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SkateparkA skatepark is a purpose-built recreational environment for skateboarders and inline skaters to ride and develop their sport and art. A skatepark may contain halfpipes, quarter pipes, handrails, trick boxes, vert ramps, pyramids, banked ramps, full pipes, stairs, and any number of other trick-oriented objects. Skateparks may be privately owned or publicly owned. Privately owned skateparks usually have admission fees, while publicly owned skateparks generally charge no entrance fee. Many privately owned skateparks are indoors, usually in warehouses, roller rinks or buildings with tall ceilings, especially in areas of the world with snowy winters. Public skateparks are almost always outdoors. History The 1970's and 80's - The First Wave Skateparks first emerged in 1976, and were primarily private, for-profit endeavors, although several public parks were built. Parks of that time included pools, bowls, snake runs, freestyle areas, banked slalom areas, halfpipes, and full pipes. Most were built of concrete and were located outdoors, although in more extreme climates indoor parks were built. None of the private parks of the 70's remain, with the notable exception of Kona Skatepark in Florida. Many of the public parks remain, such as Derby Park in Santa Cruz, California. Most of the parks of that era were poorly designed and built by "get-rich-quick" type businespeople who wanted to make money from skateboarding. The best parks, such as the Upland Pipeline, designed by skateboarders and carefully built, survived well into the 80's, until they were overrun by escalating land values that made their survival less profitable than if their sites were to be turned into shopping centers or condominiums. Outrageous liability insurance premiums made possible by the fears of enormous lawsuits also were a contributing factor in the decline of the original skateparks. The 1990's and 2000's The modern skatepark movement can be traced back to Portland, Oregon, in 1990, with the commencement of the Burnside Project, a DIY "barge build" sited underneath one end of the Burnside Bridge. Skateboarders took an area that was populated primarily by what the city called "undesirable elements" and created a skatepark there. Sections were built slowly, one section at a time, using concrete. That process came to be known as "design/build" (DB). The design/build process makes sure that adjacent skatepark features are harmonious and rideable, allowing skateboarders to create endless "lines" to ride among the many elements extant in the design. In recent years, estimates have it that a new skatepark opens somewhere every three days. This boom was brought about by: - The rising popularity of skateboarding
- Changing laws and attitudes
- Some states have passed legislation stating that skateboarding is an inherently hazardous activity, and therefore municipalities and their employees may not be held liable for claims of negligence resulting in skateboarders' injuries.
- The invention of less expensive building methods
- Though concrete is the ideal riding surface, it is also the most expensive. Less expensive building options include wood, composites, and steel. The invention of modular ramps made mass production of high-quality skatepark equipment possible, but modular design must always consist of a collection of standardized obstacles. There is a controversy in the skateboarding community over whether it is better to build many small, inexpensive, modular skateparks designed for beginners or a small number of large, expensive, concrete skateparks designed for advanced skaters.
Controversy With its history of fringe social acceptance, skateboarders have only recently gained significant legitimacy. Still, there is no shortage of controversy surrounding skateboarding. Many urban areas face widespread property damage caused by skateboarding and some have addressed the problem by creating skateparks. However, the design and materials used often leads to heated discussions within the skateboarding community. Though once there existed a some friction between inline skaters and other skatepark users, the small number of inline skaters at skateparks does not tend to contribute to crowding or collisions. BMX bikes, on the other hand, are the subject of a great deal controversy within skatepark communities due to safety and skatepark maintenance issues.
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