FAQs

What are some of the community benefits of skateparks?

There are too many benefits of skateparks to list in one place. There are the social benefits of providing a facility for young people, and particularly at-risk youth, to pursue an athletic activity that they love. There are public health benefits to having a safe place for young people to develop active lifestyles away from the risks found in the streets. Some people associate skateboarding with gangs and crime when the opposite is generally the truth. Skateboarders are, by and large, dedicated and passionate about what they do and have little interest in joining gangs

Are kids at skateparks exposed to drug use and other negative influences like foul language?

Skaters need to be focused and alert, particularly in a skatepark setting, to maintain their balance and to perform the maneuvers they do. Skateboarding, by its very nature, is an anti-drug. Generally, a skatepark full of kids who are there to skate is a skatepark full of kids not getting stoned. At skateparks, older skaters tend to look after younger skaters. They offer tips, help them out of bowls when they fall, and will rise to the occasion when they have the opportunity to set a positive example or mentor a younger skater. A skatepark is a place where skaters get together and enjoy the space, the camaraderie, and the physical thrill of riding. An outdoor, open, highly visible location–as most skateparks are–is not the place to bully kids, use drugs, or be a nuisance. Skaters are there for a reason, and are generally very good at policing each other about behavior that interferes with their enjoying the park.