Longboarding is an adrenaline sport; people DO and WILL get seriously injured this is the same with any adrenaline sport. And for most of us here Longboarding becomes something we will do untill we're old and crippled and something we'll pass down to our kids. #MY OPINION.
Whoever wrote this article is a terribly misinformed person. Banning Longboards from the road would do nothing but criminalize responsible citizens, unnecessarily tax law enforcement and waste taxpayer dollars.
Nicky - 12 years ago
This is stupid, some longboarders are stupid and dont wear helmets and do stupid stuff, but most longboarders always wear helmets and even sometimes knee pads and longboard on non busy roads if they want to go fast or do slides. if they ban longboarding i will be ashamed of whoever wrote this. longboarding is a growing sport and isnt all that dangerous, ive only heard of 2 people dying from longboarding, ive heard of waaay more people dying from biking and rollerblading
Josh - 12 years ago
This is crazy. Who ever wrote this article should seriously consider punching themselfs in the face and eating your own shit.
Obama - 12 years ago
if youre guna outlaw longboarding why dont you outlaw biking on streets? theyre not cars, they cant maintain the speed limit, theyre in the road, and more people die biking each year than longboarding. ill tell you why biking isnt outlawed, because society gives an image to skaters of them being reckless teenagers who take risks and bikers dont have this image. yes longboarding is risky, but no im not out there trying to kill myself when i ride, im out there trying to make sure i push myself but never outside of my ability level and to make sure i have another run. bottom line, if we stay in our lane, slide to maintain speed, and wear proper safety equipment, were fine. if longboarding is outlawed, its not going to stop people from riding, its just going to cause more problems were kids now have to run from cops and bomb hills at night (which is alot more dangerous). everyone promotes kids to do things to express themselves, like do art or play music or play a sport, well im a junior in highschool and longboarding is what i love to do, i can express myself through it and it also led to my interest in photography. so instead of outlawing an active way for kids to express themselves, why doesnt the government educate people on driving with longboarders the same way they educate people to drive with bikers, and they need to promote the use of helmets, and knee pads, and slide gloves. longboarding has been growing exponentially over the last couple years and will continue to wether it is out lawed or not, so instead of turning it into a crime, the government needs to embrace this new sport, and yes it is a sport, and educate people on how to do it safely, the same way they do with bikes.
ps, im not actualy obama
Poop Feast - 12 years ago
lol wut a shitty article
Maxime - 12 years ago
I didn't know someone could be stupid enough to write and publish a large audience text on a subject they don't know shit about, without doing any research whatsoever. This is just sad.
marcel - 12 years ago
id rather you enforce drivers to obey traffic and road rules instead of blindly driving around.
ellis - 12 years ago
this vote is absolute bull crap
Jonno - 12 years ago
This article is disgusting. You really have not researched or looked further than your own biased opinions. Before you write another article I strongly recommend you learn how to write. Do not start another biased uproar over something so insignificant. Get out there and look at the big picture. I would love to talk to the writer personally, absolutely appalled!!
N Breton - 12 years ago
I found myself feeling sold short after reading the Province’s editorial regarding longboarding being used as an alternate form of transportation in metro Vancouver. Like hundreds of others in the area, I use my longboard daily as a simple, compact and active tool to get from A to B. And, apparently alarming to some, I have fun when I’m doing it. Unfortunately, the editors of the Feb 1st opinion piece equate this to “terrorizing their neighbours.”
I believe that the majority of this animosity arises from a lack of understanding of the activity. Anything that can be said about a reckless longboarder may just as well be said about a cyclist; however, it seems in this case that generalizations are the norm rather than the exception. The responsibility lies in the hands of the operator and it is up to the community to promote proper use. You cannot legislate temperance and, as such, increasing fines and impounding boards will not clear Vancouver of one of the fastest growing activities in the world.
