Skate Park

Here's an article about Eddy and his mom's, (Jacqueline Parks) lawsuit. http://www.nwfdailynews.com/article/6962/1

The young man's name is Joseph Eddy and he was a very good friend of my son, Blake's, for many years. They all loved to skate, it was such a passion, for all of them! What a tragedy, for Jo's family and friends! I remember Blake taking his new son, Jake, to see her. From what I hear, it really meant alot, seeing Blake and his little boy! Blake would be extremely interested in involvement, with a skate park development! I look forward to staying on top, of this situation!

For those interested in pursuing a skate park - there is some money available for the skate park. I wish I could remember the man's name, but some of you probably do... The mother of the young man that died in a car accident on 30A in front of Redfish Village a few years ago sued the builder and some of the contractors and won more than $1M. At the time she won the suit, she said she was going to donate some of the money (I think $250K) to building a skate park in the area since it was one of her son's passions. Sounds like a good place to start. There was also a group of people that were trying to get a county skate park about a year ago. I remember reading an article in the Walton Sun. Just please don't take away any of the land that is currently slated for other recreational purposes that are desperately needed! I still can't believe we don't have a community pool for swim lessons!

I understand the need for "usual sports" being a huge soccer fan and player in my youth I love it and want my kids to be part of that scene. My question to the need would be demographic in nature. if we were to make those such sports come first would we have the population to support teams to play? would we be forced to travel to other teams? what vs. a skateboard and some pads is one family willing to put out for costs? is field maintanance over time more costly than that of a skate park? and my final thought is.....we should ask the kids who will/would be using these facilities. what would they like to see? they are not mutes they have voices and they will tell us exactly what we should be doing! I agree that we tend to be out of touch with what is popular and that for all we know skate is not as popular as skee-ball but untill we really ask the local's and get a feel for it then we are all just speculating for not!
but I would love to see a skate park and a pool. need to teach those kids to be strong swimmers near a large body of water with rip tides.

I've seen plenty of skaters around here, and not any skee-ballers. Just wanted to throw out my observations from the man-on-the-street perspective.

I thought the local teams already traveled out of the area to play sports. Looking at the SoWal 2007 Football and Volleyball schedule, I see that the teams travel to Chipley, Pensacola, Vernon, Baker, Northview (isn't that Dothan, AL?), Carabelle (which is east of Apalachicola), and Wewah (in that same area), to name a few. Surely, kids can skate AND play football. It isn't like skating has a season.

I agree that skater kids should be asked what they want to have at the skate park, but I will also point out that we must consider what they have seen. If they never skated at a skate park, they might not have a clue of the types of things commonly offered at other skate parks.

Minnie, all of the sports you listed are supervised to a large degree. Most parents are with their kids in a playground to watch their children

My point was that supervision does not necessarily make any facility safe; be it a skate park or your neighborhood playground. Regardless if a parent is with a child at the playground, injuries still happen, yet playgrounds are still being built regardless of the liability.

If you truly want to have an outside play environment that is free from the possiblity of an injury you will have to keep the kids at home.

Taken from 2000 statistics of sports related injuries SAFE KIDS Campaign which lists stats for children 5-14. There does not appear to be any statistics for over 14. The study is 8 years old. I know my 6 year old nephew is not allowed on a skateboard yet. He rides a scooter with 3 wheels and a helmet.

1. Although death from a sports injury is rare, the leading cause of death from a sports-related injury is a brain injury.
2. Almost 50 percent of head injuries sustained in sports or recreational activities occur during bicycling, skateboarding, or skating incidents.
3. Sports-related injury severity increases with age
4. More severe injuries occur during individual sports and recreational activities

I really do not feel liability is an issue here. The law says gross negligence. That would be the only way one could sue. So the "problem" would have to be identified, reported, documented and then not fixed. An injury on a skate park due to a crack in concrete does not qualify as gross negligence. "Gross negligence" is tough to prove.

I have been a little tied up dealing with a sick child but will start returning calls on this issue as soon as possible. I am amazed at all the support.
If the county can get past the "supposed liability" issue and we may be able to fund it, I wonder what the hang up would be?

1. More severe injuries occur during individual sports and recreational activities

I would think statistically speaking more people are involved in individual sports.

Not really sure what you all are so worried about.....

Not really sure what you all are so worried about.....

What's that kind of wave called?

