After emerging myself into this skateboard culture, I've spent a lot of time watching and pondering it's evolution. It got me thinking about the actual philosophy of skateparks, and their progression. It's like the Art vs Life debate. Do these parks imitate the streets? Or, do skaters find elements in the streets that imitate obstacles to skate?
When it all started; it was transitions, pools, and banks. In the late 80s, it turned into more "street" skating. Tricks evolved. Styles evolved. Staircases, handrails, drop ledges, and gaps. Skaters set out to prove that ANYTHING was skateable. The gnarlier, the better. All terrain. Short run-ups. Rough landings. It was all fair game! And being the "first" to land a trick somewhere; well, that was bragging rights. It took the sport in a whole new direction!!
The same mindstate that took skating out of the backyard pools, is the same mentality that drives the new generation of skaters to find new and unique skate spots. Your typical stairsets and handrails just weren't enough anymore! Plus, an influx of laws in the 90s added "skate stops" to a lot of infamous spots. This forced skaters to be creative.
The vision still lives. Every skater I know sees the World differently. They don't see it for what it is, or what it's "suppose to be." They see it for what it COULD be. How it could be skated. And it's that vision and foresight that sets Skaters apart from the rest of the World
When it all started; it was transitions, pools, and banks. In the late 80s, it turned into more "street" skating. Tricks evolved. Styles evolved. Staircases, handrails, drop ledges, and gaps. Skaters set out to prove that ANYTHING was skateable. The gnarlier, the better. All terrain. Short run-ups. Rough landings. It was all fair game! And being the "first" to land a trick somewhere; well, that was bragging rights. It took the sport in a whole new direction!!
The same mindstate that took skating out of the backyard pools, is the same mentality that drives the new generation of skaters to find new and unique skate spots. Your typical stairsets and handrails just weren't enough anymore! Plus, an influx of laws in the 90s added "skate stops" to a lot of infamous spots. This forced skaters to be creative.
The vision still lives. Every skater I know sees the World differently. They don't see it for what it is, or what it's "suppose to be." They see it for what it COULD be. How it could be skated. And it's that vision and foresight that sets Skaters apart from the rest of the World
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