Skateboards as tools for transportation are here to stay, plain and simple. They are smaller than bikes, easy to carry on buses and trains and fit into the office or the locker. They provide an enjoyable, active and affordable commute and, like it or not, we’ve paid taxes for the pavement too and we’d like to use it. Major urban centers such as Portland, OR, have long since accepted this fact and have legislated skateboards and longboards under the very same rules and regulations as bicycles. This is, in my opinion, the most sensible approach since it places reasonable limits upon the operator while still allowing him/her to commute without fear of persecution. We, the responsible and experienced riders, don’t want reckless endangerment as much as anyone else but we also ask not to be punished as a result of having our activity sit in a legal grey zone for so long.
As a middle school teacher, I’ve seen the impact that inactivity and complacency can have. It can be an absolute chore to convince youths to get active and enjoy it. However, I’ve had great success with encouraging students to take up skateboards (and helmets) as a tool to travel and stay fit. Many government organizations such as BC Health, Act Now BC and the BC Ministry of Education have publicly supported skateboarding as a healthy and environmentally friendly form of transportation. Given all that skateboarding has done for metro Vancouver physically, culturally and economically, we should promote safe longboarding as an active and sustainable form of transportation.
In order to reach a sensible and effective resolution to this issue, logic and cool heads must prevail. Longboarding has had a massive positive impact on Vancouver’s population and this benefit needs to be promoted in a reasonable fashion.
Nick Breton
Jack - 12 years ago
I'm an avid longboarder. I "skate" every sunny day and I know that most of what they say is a lie. Firstly, at every single intersection we have "spotters" to make sure that no cars are coming. Secondly the describe slowing down as, and I quote "swerving back and forth across several lanes" That is not true in any way, normally we know what our limit is so we don't need to slow down, if we do need to slow down we "slide". In conclusion we are practically always in control. I edit videos if you want to see longboarding in Vancouver here is a link to my youtube channel. http://www.youtube.com/user/jackbonjour?feature=mhee
Thanks.
Thomas - 12 years ago
Mabye they should ban cars and bikes, because there has been a heck of a lot more deaths in car accidents and bike accidents!!! LOOK AT THE BIGGER PROBLEM PEOPLE!!!!
neil - 12 years ago
why would they call it a public road if its not public? Longboarders have the right to go on roads just like cyclists do. Anyway one casualty isn't much, I would bet there are many more casualties snowboarding even though they are not "zipping in and out of cars". If Longboarders are so ruthless zipping in and out of cars and only one fatality? do you know what that means? Longboarders are obviously being careful, and very careful because globally in 2006 All skate related deaths (not long boarding only) ended up to be 44 not much huh? But guess how many cyclist died in 2006? A whopping 3739! (globally) When a Longboarder falls off he/she usually falls in a much more controlled way than a cycler would. Longboarders will fall in more controlled ways if they know how to longboard, so i belive that the government should place caution signs or teach drivers to watch out maybe even teach how to fall or support kneepads and helmets its really not too hard to do.
Sean - 12 years ago
This article is misleading and was clearly written by someone who could not take the time to explore both sides of this rather insignificant problem - if one can even call it that. As a biker, driver and longboarder I like to think that I have a good idea of how each group views one another. As a longboarder, I will not skate hills that I know to be frequented by cars. This means the street has the be pretty much dead before I set my bag down and strap on my knee/elbow guards for a session. Although I do prefer biking as my conventional warm-weather mode of transportation, longboarding as a means of a commute means taking the big streets. When I am in an area that I know has cars, I will not go anywhere near what I consider to be the spee limit of my abilities. This is for safety's sake, as no matter how skilled a skater one may be, stopping any vehicle going over a certain speed takes more than the split second it often requires to keep you alive.
Now, as a budding driver I find any non-pedestrian I share my road with almost annoying. They are unpredictable, and let's be honest - if I hit one, I'm screwed. However selfish that may sound, it's true. I am of course concerned for the safety of others, but if an irresponsible longboarder slides out infront of my car, there will be problems. And in the back of my head I know I will blame the skater.
