Slog - Comments on Skatepark Jihad http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad Seattle's skater community is about to get fucked, again. The Seattle Center just released a skatepark feasibility study which estimates that replacing the entire Fischer Pavilion site will cost $4.6 million, waaaay more than the $1.2 million currently allocated for the project. Rather than kill the much-delayed plan for a center skatepark altogether, the Parks Department's Skate Park Advisory Committee (SPAC) is going to take the hit—as they have a zillion times before—and take a third less space than they were originally supposed to get at the site. What's ironic about this latest development, is that if the city had... Copyright 2008 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 16:48:05 -0800 Thu, 15 Nov 2007 08:54:19 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Sargon Bighorn So they don't get what they want. Boo Fucking Hoo. Nothing is sillier than a 39 year old skater; and I have seen plenty of these stunted adolesence. Most of us don't have the city building us unique places for us to enjoy our unique activity. You have to be Paul Allen to have the city do that.

]]> Sargon Bighorn http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c840180 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c840180 City Thu, 01 Nov 2007 17:07:59 -0800 Comment by DownWithDella Hmmm... Who is the head of the parks committee on the city council? David Della.

Hmmm... Who took the max donation from Vulcan (EMP) for his re-election campaign? David Della.

Hmmm...

]]> DownWithDella http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c840182 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c840182 City Thu, 01 Nov 2007 17:11:40 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle I blame the people behind screwing the sk8rs - the Gates Foundation.

This has all the earmarks of an organized campaign to keep them as far away from Bill and Melinda's building as possible.

Not that anyone will admit it.

Oh, and I voted for Della, so I hope he's not trying to kill it, cause this sk8r will be more than miffed.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c840213 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c840213 City Thu, 01 Nov 2007 17:31:14 -0800 Comment by Fnarf Spare me from "sk8r", please. It's worse than writing "cum".

Meanwhile, construction of the skatepark in Lower Woodland Park is proceeding apace.

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c840240 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c840240 City Thu, 01 Nov 2007 17:56:49 -0800 Comment by Ichibangabaka In response to #1's comment:
Don't you ever read the Maui News?! http://www.mauinews.com/letters/2006/10/9/06skate1009.html
I mean, come on!
But seriously, just because you suck at life that doesn't mean others, even at a whopping 39, shouldn't be allowed or have a place to be epic in life.

]]> Ichibangabaka http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c840245 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c840245 City Thu, 01 Nov 2007 18:05:16 -0800 Comment by matt @1,
You, my friend, are a born douche,
what's your opinion on a 27 year old skater? I dare you to meet me for a drink, and a conversation.

]]> matt http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c840290 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c840290 City Thu, 01 Nov 2007 19:15:26 -0800 Comment by Tony D. @1 you can suck it. As a 39 year old skater I'll be skating through my 40s and into my 50s. Sometimes I even ride my track bike on the street too.

Masturbation isn't a unique activity and you don't need a facility for that.

]]> Tony D. http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c840482 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c840482 City Fri, 02 Nov 2007 09:34:59 -0800 Comment by bobcat Sargon, just because you have a 2 inch dick and fuck horses in Enumclaw doesn't give you the right to trash skaters. "Unique activity"? If you watched something else than Springer on your 10' black and white TV you'll notice it's all over fucking place. Get with the times, sack up and for christs sake, some one give the SPAC a fucking spine.

]]> bobcat http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c840493 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c840493 City Fri, 02 Nov 2007 09:59:15 -0800 Comment by Princess of Hell RE "Most of us don't have the city building us unique places for us to enjoy our unique activity."

Are you kidding, #1?

Seattle Parks and Recreation maintains facilities for tennis, basketball, football, soccer, golf, rowing, sailing... eight indoor pools, two outdoor pools... off-leash areas for dogs... community centers with art studios, pottery studios... theater space... plus LAWN BOWLING (at Woodland Park).

]]> Princess of Hell http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c840529 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c840529 City Fri, 02 Nov 2007 10:39:58 -0800 Comment by bobcat Seattle Parks has 204 athletic fields, 151 outdoor tennis courts, an indoor tennis center, 3 golf courses, more than 60 basketball courts, a variety of places to run & jog and more...


how many of those 204 athletic fields do you see being used daily? tennis courts? harrumph more like ghost courts.


now lets look at the 2007 Sporting Goods Mfr Association (SMGA) statistics:

Name (core participants) definition total participants in '06 (6-year change since 2000)

