Skate And Be
DAMNED
Skate and
Disclaimer
Disclaimer T
his publication is for people who condemn skateboarding. We want you to enter with an open mind and willing to learn, if you are unable to do this then you can stop reading here.
This publication might not change your mind, but all we ask is that you finish it with an understanding of the other side of the argument, maybe it can start a conversation and us skateboarders can learn too. Skateboarding can do so much good for the lives of young people and we hope you agree with us by the end of this publication.
2
be Damned
3
Skate and
History
History
S
kateboarding has long been a big part of Bristol’s underground culture, it goes hand in hand with other celebrated scenes like street art and the music scene. We can’t talk about the history of skating in Bristol and not mention Dean Lane skatepark, built over 40 years ago it was one of the UK’s first skateparks and has seen countless number of skaters, helping to positively mould Bristol’s youth for years. Everyone from professional skaters from the states to djs and street artists have spent time at dean lane over the years, adding to the importance and cultural value of the place.
4
be Damned
“
5
It’s been around for 40 years now, so there are generations of skaters of all ages that skate there and skate together. It’s nice that you can go there and you might find a 45 year old skating with a 14 year old.
Skate and
Does Skating cause damage to
Public Property? 6
be Damned
7
Skate and
8
“
be Damned
It seems there are some people in Bristol who would rather protect the rightangled edges on granite ledges from damage than see them used in a creative way
“ 9
Skate and
skateboarding
“ should
be seen as an athletic pastime“
10
be Damned
equality, male emotional intelligence and youth social schemes. As any sport, skateboarding encourages friendly competition, error is portrayed in a positive way as a learning curve to being able to achieve something and the persistence that goes along with it. A group of young people playing football is seen as a positive past time that people should do more of, whereas skating is seen as young people ‘hanging around causing trouble’.
Bristol city council spends tens of thousands on skatestops to protect the right angled ledges and benches. we believe that the money spent on things such as skate stops could be much better spent elsewhere, while also helping the youth of Bristol grow up in a healthy community that can help and support them. It’s 2020 skateboarding is now a sport in the Olympics we think more should be done to promote skateboarding not to make it more difficult to practice a hobby.
11
S
kating gives young people a community to be active within, I think we would all agree that young people need to be active and have a social life beyond their phone and the internet. Skateboarding allows young people to be active, have a close friend group and express themselves. The community contributes a great deal to young people growing up in the city. Promoting gender
Skate and
Interview
Interview How long have you been skating? Started skating back in like 2015 but did it for a year and then stopped for like three years and would skate every so often after that but got back into it more properly when lock down happened What do you think of the skate community in Bristol? I haven’t experienced too much of the Bristol skate community I suppose! Honestly quite crazy how good everyone is in thinking why am I bothering when everyone else is so good I’m never gonna get that good aha but the people I’ve met have been super nice like
we message each other if we’re heading out for a skate and if they’re about super friendly easy going How important do you think skate stores are for the community but also for young people? Skate shops are sooo important, support your local ! I’ve got a. Sticker on my deck of “ideal” they’re the Birmingham skate shop , if you need anything and go in they’re so nice and happy to help because everyone shares the common interest in skating, they’re important as they’re a way to support your community like it’s the same as supporting independent business it’s people who are passionate and care about what they
do, for young people it’s a place that they’re always gonna be welcomed to. What do you think of the council’s attitude towards skating? Yeah skatestops and what not are ridiculous I mean I get them in the aspect of not wanting someone to get hurt on your property and all the legal drama of it but the skaters who are any good are able to just skate them anyway a lot of the time and skaters aren’t really the types about to go sue you but it clearly shows that the council look down on skating in a way , they obviously don’t want to have to see people doing it I think there’s still that outdated attitude of skaters being like lazy and losers.
12
be Damned
Do you have any stories where the skate community has helped you or someone you know? Uhm this is quite a literal take aha but back in Birmingham they’re making this diy spot and one of the guys involved in making it smashed his front teeth in skating , now dentist shit is expensive so the community just made a fundraiser and everyone chipped in and got him a new pair of teeth, same with how the diy spot is being made actually they’re taking this disused area of the park which the council have neglected transforming it into this community space they’ve planted flowers and everything around it so that’s helping the people of the local area to live in a nicer cared for community.