Banning longboarding would be a ridiculous idea, as many treat it as more of a passion than a sport and will be left with little to act as a driving force behind their everyday lives. One casuality is nothing compared to that of bikers, and I feel as though the statistic this article uses to encourage the ban of longboarding actually discourages it. Although throwing yourself down a hill on little more than a plank of wood on wheels may seems risky to the unaware, longboarding is a sport that relies strongly on the rider's comfort zone. If a teenager is longboarding down a hill alongside your car, chances are high that he is confident in his abilities to make it to the bottom unscathed. A zero risk situation does not exist, and while longboarders are certainly quite vulnerable on their little planks of wood, we are not risk takers.
Jake Elliott - 12 years ago
ban people writing poorly written, biased and self important articles.....
shea - 12 years ago
Its better for kids to be out getting active, not watching tv as much, meeting new people, and not selling drugs or doing other harmful things. Longboarding has given me the opportunity to do all these good things and it is a great sport, it would truely be a shame if it was illegal to longboard on northvan roads
Jeremy - 12 years ago
"Since there has already been one longboard fatality in the district"
Try comparing skateboard (long or otherwise) related fatalities to bicycle related fatalities. We should certainly ban bikes before skateboards if this is the criteria.
"there is no safe way for longboarders to share the roads safely with motor vehicles"
Yes there is. Just as with bicycles, one can follow the rules of the road and safely stop and control speed. No swerving required.
Katie - 12 years ago
I have been at this for 5 years now, and I will be the first to admit that I've used the streets of the North Shore to hone the skills to tour 11 different countries this year alone. I, along with many others that are not nearly as experienced as me, can get from the top to bottom of any one of these hills while staying in our own lane respecting traffic. I'm sorry that some of you have encountered the very few 'bad apples' we have, I really am. Shame on them for putting up the middle finger, I bet they also don't say excuse me when they burp and constantly forget to call their moms as well, but hey, rude people exist in every community and I'm willing to bet that if we were playing a ratio game, we would have far less assholes than any.
I'm not an idiot, I understand why residents in highly trafficked areas are scared, I would have a tough time letting my kids play on open roads if I had some, but through the eyes of a future over protective mother, there is something good here. In a sad, mad world we have managed to form something purely magical...Im sure there are a few of you that are going to have dropped jaws at the support that will flow in for us through these times and in knowing this, I would be overwhelmed with pride for being able to provide my children with the experience of interacting and growing within this community.
PLEASE - Provide the children of my sport a place to play safe so they can continue to have the opportunities I have had, I will be there for them, as will many others; Our family values are stronger than you might realize.
Ryan Osterling - 12 years ago
Skaters have to express themselves. You give snowboarders and surfers a place to do their thing, and you have also given longboarders a place to do theirs. I believe that longboarders SHOULD have to follow the rules of the road (stop sign's, speed limits, etc...). I am a skater who lives in San Diego. It is ILLEGAL to skate down here. Does it stop anyone? No. Do the cops care if you skate? No. The only difference it makes is having angry people call the cops for us having a board. 99% of the people I meet smile and wave if I do, but 1% will just drive off or honk a horn, even though I am being positive. Follow the rules of the road, possibly make helmets required, but don't ban the whole sport.
I have skated all over the world. Currently in my 4th year of traveling and skating the globe. I have met my best friends doing what I love to do, including some from Vancouver (I am Australian). Vancouver is an amazing city and I was able to see a lot of it because it is such an easy city to skate around and through. I even saw some spots which your average tour would never go, I went to those spots for the roads but I stayed for the nature, running rivers, mountains and good people. I have skated with Dentists, doctors, parents, teachers, stoners, drinkers, vegetarians and meat eaters. I have skated in Germany, Czech, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Italy, France, America, Canada all over Australia and many other places in the world. I have good friends from all these places and I am a better person for it.
Your article is biased, poorly written and inaccurate in so many ways. Instead of attacking it, why not grab a board from someone in your local area and give it a go, learn something about the activity and the strong community and soul behind it. You could then give writing another go and hopefully come up with an article actually worth publishing.