Adventure Racing (459,000) 2+ 809,000 (no data)
Archery (1,712,000) 25+ 7,497,000 (+14.8%)
Billiards (19,663,000) 13+ 46,990,000 (+3.5%)
Bowling (13,979,000) 13+ 54,305,000 (+4.8%)
Boxing (1,000,000) 13+ 2,072,000 (no data)
Darts (8,586,000) 13+ 22,195,000 (no data)
Golf (17,285,000) 8+ 28,743,000 (+2.4%)
Horseback Riding (3,955,000) 13+ 11,576,000 (no data)
Ice Skating (1,777,000) 13+ 10,578,000 (-18.4%)
Martial Arts (4,744,000) 13+ 6,270,000 (-2.6%)
Roller Skating (1,758,000) 13+ 8,147,000 (-2.5%)
Inline Skating (6,510,000) 13+ 13,069,000 (-43.8%)
Scooter Riding (5,986,000) 13+ 8,495,000 (-23.2%)
Skateboarding (6,748,000) 25+ 11,083,000 (+2.7%)

OTHER SPORTS
Tennis (6,947,000) 13+ 4,714,000 (12.2%)
Baseball (12,175,000) 13+ 16,114,000 (-8.0%)
Basketball (18,761,000) 13+ 24,665,000 (-9.7%)
Football, tackle (5,839,000) 25+ 9,016,000 (+2.1%)
Football, touch (6,667,000) 13+ 11,974,000 (+2.1%)
Soccer, outdoor (8,451,000) 25+ 14,665,000 (no data)
Softball, slow-pitch (5,665,000) 13+ 8,640,000 (-29.9%)

Take out your pay-to-play sports and you'll see that skateboarding is here and here to stay. Just because you suck on a skateboard doesnt have anything to do with it.

And Jonas, please interview actual skateboarders i have extended my hand enough times. As a reporter it is your duty to get the story from all angles. the SPAC has been blowing smoke up your ass.

]]> bobcat http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c840543 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c840543 City Fri, 02 Nov 2007 10:49:22 -0800 Comment by jay mizzard Unfortunately the city tore down a perfectly good skatepark that was located around the same are for over 10years, and has yet to provide alternative reasonable site or funding.
Spend over 1 million on the land, that should actually build a super park at least 30 to 40 thousand sf. To bad every suburb has a park but Seattle has their head up their ass. Sargon you sound like a washed up skater, dont hate on the kids. Would you rather have a bunch of 39 year old thugs, drug dealers, and theifs ripping you off and causing genreral chaos in socitey because they didnt have a place to skate. Your the 39 year old loser.

]]> jay mizzard http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c840617 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c840617 City Fri, 02 Nov 2007 11:33:46 -0800 Comment by nor cal is #1 you like to skate? move to san jose.

]]> nor cal is #1 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c840791 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c840791 City Fri, 02 Nov 2007 13:22:14 -0800 Comment by nor cal is #1 again http://www.paloaltodailynews.com/article/padn/2007-3-5-bcn-skate-park

]]> nor cal is #1 again http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c840795 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c840795 City Fri, 02 Nov 2007 13:23:09 -0800 Comment by The Daggers beat it ya val jerks

]]> The Daggers http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c840884 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c840884 City Fri, 02 Nov 2007 14:08:19 -0800 Comment by Jedd! From skateportland.org

"Portland is, to our knowledge, the first city in the world to have a comprehensive master plan for skateboard park development. Passed by city council ordinance on August 3, 2005, the plan recommends 3 types of skateparks — 19 in total — 13 neighborhood skate spots, 5 district-wide skateparks, and one central city anchor park."

From wikipedia.com

Portland's (metro area) population: 2,337,565
Seattle's (metro area) population: 3,263,497

Boo.

]]> Jedd! http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c840939 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c840939 City Fri, 02 Nov 2007 14:37:05 -0800 Comment by Scott Shinn Jason (aka bobcat) cites some excellent facts above, and builds a strong case for the popularity of skateboarding in Seattle and throughout the country. I also applaud his efforts to work with DIY skatepark campaigns like Marginal Way, which is a great success story.

However, as a person who has not been involved with skate politics in this city since 2005, his ad hominem attacks on the SPAC are uninformed, unfounded, and really just the product of a lasting bitterness that no one really understands anymore. I am not sure what an "actual" skateboarder is, since I merely get on my skateboard and ride it. It rolls, I do some tricks on it, and it is fun. That's what skateboarding has meant to me for the last 20+ years.

Skate politics in Seattle are another story though, and I appreciate the ongoing coverage of SeaSk8 from The Stranger. Thanks Jonah!

I also look forward to tonight's meeting, and to the final reincarnation of SeaSk8. Hope to see y'all at the Center House!

Scott Shinn
SPAC Secretary

]]> Scott Shinn http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c850326 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/skatepark_jihad#c850326 City Thu, 15 Nov 2007 08:54:19 -0800