“
I’ve found Everyone in the community to be accepting tbf ive never been given any grief really I mean you hear the word “fag” thrown around w some types of boys which isn’t the most inclusive thing to be saying in 2020 I guess but most people I’ve met they don’t seem bothered about me being a girl skater or whatever it’s welcoming and casual . I don’t know about how things are with sexualities tho you know maybe that’s something not talked about enough in the community I never really mention my sexuality but I’ve seen like queer skate meet ups happening up in Scotland and there is the company “unity skateboarding” and they’re all about inclusivity in skating . Jeff grosso did a like 40 min video with vans exploring lgbt skateboarding and how it pretty much isn’t a thing discussed too much so yeah that’s an interesting space where it’s more just not spoken about really.
everyone chipped in and got him a new pair of teeth
13
Do you think the skate community is inclusive and accepting?
“
Skate and
14
“
be Damned
there’s still that outdated attitude of skaters being like lazy and losers
“
5
Skate and
Disrespectful?
Is Skating the Cenotaph
16
be Damned
“
It’s bloody disgraceful and disrespectful.
“
17
Skate and
“
Why do these kids think that they are more important than everyone else?
Danielle- Facebook
“
18
be Damned
S
ince the Cenotaph reopened in November 2017 it has become a popular skate spot. This has split opinions within Bristol, some find it annoying or disrespectful, while others say its a public space and they “are doing no harm”.
People are quick to condemn on social media without knowing more than a headline. They don’t know the skaters and what they were or weren’t doing. Yet they are happy to write passionate comments on the matter, making bold claims about what the skaters are doing and even thinking.
19
Skate and
City center is a skate park now... Colin- Facebook
stupid clowns 20
be Damned
R
icky Phillips, who frequently visits the cenotaph to skateboard with friends, said “I’ve been skating for years and I am all about cherishing spots, not smashing them up.
“There are hundreds of people that skate here and it only took a few people to give us this image. There’s always going to be idiots out there. “It’s just really sad, especially because the image of skateboarders has come so far in the last 20 years. I fear that all the hate it used to get is now going to come back.” Skateboarders have spoken up about the people that have condemned them saying that the older skaters teach the younger skaters about the importance of the war memorial and that they shouldn’t skate it, instead they skate the surrounding benches and ledges.
21
Skate and
Interview
Interview What are views on the skate community? I think that the skating community probably has some good sides to it, but from what I’ve seen, it seems mostly to be made up of young people who don’t have jobs and who are wasting their time hanging out and skateboarding in town, drinking and taking drugs Obviously not always, but I think it is a real problem within the community. Do you think its okay for people to skate public property? It depends what kind of public property. If they are damaging property I don’t think it’s OK. Like benches,
bins, staircases. If there is any damage then we, as taxpayers, have to pay for those damages and it can be very frustrating. Especially when there are spaces created and dedicated to skateboarders: why skate in town and ruin public property? I think ledges is a slightly different story as they aren’t used every day by people like you and me. Do you think councils do enough to make sure there is somewhere safe away from other people for people to skate? I don’t know much about this issue but I know there are a few skate parks near where I live, so councils have done their job. Now, it
22
be Damned is up to skaters to respect that and only skate in areas that are dedicated to them. If they want to hang out and skate then they can do that at the skate parks, but they shouldn’t be doing it in city centres. Do you think the skateboarding community is intimidating? And if yes why? Not always, but yes they can be. They seem to be very ‘cliquey’ and can be disrespectful of people and things outside of their own sphere... That scares me a bit. Sometimes I feel a bit uncomfortable walking past a group of skaters. I know
it’s silly, but the way they are dressed doesn’t help.. Would you be okay if your son or daughter starting skating? Yes, as long as I could be sure that they weren’t mixing with the wrong crowd, drinking or taking drugs! There are probably some great skateboarding groups out there, but who knows who they could meet at the skate park... There could be older kids hanging around who have a different agenda and are less than innocent. I think they can be a bad influence on younger kids who really are just looking to have a good time.
“
Hanging out and Skateboarding in town, drinking and taking drugs
23
“
Skate and
Is Skating exclusive and
intimidating? 24
be Damned
25
Skate and
“
In the skate community you have this mix of people from all ages and backgrounds and a place like this brings everyone together, creating a very unique learning environment.
