South Park Skatepark -- Opens Nov 27

The official word on South Park is that it opens up this Thursday around 10ish (I think). There is a ribbon cutting ceremony and then the County Police will Lock It Up so you can't skate there (Just Like BOYCE! ! ! WHOOOO HOOO)

Let's hope they do a better job of letting people skate the park. I've been to Boyce a few times in the past month and the gates are not even unlocked. I've heard the same thing from others too. It is a shame that after we finally get a place "where the public wants us" we are still waiting for approval to skate it from the Police.

Personally, I liked the old days better. We used to just pick spot and skate it until the police showed up. Then we would leave. It seems much more fun that way. I don't know if skateboarding works in such a controlled environment. None of us really started skateboarding to impress our parents, the high school football coach, or our angry neighbors.

Pittsburgh HAS TONS OF GOOD STREET SPOTS

Someone once told me, "that skateparks make skateboarding weaker". At the time I heard that I could not for the life of me understand why. I thought how could more skateparks be bad thing. We'd always have a back up to go somewhere. More places to skate has to equal better skating.

But now, I can see where public supported places are bad for skateboarding. The same way we saw the "Jockitization" of skateboarding bad in the Late 80's and again in the Late 90's into 2000. You can't skate and play by the rules. We don't want to be unified by anything other than skateboarding. We don't want teams or societies approval.

The truth is, that there are very few things that the government can do for you that the people can't do better for themselves. Look what is happening by relying on places to skate. We have carbon copy kids who all do the same tricks down the same handrail and want sponsored. Part of what makes skateboarding great is that we all come from different experiences. We all skate different stuff, know different spots and have different styles. When you meet up you share those things and skate your heart out.

The same thing applies to where you buy your skateboards at. I have always said that I don't care if you buy from us, but when you do buy your skateboards, your shoes, your hats, your t-shirts and such, PLEASE GO TO A SKATER OWNED AND OPERATED SKATESHOP and choose SKATER OWNED AND OPERATED PRODUCTS. Request USA Made Stuff

Here is why:
When you buy your skate goods from mall stores, auction sites, sporting goods stores, and online shoes stores none of your dollars spent at that store go back into supporting your local scene. To them, skateboarding is just a commodity. Skateboarding is a business. They may save you a buck or two, but none of those sales come back to support you. When you buy from your local shop or skater owned shop, that money goes back into contests, demos, signings, video premiers, sponsoring local riders and building a scene around skateboarding. When you buy your skate goods from mall shops, YOU build a scene around consumption. When the market slows down or dies out again (and it will) the corporate companies that "supported" skateboarding by selling skateboard products will stop selling them once skateboarding is not profitable to them anymore.

In the mean time, skater owned shops take a beating. It doesn't make sense to buy skateboards from some pimple headed jock at a sporting goods store. When you go to your local shop, they know skateboarding inside and out. Plus, they'll tell you 10 spots to skate on your way home.

Lesson:
If you want to kill skateboarding, skate public skateparks and buy your skate goods at the mall. You are doing a great job already.

MY NEXT POST: Skateboarders with Milk Moustaches