Skateboarding and changing the Law

I’m not sure if you know this but, the act of skateboarding in downtown Tacoma is illegal!

It has been this way since the early 1990s.

This causes a large problem for me and my crew, not only keeping us from using this green form of transportation, but because we are planning an event for the community. The event is to encourage young people to be respectful of the city and invite all members of the community to come out and learn/participate/support the skate community. Here is a bit about my event coming up:

The event is called the Go Skate Tacoma Festival. The goal of the Go Skate Tacoma Festival is to encourage healthy communities by promoting and providing the inherent benefits of skateboarding to all facets of society. We will promote and encourage the sport of skateboarding as well as community values while providing a safe skate destination for Tacoma skateboarders on “Go-skate-day”, a world-wide celebration of skateboarding, June 21, 2011. The event is in downtown’s beautiful open community space, Tollefson Plaza. Encouraged by the enthusiastic support of local leadership, including our mayor, Marilyn Strickland, and other leaders of our community, the Festival will partner with the Reach program, an established non-profit organization that supports youth by “providing career, education, and personal development services”. 

Historically, skateboarding was made illegal because a few skaters were breaking up marble ledges causing damage in front of a bank in downtown Tacoma. Because a few decided to destroy other people’s property, the entire skate community was punished. I was told they made the law because they thought skateboarders were running off small business owners. That is a myth, if anything skateboarding for transportation and fun will increase revenue into the small local businesses. Case in point: since the law has been made, there are still several vacant store spots all over especially down Pacific Avenue. If you look at the Portland model of green transportation you will find very effective circulation and city flow.

The growing marginalization and separation between the skateboarding community and the greater society only increases as skaters are made unwelcome in public areas and prevented from expressing their passion for skating due to a fundamental misunderstanding and devaluation of their craft. Through events such as the “Best Trick” tournament, and through live graffiti and break-dancing demonstrations that encourage spectator participation and learning by celebrated local artists and youth outreach programs, we are asking that all members our Tacoma community join with us in laying a foundation of inclusion and acceptance for all members of our skate youth culture. Go Skate! Day on June 21, 2011 will be our opportunity to show the Tacoma community, and the world, that skateboarding can enhance and enliven us all and can become a language of understanding and acceptance.

No matter how good our intentions are, we cannot have a community event that encourages everyone to break the law? ………Right?  This problem has put me into a bit of a predicament since the inception of the event. Fortunately, this morning I had a meeting with Councilmen Marty Campbell, the law will be changed to recognize the skateboard as a legitimate mode of transportation one week before the event! It would be the first city in the U.S. to eliminate a skateboarding ordinance. This further solidifies Tacoma's vanguard position in terms of skateboarding and youth inclusion

This is great news for the skate community; however we still have to think about those who are uncomfortable with the idea of skateboarding in the city. I would like to invite those who may have questions or feel like skateboarding is not good for the city to come to my event this June, 21st. I would like to challenge people to see what the skate community is like up close. I will be there all day running the event and would be willing to talk to anyone about urban development, problems with skateboarding in city space or we could put you on a skateboard and try it out!