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News & ArtsWednesday, November 19, 2008
City Skaters Claim BMXers Vandalized Skate Park
Posted by Jonah Spangenthal-Lee on Wed, Nov 19, 2008 at 11:18 AM
Local skaters claim a group of BMXers vandalized a popular skatepark in SoDo over the weekend.
According to local skating activist Jason Harrison, a group of BMXers showed up at the Marginal Way Skatepark on Sunday, and got into a scuffle with skaters. “A bunch of very disrespectful BMXers show[ed] up…and were talking a whole bunch of shit [and] throwing rocks at skaters," Harrison says.
The BMXers were chased out of the park but later, Harrison says, they returned and “took a whole bunch of used motor oil and poured it all over the walls. It takes a hell of a lot of hay and cat litter to clean up.” The BMXers also tagged “ride BMX” on the walls of the park. Harrison says it took skaters an evening to clean up the damage. “We’re waiting for someone to slip up and start bragging about it,” Harrison says.
According to Seattle Parks Department spokeswoman Dewey Potter, there have also been a handful of disputes between skaters and BMXers at the Lower Woodland Skatepark. "The BMXers are jeaulous because the skaters have a shiny new place," Potter says. "After the first of the year, we're going to have a roundtable [with BMXers and skaters] and have them talk to each other about appropriate behavior." In the meantime, Potter says, SPD is stopping by the park to make sure everyone's playing nice.
Via Sleestak.net
2
I'm picturing an all new West Side Story, only with skateboards and BMX bikes.
It may be more difficult to slink on bikes while snapping your fingers.
It may be more difficult to slink on bikes while snapping your fingers.
6
Dawn dish detergent will take that oil right off. That's what they used on the birds after the Exxon Valdez disaster. I always thought they should have used that in an ad.
7
Dawn dish detergent will take that oil right off. That's what they used on the birds after the Exxon Valdez disaster. I always thought they should have used that in an ad.
10
Boofuckinghoo
Skaters, and BMXers, are nothing but fucking whiners. Oh build us a skate park, oh no we cannot defend ourselves. Grow a pair and stop bitching
Skaters, and BMXers, are nothing but fucking whiners. Oh build us a skate park, oh no we cannot defend ourselves. Grow a pair and stop bitching
15
At Lower Woodland the rules state that no bikes are allowed in the park and yet the rules continuously get ignored.
Marginal Way is built and maintained by skateboarders for themselves. If bikers want to destroy something they have spent long hours and money on building they should get their own DIY spot going somewhere else.
People who are posting comments to malign others for their chosen recreational activity should go back to watching tv or needlepoint or whatever it is they get up to and shut the hell up.
Marginal Way is built and maintained by skateboarders for themselves. If bikers want to destroy something they have spent long hours and money on building they should get their own DIY spot going somewhere else.
People who are posting comments to malign others for their chosen recreational activity should go back to watching tv or needlepoint or whatever it is they get up to and shut the hell up.
16
@10- you are ignorant. nobody built marginal way FOR us. the city has given absolutely ZERO to the park. WE found the spot. WE cleaned it up. WE cleared out the transient meth population. WE built it. WE raised the money. WE dealt with the city. WE keep it clean. WE built it for skateboarding, not bikes. WE are down there daily, making positive change in the world. YOU are a coward hiding behind a keyboard.
17
@16, As a member of the transient meth community, I'd ask you to please refrain from criticizing our chosen recreational activity.
Oh, and don't rip on needlepoint either. I've been selling quilts to buy meth.
In the meantime, you guys can go back to feeling super-cool while the rest of the world looks on and wonders, 'why does that 25 year old dress like he's 12?'
Oh, and don't rip on needlepoint either. I've been selling quilts to buy meth.
In the meantime, you guys can go back to feeling super-cool while the rest of the world looks on and wonders, 'why does that 25 year old dress like he's 12?'
18
@16
How did you get the land for the skatepark? You just kept whining until the city gave it to you. So fuck off
How did you get the land for the skatepark? You just kept whining until the city gave it to you. So fuck off
19
This wasn't about 'skaters' vs 'bmx' vs whatever.. Like I said to Jonah yesterday was that the skateboard community has many times offered their hand to the bmx groups to help show up at meetings and create a place where we could ride side-by-side. It has been shown time and time again that the bikers do not show up, nor participate in the planning segments of park creation - only to show up after the parks are done and throw attitudes (and their bikes) around.
