Skate Everywhere
May 2009
How to build your own skatepark
6 Reasons to Skate Why you should try something new
Letter From Tony Hawk What he had to say about The Tony Hawk Foundation
US - $4.99
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REASONS TO SKATE
1 2 3 4 5 6 Skateboard to Try Something New If you haven’t given skateboarding a shot, and you are looking for something to challenge yourself with, then skateboarding is a perfect choice. Skateboarding will challenge you in new ways and teach you a new skill set. Trying new things and gaining new experiences is what keeps your brain alive and active, which in turn gives you new insights into the world and makes you a better, more interesting person!
Skateboarding Teaches Perseverance
Sometimes you learn a trick one day, and then the next day you just can’t land it. Sometimes you’re doing great, and suddenly you find yourself smashing into the pavement and it hurts. But you stick with it. You keep trying. You lean the value of staying with something, even when it’s not easy. Life is tough, and learning to push through because the payoff is worth it will help in every way.
Skateboarding to Build Confidence When you’ve been practicing a trick for a long time, and you finally get it, you realize that you can do something that only a small handful of people can even do. You learn that if you try hard, you can defy gravity. So you move on to a harder trick. You start to learn that you can skate, no matter what other people say. Believing in yourself and understanding how powerful you really are is important!
Skateboard For Fitness This might seem weird at first, but, skateboarding trains your body in unique ways. A huge part of skateboarding is balance, so your core will gain strength as you skate. Plus, your legs will get a good workout as well. Skateboarding is also very aerobic, and you can easily work up a sweat while skating. It’s pretty easy to loose weight when you are out pumping your board around all afternoon. If you really dig into skateboarding, you’ll end up lean and tough.
Skateboard to Make Friends This is true no matter your age. If you are a teenager, then there should be groups of skaters at school, and if you choose to skate, you should have several groups of instant friends if you want. You’ll be more interesting. This works for adults, too. Plus, it’s easy to run into people at skateparks and make friends, or you can check at your local skate shop for local groups and clubs.
Skateboard For Fun
Skateboarding is also fun! And not fun like playing a video game is fun - skateboarding is that deep kind of fun that gets down into your gut. Maybe it’s because of all of these other reasons chipping in, plus learning and landing a new trick, feeling the burn and the wind as you fly down the sidewalk, the click-clack sounds and crack of the tail as you olly, the pull of gravity and you bend your knees and push up a ramp or around a corner.
SKATE WHER club. Having the backing
terested in helping you out. Just
of a company or group
call
can be very helpful in
see what people think about the idea.
getting seen, and legiti-
The hardest part will be finding a
mizing what you are doing
place for the club, and getting the
in the eyes of parents. Churches,
ramps and obstacles to make it a
YMCAs, youth organizations like
fun place to skate. If you’ve teamed
Campus Life are all great places
up with a YMCA, a church or some
to start looking. Skate shops can
other
be good to talk to as well - even
might have a parking lot that you
if you don’t want to help run the
could use once or twice a week (or
club, they might be able to help
more!). Otherwise, you might need
promote it, or they might know
to ask around and try and make
of other people who might be in-
some connections to get a good
HOW TO START A SKATEBOARD CLUB IN YOUR COMMUNITY OR YOUR SCHOOL . . . Community skateboarding clubs are casual and social, open to anyone, and offer a great place and time for skaters to come together. They can make friends, challenge each other and learn new tricks, all in a safe environment. I would partner with a good legitimate organization to start your skateboard
around
youth
or
stop
by,
organization,
and
they
place for the club to meet. The more visible the
in. Maybe a lumber company would be willing to do-
spot, the better.
nate, or even sponsor some ramps. Ask if they know
The two main organizations that
I have seen build groups like this are churches or youth ministries, and the YMCA. There are a lot of Christian skate clubs around the country and has been
running
for
over
a
decade.
