skateboarding. And its not only skateboarding, there are filmer's that make a living out of it by simply doing what they love. Torey Pudwill is a professional Skateboarder that rides for Plan B skateboards, DVS shoes, Bones Bearings, venture trucks and has even made his own line of Grip tape for the skateboards just from the help of his parents. “My dad or mom would drive us here (Skatelab Skatepark) after school almost everyday, get our homework done, or not, and just skate”. Another Skater is Nyjah Huston is 19 years old. He has been a professional skater since he was 11 years old. He was in the X-games at the age of 11.“My dad was really controlling and he did want me to skate every single day. I would say he did it in a little bit of a strict way which probably wasn't necessary because, bottom line I loved skateboarding and thats all I wanted to do anyway.” Later on in the same interview he says “If he did happen to call me anytime soon, i would completely accept him because I am thankful for the way he raised me, even thug it was very strict, it was what got me to where I am right now.”

A lot of upperclassmen think that Skateboarding is reckless and a waste of time. They believe

As you have seen, Skater’s are considered bad boy’s. This is a false term. Skater’s have been named this when it is completely the opposite. Skater’s are artist’s. They have a talent. They search out spot’s and are being creative. It is the people surrounding skater’s that attach this false baggage to them. From having a shitty day at work, the law enforcer’s make our’s worse. The butterfly effect. Some skater’s might be thugs, or “gangbangers” but to say that the all of skater’s fits that description is simply ignorant and demoralizing.