“
26
W
be Damned
hen you’re skating it doesn’t matter where you are from or what you are going through, nor does it matter where the skater next to you is from. The skate community allows people from all walks of life, from every social background to come together over their shared passion for pushing a piece of wood. The older skaters are positive examples of people that the younger skaters can look up, there aren’t many sports where the young and the old can participate at the same time, this gives an interesting and unique situation that all can benefit from.
27
Skate and
Interview
Interview Tell me a little bit about yourself... I was born in Indonesia but I moved to the UK when I was seven months old. I got into skateboarding through a fellow Indonesian friend who met probably when I was 12 or something, but back then I bought a penny board off him and used it for about a year then changed to a regular “trick” skateboard. I eventually started skating more often meeting new people to skate with, and before I knew it, I could start doing kick flips, varial flips and tre flips...feels good :) How long have you been skating? I have been skating in Bristol for around 4-5 years now, but took a year break because I had an ankle injury due to taking a bad fall skating What are the pros of skating in Bristol? The pros of skating in Bristol is that there are a lot of other skaters in Bristol that are in all In touch with one another, it’s really easy to find someone to skate/hang around with,
and you can find familiar faces everywhere you go. There’s also loads of iconic skate spots in skateboarding Everybody who skated in Bristol knows about that place, it’s the go to skate spot, and all the famous people go there; jaws homoki, Zion, some palace skaters (too many to name) have been there. The people in Bristol are fairly accepting of skateboarding too, you don’t get many angry pedestrians and the police is pretty chill about it too, well from what I’ve experienced Are there any cons? The cons of skateboarding is that there aren’t too many variety of spots in Bristol, unless you’re a hardcore street skater that can grind the sketchiest of spots, you’ll have to stick to skating flat ground, high ass blocks and stairs. But even then, even I haven’t explored or visited all of the skate spots in Bristol, there could be some hidden, unknown spots. Have you had many bad experiences skating in Bristol?
28
be Damned
What would you say to someone learning to skate in Bristol? What I would say to someone starting to skate in Bristol? In my opinion, First step is also optional but, get your Ollie’s down, that’s all you need to get to at least have fun, you can still do a bunch of shit in town. Also the most important part, talk to people interacting with people and skating with them. I honestly think that the main reason why people stop skating is because they skate on their own.
Skating on your own is alright, but boring as fuck. I also think that when you skate on your own you feel more self conscious too, when I first skated I was like “oh shit is my wheels too loud? Am I disrupting people? Am I getting in the way?” And that demotivates you. All you need to do is to push yourself just a little bit out of your comfort zone to basically master skateboarding Are there any skate spots people should know about in the city? Or any that have been influential in your skating career? Skate spots. Lloyd’s. It’s probably the biggest and well know spot in Bristol. Lots of people skate there, the locals and some big notable skater. It’s known for its three block gap, it’s quite daunting tbh, I’m not in that skill level yet, which is probably why everyone is so psyched when someone lands a trick down it. Though I have to admit Lloyd’s has a big skill range gap. To fully enjoy Lloyd’s you’ve got to know how to do tricks, grinds and slides well, if not it’s basically just flatground for you, which is why it’s a decent place to start learning, but nothing really in between... If you get me.
29
I don’t have many bad experiences either, that’s the good thing about skateboarding in Bristol too, if you’re not having a great skate day at least the people you skate with will make it worthwhile . But back in 2018... I think. I did a frontside 180 down the second block in Lloyd’s (that’s like the height up to my elbows) and stuck the landing weirdly, and tore my acl, I thought I broke a bone. It felt like hitting your funny bone, it didn’t hurt at all, I was rather worried about what my parents were gonna say . I didn’t want to call for help so I had my friend Georgia who was with me at the time to help me hop on one leg, all the way back to the city centre.... Not really a bad memory, rather a funny fond memory actually.
Skate and
“
Far from being troublesome teens causing a nuisance and damaging public property, skateboarding should be seen as an athletic pastime which gets youngsters outside and engaging in a positive community
“
30
be Damned
I
f you’ve got this far we thank you. We thank you for having a open mind and for taking the time to understand our point of view. We hope that this has helped your understanding of the skate community, maybe it has changed your mind, maybe it has just made you think regardless we are grateful for your time. We hoped you enjoyed reading about our sport.
31