It’s
called
Skatechurch”. I know that Christian youth organizations like Youth for Christ sometimes build clubs like this, too. And I know a guy in Texas who works for the YMCA, and he runs a skate club through them. What
“
of anyone who could help with building the obstacles.
They asked and were given permission to use a church parking lot for the events
”
The ramps and obstacles need to be well built. There
EVER these look like can vary quite a bit. The one in Southern
are websites with free ramp building plans online, there
Oregon I mentioned meets once a week after school,
are books, and you can even hire people to build the
WHENEVER
ramps for you, if you have the
money and want to make sure they are the best quality. If you
have skaters already interesteded, ask them to help out. You might also need some kind of goal for the group - some-
and they skate for maybe 5 or 6 hours and he got a
thing that the club is working towards. An easy way to
group of people together to help build some ramps and
do this is to set up a few contests. These don’t have
rails and funboxes. For the ramps, you will probably
to be huge (if you want them to be, then read How to
need to build them yourself. If you have other skaters
Start a Skateboard Contest for help). But for your club,
“
I have a friend who ran one in Southern Oregon for around seven
”
interested, then you can get them to help. Your local
skateboard shops are great places to ask for some help . Try to get parents and local business to chip
it can be something as simple as a game of skate once a month. Have stuff to drink, maybe even advertise it around school so other people can come and watch. Finally, I would recommend coming up with a name for the club. The key to making it a good experience that skaters want to go to, is keeping it “cool”.
School SPONSERED skateboard clubs are a but to offer it in a way that legitimizes It can be good to have some adults around, too, to en-
skaters to be able to have fun with other skaters.
courage the kids and to keep fights from breaking out. It’s
School sponsored skateboard clubs are a great
important though that the adults don’t try to be anything
way to get a skateboard club going, but to offer it in
they are not. If they aren’t skaters, then that’s actually
a way that legitimizes it to parents and other adults.
ok – but they should appreciate skateboarding. If they do skate, then just make sure they don’t brag about it.
When they see it linked to the school, the skaters
If you want to charge, then keep it cheap.
get more respect, they can list it as school sponsored activities on college applications as well as
The money should go to cover the costs, not into
their resumes, and the club is instantly more visible.
your pocket. It’s also a good idea to have some kind
If you would like to start up a highly competi-
of waiver form ready for parents to sign for minors.
tive skateboarding club in your town, something
Finally, the key to making it a good experience that kids
that will compete with other schools, then read
WANT to go to, is keeping it “cool”. I’ve been told that
How to Start a Competitive Skateboard Club. These
it’s a good idea to not call it a “club”. There’s some
instructions are here to help you start up a more ca-
good wisdom in that. Also, don’t get too wrapped up
sual skateboard club that meets at your school. It
in how it looks – skaters often enjoy the rough, unfin-
might develop into something more later, but for
ished look. Focus more on keeping it relaxed, easy
now, you want to give the skaters the opportunity
going, and functional. The main point should be for
to skate, and perhaps hold a few low key contests.
great way to get a skateboard club going, it to PARENTS and also other adults. Once you have a vision, then you need to relax a bit
the superintendent to speak. Things can get dicey here
and keep it flexible. The key will be to offer the school
if there isn’t much support for the idea. This all works
an idea, and then to be able to bend your idea around
far better if you know a board member or a teacher
what the school wants! This doesn’t have to be any-
who can help grease the wheels. It can be helpful,
thing too detailed, but you need to have an idea of what
maybe, to track down the board members before the
you are talking about before you approach the school.
meeting and talk to them about what you are doing.
Probably, you are picturing having some ramps,
This all works better if the board, superintendent and
maybe a funbox, some rails - nothing too huge at the
principal are on board with the idea. And that often
beginning. Or maybe you would like to use the local skatepark. How would you like to organize the club? Do you want contests? If so,
“
First, you have to have a vision for the skateboarding club.
