COMMUNITY
Skateboarding in Eugene has its ups and downs
By Jason F Jensen
Emerald Contribute*
They're grinding, sliding and flipping around cam
pus just searching for a piece of the concrete.
Don’t worry, they're just skateboarders dodging
the authorities that seek to protect private and public
property
Otis Scarborough, a University Office of Public Safe
ty officer, said skateboarding vandalism occurs frv
quenlly all over campus
"The very nature of the tricks they do are things that
cause damage.” Scarborough said "A person should
feel like they can walk from one building to another
and expect to make It in one piece
However, Scariiorough admits that the majority of
skateboarding problems on campus are from non I ni
versity students
Senior Dave Franklin defended skateboarders, saying
Ol’S is blowing the campus problem out of proportion.
"It’s not like we re trying to hurt anybody." Franklin
said. "Everybody is |ust out for fun
Franklin is one of many University students who
have made skateboarding as routine as attending class
es.
"Skateboarding adds to your daily life it’s a sup
plement,” Franklin said "It bet omes a habit. It influ
ences the way you think "
Franklin took an interest in skateboarding four years
ago in high school when his friends began to skate The
speed and tricks attracted him As n freshman at thu
University, he began skating every day. learning new
tricks from watching videos and other skaters
1 just want to learn whatever 11 an, Franklin said But
it depends on personal moods and skating partners, he
said.
“If you're skating with someone good, you get
iimpeii," Franklin said
A skater who gels crazy, takes risks and tries now
tricks can influence those around him, Franklin said
Skatclxiarders sometimes separate themselves into
different classes freestyle, trick, street, old-school and
new-school.
"There are silly divisions," Franklin said, "but to me
it’s all just skating."
Certain trends, however, follow these divisions Old
school skaters will often stick to older boards and more
conservative, speed-centered tric ks The new school
skaters are generally tagged by their sleek boards, enor
mous shirts and ankle-length shorts
The structure of skateboards has constantly c hanged
throughout their history. Franklin said.
The boards, generally made of wood, were designed
with a flat, rounded nose and a wide tail The tail slant
ed upward to allow the rider's back foot to tilt the
board, turn it, flip it, or whatever
Hut the skateboards have gradually developed uni
formly. Their tails have shrunk and last some of the tilt,
and the noses have acquired their own upward slant
The wheels have become smaller, giving the rider faster
acceleration. The board's lower center of gravity also al
lows better balance.
Overall, the street-boards art' thinner and rounder so
they can he- flipped easier for technical trie ks Wider
boards are usexj for skating quarter and half-pipes
huge ramps that extend to form a l shape
The biggest challenge for Eugene skateboarders is
PtV'*-) tjy t\m* '.tntn&m
Skateboarders make use ot both city structures and University property, but tha only designated place in t ugeno to
skateboard is in this Amazon Park bowl
The very nature of the tricks they
do are things that cause damage.
A person should feel like they can
walk from one building to another
and expect to make it in one
piece/
Otis Scarborough,
OPS officer
finding uri arm to skat*' I’.irking lots, curbs and run
Crete banks art' targehsi anywhere they tun in- found
The? type of tru k performed usuullv depends on the
terrain Skaters first execute an ollie," fiv flipping thn
board to catch air They can thru "slide .11 ross an ob
ject on the underside of the board or "grind" by scrap
ing along tile wheel struts, also known as true k.s
Skaters search for smooth concrete, Franklin said
Anything allowing a butter slide a bank or waxed
curb will help the trii k Many skaters actually use
candle or surf wax on curbs fur a smoother surface
Property owners do not share the enthusiasm of
skateboarders Businesses often find skaters defacing
their property and disturbing customers
Tim Birr, h.ugeno police department spokesman, said
lie gels several complaints from property owners and
businesses
"1 think they should respei t people's property , said
Kay Hates, manager of hirst Interstate Bank a! ?th Ave
nue and Folk Struct He pointed to the long, black
streaks on the sidewalk 111 Iron! of tie- bank and
shrugged Ins shoulders
Now I h.ivo to pay someone to come here and Its
this," he said
[lutes said he did not mind d the skaters used the
property during evenings or weekends
I don't want them out during hanking hours," Halos
s.ud "It's a safety hazard for the customers I just ask
them not to do it I don’t like to make a big issue ol It
Skaters have also been restricted from Fugone’s
downtown mall, and many "No Skalelxiarding" signs
have been posted around the city
Franklin said he realized this after lining cuffed by
police for skating In the mall After the officers con
firmed ids Identification, they let him go with .1 SI 70
ticket, he said.
The only public skatulxiardlng site in Fugene is a
small concrete howl in Amazon Park. Hut skaters .ire
frustrated about being told where to skate
Amllcur (bfuentes, a student al Lane Community
College, insists that the Amazon howl can lie danger
ous
"They tell us In go up to that bowl, hul bow do you
expert a hundred people to fit'" fie said "It s a good
gesture, hul it s just too small ”
Caul Lofgren, a University student, explained that in
his hometown of Simla Koxa. Calif , there are no nubile
skating facilities tie said he and he. friends are happy
to have the Amazon howl
"I wish there was more, but so does everybody," he
said with a smile "Better than nothing ,"
Franklin expressed disappointment with fuigene’s
lack of skating facilities
"We’ll keep getting !u keis Irorn the tops for skating
whore we’re not supposed to because there’s nowhere
else lo skate." Franklin said
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