I am not against there being a safe place for kids to skate and bicycle in the least bit especially in sowal with cars pulling out from no where and such. If a skate park is ever approved, I would just hope serious consideration goes into the design in making it a safer place, not a place for death defying feats. That's really my concern. I would hate to see some kid hurt, not so much the liability per se, although that is a given concern.
I'm not buying the stats about injuries. The # 1 injury reported in ER's is from basketball per the 2007 survey. One has to consider the stats closely. Basketball is usally played in lower income neighborhoods where families may not have access to health care, so they will be more likely to show up in an ER.
I supervise kids in my driveway and yard all the time. I have a shed full of scooters, kett cars, bicycles, tricycles, you name it. I know kids get hurt. They try to push the card all the time. But I truly in my heart feel this sport with the ramps and all is more dangerous than other sports.
But I do wish you luck with it. I'm not a party pooper.

check this one out.........freaky!
http://www.skateoregon.com/Newberg/Newberg.html
aaaaaaaaaannnnd........it's public!

What's that kind of wave called?

I am not against there being a safe place for kids to skate and bicycle in the least bit especially in sowal with cars pulling out from no where and such. If a skate park is ever approved, I would just hope serious consideration goes into the design in making it a safer place, not a place for death defying feats. That's really my concern. I would hate to see some kid hurt, not so much the liability per se, although that is a given concern.
I'm not buying the stats about injuries. The # 1 injury reported in ER's is from basketball per the 2007 survey. One has to consider the stats closely. Basketball is usally played in lower income neighborhoods where families may not have access to health care, so they will be more likely to show up in an ER.
I supervise kids in my driveway and yard all the time. I have a shed full of scooters, kett cars, bicycles, tricycles, you name it. I know kids get hurt. They try to push the card all the time. But I truly in my heart feel this sport with the ramps and all is more dangerous than other sports.
But I do wish you luck with it. I'm not a party pooper.

I know you are not being a party pooper! This is really helping all of us learn. BTW, basketball is the most violent sport I have ever played. I hang out with many kids that surf/skate and have never seen one injured badly. I have seen them get banged up but nothing like your "norm" sports. The ramps look dangerous because if you do not know what you are doing you can really get hurt. Typically a kid will not try a move until he graduates to the next level. The kid does not want to get hurt. Once a move is mastered, he/she will begin to advance on the next move. Dropping onto a ramp is a bad choice if you have never done it. I have never seen a kid drop in without the comfort of knowing he has advanced to that level.

I have seen a few drunk adults drop in and get hurt. A kid has more sense then that. They never want to look bad in front of friends.

nice little article.
http://www.pdxskaters.org/vision.htm

check this one out.........freaky!
http://www.skateoregon.com/Newberg/Newberg.html
aaaaaaaaaannnnd........it's public!

WoW!!! That is the coolest thing I have seen pertaining to skate parks!!!! Thanks! The key to the whole thing is what the article said:

"Their main argument was that they just wanted a place to skate and hang out. The district listened."

Make sure you all check that link out! Anyone in the district watch these threads.... Please listen.

nice little article.
http://www.pdxskaters.org/vision.htm

Had to steal this from your post. Here is some more info regarding fact/fiction skater myths and injuries.

http://www.pdxskaters.org/truth.htm

Bobby, next time in sowal, you and me, game of basketball.
I must forewarn you though, my middle name in my neck of the woods is Hoops, and my neighbor had to mow my lawn in a housedress when he lost.

Bobby, next time in sowal, you and me, game of basketball.
I must forewarn you though, my middle name in my neck of the woods is Hoops, and my neighbor had to mow my lawn in a housedress when he lost.

I thought you said, "Basketball is usally played in lower income neighborhoods where families may not have access to health care...."

I never knew that Basketball had limits of such. I never thought we were rich, but we weren't in the "lower income neighborhoods." We weren't even in a neighborhood. We were on the outskirts of a very small town. We played many sports, including basketball. In fact, we were State Champs two out of three years of high school. I don't think income level has anything to do with one's athletic skills. You cannot pay someone to be talented.

SJ, I never said basketball had limits. Statistics of injuries was brought up, but no links posted. Here are the only sports injury statistics that I can find. I recall football being quoted here as the most injurious sport. The statistics do not reveal that from the SAFE CHILDREN Campaign which shows reports from ER's. only.
My point was, I believe statistical data available regarding injuries is flawed IMO. Personally, I do not feel basketball could be more injurious than skateboarding. I grew up on the outskirts of New York City, and if you went into any of the boroughs of NY, you would see some kind of basketball get up or court almost every few blocks. There are more gangs and violence in inner cities. More poverty. The ER statistics show that people come in to ER's frequently who have no insurance coverage for treatment who could have otherwise gone to their local doctor. It's also easier to use one basketball vs. skateboards which could get expensive.
Further, the statistics available for children ages 5-14. From what I have been seeing, I can not find any statistics for over 14 and adults. It seems from the research I have been running across, skateboarding has a high adult participation as well.