Jack Trainor - 12 years ago
The editor that wrote this story has done so ill equiped and without any reserch. A simple google search would of shown them that the 'organised tournaments' longboarders need to start running are extremely common around the world with the igsa world series and many smaller local events, All of which have strict saftey rules. Somthing so ignorant and bias should never be allowed to be published in any paper.
Jack.
Lee - 12 years ago
I truely can't believe this. Longboarding is a way of transportation, a way to have fun, a way to meet some of your best friends to this day, and a way of life. I can not explain how much longboarding means to me. We are not causing crimes, doing drugs, or trying to disrupt anybody's day. I skate as a way of relief, and as a high school student trying to keep up his running career, I have to stay away from drugs and alcohol. The only way I can make it through the peer pressure and the life of being made fun of is by going out and skating. If this were taken away from me, you would be taking away my everything. So as someone who only has respect for the law, please recognize what this means to me and my fellow skaters and do not let this happen. However, if it comes down to it, I will disregard this and continue to skate, because you will never be able to take away what means the most to me.
kevin - 12 years ago
i mean if they are getting so mad about it why dont they tell cars to move? its not completely our fault and i met up with some police and they encourage it because it keeps kids from robbing and smoking.
Matt - 12 years ago
I think that this article is very innaccurate. Longboarders intentionally try to find empty streets and stay safe at all times as its better for everyone that way. And besides, anyone who is out riding on public roads should have the skill to stop and or get out of the way quickly.
bill - 12 years ago
whats the difference between a longboard and a bike? both can be used safely and both can be used recklessly treat them like bikes and move on with your life.
Daniel - 12 years ago
Longboarders aren't a menace to anybody. Public roads are called PUBLIC roads for a reason... What's next, banning bicycles? Banning pedestrian traffic?
Rory - 12 years ago
For a lot of people a hobby is what keeps them off the streets causing serious trouble like vandalising and taking drugs and alcohol etc. Longboarding is more than just a hobby to some people as well, it can be seen as a passion. If you take this away from people you are ruin what they love and what some people live for. Ian Joe Dutch is a rider for a longboard company who lives in his car and is a drug addict currently he is 3 months clean and looking for a place to live and all because of longboarding. He said without longboarding he wouldn't have the will power to do anything and would just a hobo lying in the streets regretting his entire life.
they can go ahead and ban it all they want, it will just cause more problems for THIER system. I'm not going to stop riding for anybody and I'm not the only one, either. You can send me to jail for it and the first thing I'll do when I get out is grab my skate and hit the streets.
Gus Morgan - 12 years ago
The editors who wrote this garbage should be banned from using the Internet.
Nicholas - 12 years ago
misleading article.
Andrew - 12 years ago
If they ban it were would we skate? We have no were else to skate but public streets and the drivers should be more careful when they drive because its not always our faults
James - 12 years ago
This article is greatly off reality. Longboarders such as myself keep in our own lanes and slide straight to stop or slowdown. Carving is an option but is rarely used andon large roads with turns and traffic. Roads on the only place for us advanced boarders to ride. We are no menace, just teenagers and young adults living our lives and staying away from television. -James 14 years old
Colby - 12 years ago
It's sad how you guys actually want to ban us skateboarders for the sport we love!!! It makes no sense to me at all that you would ban us for skateboarding, if we stay in our own lane going down a hill we aren't obstructing traffic at all. At least we aren't sitting on our couch at home everyday eating junk food and playing video games/watch tv! So I think you should just give it a rest and stop taking away our stoke/passions!
Are longboarders the ones doing crime and vandalism? no. So don't waste time worrying about longboarding when you can be doing something better for the world like worrying about crime and vandalism instead.
Dennis Blevins - 12 years ago
Ban video games, not longboards.....The kids need exercise to keep from becoming obese lifeless adults. Encourage fun, healthy activities that don't require a giant SUV driving them to practice or organized games. Let the kids be healthy and creative. Skate on......Dennis Blevins, 50 years old and still skateboarding since 1975.