There are bmx parks on Queen Anne, and a huge one down by Des Moines. For mountain bikes who can't make it to the mountain, there is Colonade under I-5 on Eastlake - an excellent DIY bike park. Why someone wants to ride a mountain bike in a bowl is beyond my understanding.
BMX riding messes up parks built for skateboarding: Bottom line. Both pool and metal coping (for the non-skaters that's the part at the top of the ramps where most moves are done) get cracked and dented by pegs, pedals and such. Skateboard trucks are mostly aluminum alloy and don't damage the coping unlike bike parts which are heavier metal.
the whole 'us' versus 'them' thing is not relevant. Some bastards fucked up a park my friends have been spending years of building with hard earned money to provide a place for skateboarders to safely ride.
more bmx damage homework:
issues at Greenlake:
http://www.skatepark.org/forum/viewtopic…
Dan Hughes excellent article documenting damage and discourtesy:
http://www.northwestskater.com/bikes.asp
issues at Brookings, OR:
http://www.skatepark.org/forum/viewtopic…
damage at an skatepark not even open by BMXers:
http://www.concretedisciples.com/forum/i…
More...
There are bmx parks on Queen Anne, and a huge one down by Des Moines. For mountain bikes who can't make it to the mountain, there is Colonade under I-5 on Eastlake - an excellent DIY bike park. Why someone wants to ride a mountain bike in a bowl is beyond my understanding.
BMX riding messes up parks built for skateboarding: Bottom line. Both pool and metal coping (for the non-skaters that's the part at the top of the ramps where most moves are done) get cracked and dented by pegs, pedals and such. Skateboard trucks are mostly aluminum alloy and don't damage the coping unlike bike parts which are heavier metal.
the whole 'us' versus 'them' thing is not relevant. Some bastards fucked up a park my friends have been spending years of building with hard earned money to provide a place for skateboarders to safely ride.
more bmx damage homework:
issues at Greenlake:
http://www.skatepark.org/forum/viewtopic…
Dan Hughes excellent article documenting damage and discourtesy:
http://www.northwestskater.com/bikes.asp
issues at Brookings, OR:
http://www.skatepark.org/forum/viewtopic…
damage at an skatepark not even open by BMXers:
http://www.concretedisciples.com/forum/i…
20
Someguy - that's not how it happened but I doubt there's much use in trying to talk you out of your misguided views on this. Cheers.
21
18 - you are a misinformed asshat.
Marginal project was not GIVEN to the skaters. It was a neglected spot that was renegade for a year then the city after realizing the spot was an inprovement gave it to the skateboarders.
Ever heard of Burnside DIY? Channel Street? FDR in Philly? the times are a changin so turn off your world of warcraft, come out of mothers basement and check things out.
Marginal project was not GIVEN to the skaters. It was a neglected spot that was renegade for a year then the city after realizing the spot was an inprovement gave it to the skateboarders.
Ever heard of Burnside DIY? Channel Street? FDR in Philly? the times are a changin so turn off your world of warcraft, come out of mothers basement and check things out.
23
Wow, World of Warcraft players just got dragged into this. I'm going to sit back and enjoy watching this argument unfold.
Not one girlfriend among them, so there's got to be some pent up anger ready to blow.
Not one girlfriend among them, so there's got to be some pent up anger ready to blow.
27
Jesus, this is as lame as it gets. I hope they all cripple themselves in a retarded trick they saw in a video game.
29
@18, there was no "whining." we saw an underutilized chunk of public space, and took it over. we were there for over a year before the city knew shit.
30
I dont know why you try to argue with these slog fools.
Noone knows that skaters built this park by throwing benefits and fundraisers and with their own hands on weekends.
If you don't skate, then shut the fuck up and go back and comment on the proposition 8 rally or something.
Noone knows that skaters built this park by throwing benefits and fundraisers and with their own hands on weekends.
If you don't skate, then shut the fuck up and go back and comment on the proposition 8 rally or something.
