| Since its inception in the early 1970's, skateboarding | | | | grandson noted his frustration with simply trying to |
| has always set a precendent for creativity and | | | | find a pace to skate. Cities put so much public effort |
| individuality. In the last few years, the momentum | | | | and tax-dollars into city parks and other recreational |
| has picked up significantly and communities are | | | | facilities, someone just needs to point them in the |
| starting to see the need for providing local individuals | | | | right direction and get them to realize that public |
| with a place to skate. Skaters will always find a place | | | | skateparks provide a place for local skaters to have |
| to have a session, it's just a matter of determining | | | | fun and stay out of trouble. This keeps most skaters |
| whether the city is going to support their activity or | | | | off the streets and gives them an area where they |
| continue to object to street skating as many | | | | can perfect their skills and enjoy themselves. The |
| communities still do. Many cities are waking up to the | | | | value is inarguable to the community. |
| fact that public skateparks are a necessary part of | | | | Building a public skateparks doesn't necessarily mean |
| the local community. | | | | the community understands all the aspects of being |
| How a community funds a public skatepark varies in | | | | socially responsible. Part of the understanding comes |
| many ways. Some skateparks receive funding from | | | | from learning how to best manage these facilities. |
| local organizations in support of recreational | | | | Westminster Skatepark in Wesminster, Colorado |
| ameneties and sometimes funding comes from local | | | | reversed its 'Helmets Required' rule once city officials |
| support and grass-roots fundraising. Some companies | | | | realized that staying hands-off actually decreased |
| will donate materials for the project as a tax | | | | their liability. Exerting too much control requires the |
| write-off. Ad space is sometimes auctioned off in | | | | city to enforce their own rules which ends up costing |
| order to secure additional funding. Most public | | | | even more money. Enforcing such rules at some |
| skateparks are constructed with a combination of | | | | public skateparks would be next to impossible. The |
| grant money and money raised by the community. | | | | Denver Skatepark, at over 60,000 square feet is the |
| Most of the hard work put into getting a community | | | | largest of its kind in the country, does not require |
| to consider a public skatepark comes from | | | | pads and has not reported any injuries. This is |
| advocates who labor intensively get these projects | | | | attributed to most skaters knowing that they are |
| pushed thru the local governments. Sometimes, these | | | | skating at their own risk. Relaxing the rules can be |
| advocates aren't even skateboarders. One advocate, | | | | more beneficial to eveyone because the city is |
| a retired businesswoman and City Councilwoman | | | | balancing what the skaters want and an acceptable |
| took up the fight for public skateparks when her | | | | amount of risk the city is willing to assume. |