”
happens more easily when personal relationships exist, and people
understand
who you are and what
how complicated If you want to push for it, there is one
you want to accomplish. However, to be honest, if the
other way to get a skate club at the school. You can
principal is against the idea you might be sunk right
go to the school board, and present your idea. Call up
there. It all depends on why the idea was shot down.
the district office, find out when the next school board meeting is, and you might need to get permission from
The Tony Hawk Foundation Mission The Tony Hawk Foundation seeks to foster lasting improvements in society, with an emphasis on supporting and empowering youth. Through special events, grants, and technical assistance, the Foundation supports recreational programs with a focus on the creation of public skateboard parks in low-income communities. The Foundation favors programs that clearly demonstrate that funds received will produce tangible, ongoing, positive results.
Seven years into THF, our efforts are now visibly successful. Most of our grant recipients have completed skateparks in their towns, and we have awarded more than $2.7-million. This money has helped support and partially fund 427 skatepark projects across the U.S., but the most rewarding aspect is seeing the joy on the faces of kids who realize their years of perseverance have finally paid off. It doesn’t take long for cities to realize that their modest skateparks get more use than the local tennis courts or baseball fields. We are proud to be a part of this process of enlightenment. Last Fall our fifth-annual Activision Presents Stand Up For Skateparks fundraising event was a huge success. We returned to Ron Burkle’s estate in Beverly Hills, where
letter fro
Social Distortion played an incredible acoustic set, & some
Low-income areas and cities with too many at-risk kids are often
friends (Shaun White, Bucky Lasek, Andy Macdonald, Kevin
overlooked because of their limited ability to raise funds or a lack
Staab, and BMX riders John Parker and Dennis McCoy) and I
of support from civic leaders. The more successful the founda-
rode my halfpipe. Stand Up For Skateparks was co-chaired by
tion is at fundraising, the more we can help these communities.
me, Lance Armstrong, Rob Dyrdek, Christopher “Big Black” Boykin, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Jamie Lee Curtis, Mia Hamm,
My main job at the foundation’s biannual grant-application re-
Dana White, Jr., Jon Favreau, Mat Hoffman, Shaun White, Rob-
view meetings is to approve and suggest changes to skatepark
ert Kotick, Bob McKnight, Scott Greenstein, and Ron Burkle,
designs. But my favorite thing is seeing the parks themselves.
and attended by a host of celebrities--including Anthony Kiedis,
I’ve had the privilege of attending a few grand openings, and
David Spade, Jamie Lee Curtis, Perry Ferrell, Chris “Big Black” Boykin, Mia Hamm, Kathy Ireland, Bam Margera, BMX legend Mat Hoffman, tand others. Attendees and stars took part
“
the appreciation of the local skaters is overwhelm-
This money has helped support and partially fund 427 skatepark projects
in live and silent auctions, and for the second year in a row we raised over $1-million, including $79,000 in pledges for a skatepark in my childhood neighborhood of Tierrasanta in San Diego.
”
ing. It’s a blast to see the finished product, especially when they’ve taken my
design
comments
into consideration. Even more gratifying is the sense of pride that the
locals have when they finally get to ride the fruit of their labor. The foundation staff is doing an amazing job helping communities with their skatepark projects, organizing fundraising events,
Last August we also hosted a Stand Up For Skateparks event
reaching new donors, and raising the awareness of our mission.
in Bridgehampton, New York, where we raised $575,000, in-
Chances are that you have heard about THF because of their
cluding $50,000 to improve the Manhattan Bridge Skatepark in
efforts. We still have a lot of work to do, so your support is greatly
New York City. Celebrity guests included Jon Bon Jovi, Russell
appreciated. With your help, we can give kids a positive outlet
Simmons, Vern Troyer, Michael Gelman, Nacho Figueras, UFC
for their energy, and a safer community for them to grow up in.
fighters Wanderlei Silva and Matt Serra, and others. We have plans to make SUFS 2009 even bigger and better, and to reach out to and assist even more communities across the country. The quality of public skateparks is improving and their numbers are growing, but let’s not forget where they are needed most.
m tony hawk
Special Thanks to ...
The Tony Hawk Foundation