My son used to be an avid skateboarder but with the only place to skate being in PCB it was kinda hard to get him there on a regular basis and it kinda faded into the background in favor of things available closer to home. The insurance for these places takes care of alot of the liability involved as they require a waiver, helmets, pads etc. Mad Chuck would run you down and ban you for life if you even thought about removing any of the safety gear in his establishment.

skateboarding has a high adult participation as well.

Alot of the people skating at the place in PCB were adults, mainly enlisted guys from the navy base.
We visited a park in South Florida that was virtually maintenance free since it was all molded concrete. It was fenced in and was across the street from a police station, so there was not much danger of any illegal things going on since one of the persons there to take payment and get the waivers was an off duty officer in uniform.

Our city has both a skate park and a bike park. The bike park was added afterwards due to the popularity of the skate park and a need for a place for the BMX crowd. L'il Pea has used the skate park from day one, and we've spent a fair amount of time there watching all the kids. He's not a constant fixture there by any means, but it gives him a place to skate that's not the street, which is OK by me. I can't say what sort of problems our city has encountered by having these; I've heard things here and there, but I don't get the idea it's a major problem. My personal feeling is that the "wrong" kid can make the safest activity a dangerous one; it's all in the doing.
I probably have a more positive attitude toward individual sports than team sports, if I'm completely honest. Why are the football and baseball fields empty these days? Because parents are putting their kids into "select," traveling teams, and participants in city/county/local leagues often dwindle accordingly. A lot of kids who don't make the cut for the elite teams then choose not to play at all out of embarrassment and/or disappointment.
I can't say if a skate park is right for Sowal, but it's at least worth a look-see.
I c&p'd the information from our city's website, just f.y.i.:

Where can I skateboard in the city?
Skateboard Park is located at 709 North 2nd. This area has been designed to provide skaters with a moderate challenge for recreation purposes to help develop their skills. It is not possible to design and build a skate or skateboard facility without hard surfaces. The same hard surfaces that challenge the skater pose significant risk of injury if the skater falls. Park hours are listed under "Rules."

WARNING! This facility is unsupervised. Users assume all risks inherent in the use of this facility. Use may result in serious injury. The City of Belleville assumes no liability for injuries sustained.

Safety Equipment. We strongly urge all skaters and skateboards to wear: protective helmets, elbow pads, knee pads, wrist pads. All parents should require their children to wear this protective equipment while using this facility. Failure to wear protective equipment will expose users to bone fractures, concussion and other serious injury upon falling or collision with other users.

Park rules are:

• No glass containers, food, or beverage allowed on the skating surface. Spills jeopardize the skaters.
• No other items such as benches, tables, wood materials, or other objects used as ramps or jumps are allowed in the skate park facility.
• No pets are allowed in skate park area.
• No skating against traffic on ramps or pipes.
• Do not proceed down a ramp until clear of other skaters.
• Hours of permitted use are from 7:00 a.m. to sundown. It shall be unlawful for any other person to enter or remain on the premises outside the hours posted. (Section 31-1-1)
• No bicycle or scooter usage in skate park area.
• Only skateboards and in-line skates are permitted.
• Alcohol, tobacco, and or drugs are prohibited.

Please remember to skate with safety in mind and remember weather conditions may create unsafe surfaces for skating. Please report maintenance concerns to the Parks and Recreation Office: 618-233-1416. Messages can be left 24 hours per day.
Belleville has a skateboard park. Is there a similar facility strictly for bike riders?
Citizens Park has a biking facility. The address is 341 Citizens Park Drive. This area has been designed to provide bikers with a moderate challenge for recreation purposes and to help develop their skills. It is not possible to design and build a biking facility without hard surfaces. The same hard surfaces that challenge the biker pose significant risk of injury if the biker falls. Park hours are listed under "Rules."

WARNING! This facility is unsupervised. Users assume all risks inherent in the use of this facility. Use may result in serious injury. The City of Belleville assumes no liability for injuries sustained.

Safety Equipment. We strongly urge all bikers to wear: protective helmets, elbow pads, knee pads, wrist pads. All parents should require their children to wear this protective equipment while using this facility. Failure to wear protective equipment will expose users to bone fractures, concussion and other serious injury upon falling or collision with other users.

Park rules are:

• No glass containers, food, or beverage allowed on the biking surface.
• No other items such as benches, tables, wood materials, or other objects used as ramps or jumps are allowed in the bike park facility.
• No pets are allowed in bike park area.
• No riding against traffic on ramps or obstacles.
• Do not proceed down a ramp until clear of other bikers.
• Hours of permitted use are from 7:00 a.m. to sundown.
• Only bikes are permitted.
• Alcohol, tobacco, and or drugs are prohibited.