Krystal - 12 years ago
Are skateboarders really our biggest issue in Vancouver?? Sad. And yet, laying around on city streets, injecting heroin into your veins is acceptable? Give it a rest people!! There are far bigger problems in this city!
Longboarding is an adrenaline sport; people DO and WILL get seriously injured this is the same with any adrenaline sport. And for most of us here Longboarding becomes something we will do untill we're old and crippled and something we'll pass down to our kids. #MY OPINION.
Whoever wrote this article is a terribly misinformed person. Banning Longboards from the road would do nothing but criminalize responsible citizens, unnecessarily tax law enforcement and waste taxpayer dollars.
This is stupid, some longboarders are stupid and dont wear helmets and do stupid stuff, but most longboarders always wear helmets and even sometimes knee pads and longboard on non busy roads if they want to go fast or do slides. if they ban longboarding i will be ashamed of whoever wrote this. longboarding is a growing sport and isnt all that dangerous, ive only heard of 2 people dying from longboarding, ive heard of waaay more people dying from biking and rollerblading
This is crazy. Who ever wrote this article should seriously consider punching themselfs in the face and eating your own shit.
if youre guna outlaw longboarding why dont you outlaw biking on streets? theyre not cars, they cant maintain the speed limit, theyre in the road, and more people die biking each year than longboarding. ill tell you why biking isnt outlawed, because society gives an image to skaters of them being reckless teenagers who take risks and bikers dont have this image. yes longboarding is risky, but no im not out there trying to kill myself when i ride, im out there trying to make sure i push myself but never outside of my ability level and to make sure i have another run. bottom line, if we stay in our lane, slide to maintain speed, and wear proper safety equipment, were fine. if longboarding is outlawed, its not going to stop people from riding, its just going to cause more problems were kids now have to run from cops and bomb hills at night (which is alot more dangerous). everyone promotes kids to do things to express themselves, like do art or play music or play a sport, well im a junior in highschool and longboarding is what i love to do, i can express myself through it and it also led to my interest in photography. so instead of outlawing an active way for kids to express themselves, why doesnt the government educate people on driving with longboarders the same way they educate people to drive with bikers, and they need to promote the use of helmets, and knee pads, and slide gloves. longboarding has been growing exponentially over the last couple years and will continue to wether it is out lawed or not, so instead of turning it into a crime, the government needs to embrace this new sport, and yes it is a sport, and educate people on how to do it safely, the same way they do with bikes.
ps, im not actualy obama
lol wut a shitty article
I didn't know someone could be stupid enough to write and publish a large audience text on a subject they don't know shit about, without doing any research whatsoever. This is just sad.
id rather you enforce drivers to obey traffic and road rules instead of blindly driving around.
this vote is absolute bull crap
This article is disgusting. You really have not researched or looked further than your own biased opinions. Before you write another article I strongly recommend you learn how to write. Do not start another biased uproar over something so insignificant. Get out there and look at the big picture. I would love to talk to the writer personally, absolutely appalled!!
I found myself feeling sold short after reading the Province’s editorial regarding longboarding being used as an alternate form of transportation in metro Vancouver. Like hundreds of others in the area, I use my longboard daily as a simple, compact and active tool to get from A to B. And, apparently alarming to some, I have fun when I’m doing it. Unfortunately, the editors of the Feb 1st opinion piece equate this to “terrorizing their neighbours.”
I believe that the majority of this animosity arises from a lack of understanding of the activity. Anything that can be said about a reckless longboarder may just as well be said about a cyclist; however, it seems in this case that generalizations are the norm rather than the exception. The responsibility lies in the hands of the operator and it is up to the community to promote proper use. You cannot legislate temperance and, as such, increasing fines and impounding boards will not clear Vancouver of one of the fastest growing activities in the world.