34
@17- i dress like a 12 year old because your wife digs it... see, she got bored with you and your safe little suburban existence, and is now on the lookout for some macho, rule-breaking, risk-taking type. and i fit the bill perfectly. don't worry, though. she won't leave you-i don't have a job, and we need your money. so you keep working your nine to five, and i'll keep hammering on your wife while you're at work.
35
I don't know how much llot I got conned out of because i was drunk at a "Bobcat is spinning @ a Marginal Way Benefit".
36
Dang, you have to hate a lot of people to be a skater. Bikes and street bums and rollerbladers I would have guessed, but warcraft guys too? Hating needlepointers was a joke though, right? Wasn't it?
Anyway, you guys should know that bicyclists carry a ton of anger around with them just like you do. It's something you share and I think you all could use that to build a bridge. Think it over.
Anyway, you guys should know that bicyclists carry a ton of anger around with them just like you do. It's something you share and I think you all could use that to build a bridge. Think it over.
38
Dennis - yeah sorry, it's totally the skaters fault that the bmx hooligans poured oil all over the place.
Being oppressed for so long kind of brings out a little bitterness, especially when internet kings like yourself feel obliged to post on something you know not-one-fucking-thing-about.
PS: what level are you on Lich King?
Being oppressed for so long kind of brings out a little bitterness, especially when internet kings like yourself feel obliged to post on something you know not-one-fucking-thing-about.
PS: what level are you on Lich King?
39
As a BMX rider for more than 24 years, I have found the elder skateboard generation here in Seattle to be totally counterproductive. I tried many times to become involved by attending parks dept. meetings, skatepark design meetings, and save the Ballard Bowl meetings. At every event, I was met with strong resentment and exclusion by the skateboarders. After consistently getting harassed and wasting my time with them, I no longer bother. I just ride the park respectfully whenever I would like.
If the city, in a budget crisis, somehow built a BMX park, do you think skateboarders would stay out? What if some skaters showed up, and we told them to leave? Would they just play nice and turn around? Any park built with taxpayer money, like Woodland park, should be available to all taxpayers.
If the city, in a budget crisis, somehow built a BMX park, do you think skateboarders would stay out? What if some skaters showed up, and we told them to leave? Would they just play nice and turn around? Any park built with taxpayer money, like Woodland park, should be available to all taxpayers.
41
@ 31 HAHA!!! Oh the fixies. Oh.
But the thing that pisses me off about this, is this is a great skate park. My favorite in the Seattle area. It's come a long way and has been built - by skaters. If you want a rad place to BMX, don't be a bitch and piss people off, act like a toddler when you don't get your way mess with lots of hard work... make your own.
Don't be a little shit, BMX kids.
But the thing that pisses me off about this, is this is a great skate park. My favorite in the Seattle area. It's come a long way and has been built - by skaters. If you want a rad place to BMX, don't be a bitch and piss people off, act like a toddler when you don't get your way mess with lots of hard work... make your own.
Don't be a little shit, BMX kids.
44
Historically I have been openly angry to BMXers when I see them at parks where they are not allowed to ride and I frequently challenge them to a good old fashioned brawl if they refuse to leave. After reading this article I will no longer give them the courtesy of any warning.
45
@ 39 I'm a taxpayer, I should be able to ride my ATV through woodland park damnit!
Quit being such a dingus, there's BMX jumps right next to the lower woodland skatepark. There's a park in eastlake and queen ann. Instead of riding the coattails of skaters, why don't you agitate for your own bike spots?
Quit being such a dingus, there's BMX jumps right next to the lower woodland skatepark. There's a park in eastlake and queen ann. Instead of riding the coattails of skaters, why don't you agitate for your own bike spots?
48
karma is a BITCH! control yourself when your drunk u immature bowl surfers! you guy are like 40 punking kids.
50
Hey all you dipshits, if it wasnt for some faggot skaters to slash some bicycle tires just for watching you guys work on the park. I didnt even try to take my bike out before faggot drunkass skater douche bag came up and started shit with me and slashed my tire before I even asked any questions. So just shut the fuck up and and keep to yourself and none of this would of happened.
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