Coffee & Rhetoric - Let skateboarders ride

Last night's Coffee & Rhetoric had a pretty good group attending to hear Peter Whitley of TacomaSkateParks.org discuss how he's working to setup safe places for kids to ride. Progress is slow but somewhat sure. He points to skateparks or even small skateboarding zones of a few small features as ways to bring life to an area. He estimates there are 3,000 active skateboarding youth in the area (two of which live across the alley from us) most without a place to do it legally or within walking distance of their homes.

His focus is setting up little zones inside a greater "system" with a few skateboarding features (not an entire park) here and there to allow for smaller crowds at each spot and for the migratory tendencies of boarders. I hope the city and Metro Parks can work with him to add such features to our area. Even last night before C&R Sarah and I enjoyed a couple bagels outside near the History Museum and saw a group of four boarders get shooed away by a security guard. Considering spots like that amphitheater, the steps in front of TAM, and the entire Plaza downtown (to mention a few) it's almost as though developers are taunting skateboarders.

A good idea came up to encourage Peter and other local advocates to also get with developers to see about including boarding-friendly features that help encourage less property damage due to skateboards and encourage the tacit security that comes with have a few kids out practicing tricks when no one else is around.

Link to TacomaSkateParks.org and SkatersForPublicSkateparks.org

Next week: Event permitting in Tacoma - Should Metro Parks do it?

We also met local bloggers and FeedTacoma contributors ensie and husband Frinklin. Good to meet you both!

Comments (5) | To Top

4/6/2007 @ 8:44am

It was great meeting both of you last night as well!

Last night's topic was interesting. What stuck with me were two things - a. that there is $1.5 million allocated for skateparks in in Tacoma that is waiting for space. And b. that one person can cause such an uproar with a letter writing campaign to cause Metro Parks to freakout and cancel a planned skatepark.

by ensie

4/6/2007 @ 7:51pm

Last night was good fun. It was nice to gab about one of my favorite topics to a captive audience for so long.

Interesting when one dwells on a lifetime of skateboarding and its impacts on the self-awareness. Skateboarding is a largely internalized activity and it's only the "place to skate" that carries the social aspects. When you drop in on a halfpipe, you're all alone...it's just whatever skills you can apply to the big wall of challenge in front of you. In most cases, "big wall of challenge" is literally what you're facing. It doesn't matter how much your community supports you, how many friends you have on the deck, or if your mom and dad really like that you're getting out. All of that is gone. It's just you. That is the skateboarding that acts as a fertile environment to grow blooms of self-confidence.

When that activity can take place in a larger social context, the awakening happens among peers and a strong community emerges. The bonds built by sharing these individual challenges together, side by side, with no leaders or guidance, is truly incredible.

In my forty-whateverish years on the planet it's the only thing I've encountered that offers such a resonating experience. It's easy to see why most skateboarders are so passionate and dedicated. Skateboarding made them what and who they are.

That's why I believe that skateparks are vital to Tacoma's youth, to our future.

by Peter Whitley

4/6/2007 @ 11:45pm

Glad to hear it went well. I thought skateboarding was a perfect topic for Coffee and Rhetoric and recommended it.

I think the next one should be artists' discussion/debate:

http://www.exit133.com/1749/volunteer-for-the-tacoma-arts-commission#c005649

There's obviously alot of tension that has built up that needs some airing.

by Erik

4/7/2007 @ 11:04am

Erik: Next one is focusing on the events permitting in Tacoma possibly going to Metro Parks.

by KevinFreitas

4/7/2007 @ 11:42am

"Erik: Next one is focusing on the events permitting in Tacoma possibly going to Metro Parks."

Good timely topic.

Latest Entries

Fri. April 6, 2007, 06:57am PDT