Please remember to ride with safety in mind and remember weather conditions may create unsafe surfaces for riding.Please report maintenance concerns to the Parks and Recreation Office: 618-233-1416. Messages can be left 24 hours per day.

From a skater kid all grown up...

I gotta say, I really enjoyed reading this thread.... I don't how old you guys are, where you are coming from, etc. I grew up in Houston TX in the 80's when the 2nd wave of skateboarding popularity hit. I have to admit, I was pretty good. I remember getting a "pro" skateboard for Christmas when I was 7 years old. That was one of my most memorable gifts. Skateboarding for me was a blast. I played just about every other sport growing up too, but skateboarding was the only sport I really enjoyed for a long time. It was less about competition and more about hanging out with your friends and having a good time. When I was a little older, I moved to West Texas. We had an indoor skatepark that lasted about 4 months. I went there once a week with a few buds and it was a blast! When it shut down I was so frustrated that I decided to build a half pipe in my back yard. I'm 27 now and I don't skate much anymore due to all my friends getting too old for it or something hah!

Here's the deal, my buds and I were just regular kids. We were not "punks" or "vandals". We never trashed the places we skated. We never started fights with other skaters. We did encourage each other, which I never got from my high school coaches. We had BBQs in my backyard. We sat around and talked atop the ramps when we were tired. We knew our limits and never got more than a mildly sprained ankle!! If you build a skate park out there, you will be some kid's hero. You would definately have been mine!

Some of my favorite high school memories are skateboarding with my buds at that skatepark that lasted only 4 months.

Take care, Aaron

Great to hear your thoughts, about the skate park thread! My sons skated lots too, when they were younger! There father lived in this area, so they were here and had many friends, to skate and hang out with. They never really got into trouble(that I was aware of), just enjoyed being active, etc. I'm aware that they and others seen in this thread, would LOVE, for a park to be built! Hopefully, we will see that happen!

From a skater kid all grown up...

I gotta say, I really enjoyed reading this thread.... I don't how old you guys are, where you are coming from, etc. I grew up in Houston TX in the 80's when the 2nd wave of skateboarding popularity hit. I have to admit, I was pretty good. I remember getting a "pro" skateboard for Christmas when I was 7 years old. That was one of my most memorable gifts. Skateboarding for me was a blast. I played just about every other sport growing up too, but skateboarding was the only sport I really enjoyed for a long time. It was less about competition and more about hanging out with your friends and having a good time. When I was a little older, I moved to West Texas. We had an indoor skatepark that lasted about 4 months. I went there once a week with a few buds and it was a blast! When it shut down I was so frustrated that I decided to build a half pipe in my back yard. I'm 27 now and I don't skate much anymore due to all my friends getting too old for it or something hah!

Here's the deal, my buds and I were just regular kids. We were not "punks" or "vandals". We never trashed the places we skated. We never started fights with other skaters. We did encourage each other, which I never got from my high school coaches. We had BBQs in my backyard. We sat around and talked atop the ramps when we were tired. We knew our limits and never got more than a mildly sprained ankle!! If you build a skate park out there, you will be some kid's hero. You would definately have been mine!

Some of my favorite high school memories are skateboarding with my buds at that skatepark that lasted only 4 months.

Take care, Aaron

I hope to pull together a committee on this soon. This will need to be a "team" effort. I hope everyone that posted in favor will be involved if possible. If you would like to be involved, post and I will contact or send pm.

Thanks,

My step son LOVES to skate! We have taken him to the place in PCB and there were never any problems and I do not know of any injuries from skating. Not like growing up with friends that routinely were injured playing football. My sil's brother walks with a cane because of the injuries he received palying football in hs and college. The most awesome park I have seen is located in Orlando. It is probably private, have no clue, but it is enclosed and the skaters have what looks like swimming pools to skate in. Very clean and it was the same as going into a ymca, very safe. I hope this works out for all you skate boarders!!

Great info, Franny!Now this, is the way to do a skate park!http://www.orlandoskatepark.org/information.html

My step son LOVES to skate! We have taken him to the place in PCB and there were never any problems and I do not know of any injuries from skating. Not like growing up with friends that routinely were injured playing football. My sil's brother walks with a cane because of the injuries he received palying football in hs and college. The most awesome park I have seen is located in Orlando. It is probably private, have no clue, but it is enclosed and the skaters have what looks like swimming pools to skate in. Very clean and it was the same as going into a ymca, very safe. I hope this works out for all you skate boarders!!