Skateboards as tools for transportation are here to stay, plain and simple. They are smaller than bikes, easy to carry on buses and trains and fit into the office or the locker. They provide an enjoyable, active and affordable commute and, like it or not, we’ve paid taxes for the pavement too and we’d like to use it. Major urban centers such as Portland, OR, have long since accepted this fact and have legislated skateboards and longboards under the very same rules and regulations as bicycles. This is, in my opinion, the most sensible approach since it places reasonable limits upon the operator while still allowing him/her to commute without fear of persecution. We, the responsible and experienced riders, don’t want reckless endangerment as much as anyone else but we also ask not to be punished as a result of having our activity sit in a legal grey zone for so long.
As a middle school teacher, I’ve seen the impact that inactivity and complacency can have. It can be an absolute chore to convince youths to get active and enjoy it. However, I’ve had great success with encouraging students to take up skateboards (and helmets) as a tool to travel and stay fit. Many government organizations such as BC Health, Act Now BC and the BC Ministry of Education have publicly supported skateboarding as a healthy and environmentally friendly form of transportation. Given all that skateboarding has done for metro Vancouver physically, culturally and economically, we should promote safe longboarding as an active and sustainable form of transportation.
In order to reach a sensible and effective resolution to this issue, logic and cool heads must prevail. Longboarding has had a massive positive impact on Vancouver’s population and this benefit needs to be promoted in a reasonable fashion.
Nick Breton
I'm an avid longboarder. I "skate" every sunny day and I know that most of what they say is a lie. Firstly, at every single intersection we have "spotters" to make sure that no cars are coming. Secondly the describe slowing down as, and I quote "swerving back and forth across several lanes" That is not true in any way, normally we know what our limit is so we don't need to slow down, if we do need to slow down we "slide". In conclusion we are practically always in control. I edit videos if you want to see longboarding in Vancouver here is a link to my youtube channel. http://www.youtube.com/user/jackbonjour?feature=mhee
Thanks.
Mabye they should ban cars and bikes, because there has been a heck of a lot more deaths in car accidents and bike accidents!!! LOOK AT THE BIGGER PROBLEM PEOPLE!!!!
why would they call it a public road if its not public? Longboarders have the right to go on roads just like cyclists do. Anyway one casualty isn't much, I would bet there are many more casualties snowboarding even though they are not "zipping in and out of cars". If Longboarders are so ruthless zipping in and out of cars and only one fatality? do you know what that means? Longboarders are obviously being careful, and very careful because globally in 2006 All skate related deaths (not long boarding only) ended up to be 44 not much huh? But guess how many cyclist died in 2006? A whopping 3739! (globally) When a Longboarder falls off he/she usually falls in a much more controlled way than a cycler would. Longboarders will fall in more controlled ways if they know how to longboard, so i belive that the government should place caution signs or teach drivers to watch out maybe even teach how to fall or support kneepads and helmets its really not too hard to do.
This article is misleading and was clearly written by someone who could not take the time to explore both sides of this rather insignificant problem - if one can even call it that. As a biker, driver and longboarder I like to think that I have a good idea of how each group views one another. As a longboarder, I will not skate hills that I know to be frequented by cars. This means the street has the be pretty much dead before I set my bag down and strap on my knee/elbow guards for a session. Although I do prefer biking as my conventional warm-weather mode of transportation, longboarding as a means of a commute means taking the big streets. When I am in an area that I know has cars, I will not go anywhere near what I consider to be the spee limit of my abilities. This is for safety's sake, as no matter how skilled a skater one may be, stopping any vehicle going over a certain speed takes more than the split second it often requires to keep you alive.
Now, as a budding driver I find any non-pedestrian I share my road with almost annoying. They are unpredictable, and let's be honest - if I hit one, I'm screwed. However selfish that may sound, it's true. I am of course concerned for the safety of others, but if an irresponsible longboarder slides out infront of my car, there will be problems. And in the back of my head I know I will blame the skater.
Banning longboarding would be a ridiculous idea, as many treat it as more of a passion than a sport and will be left with little to act as a driving force behind their everyday lives. One casuality is nothing compared to that of bikers, and I feel as though the statistic this article uses to encourage the ban of longboarding actually discourages it. Although throwing yourself down a hill on little more than a plank of wood on wheels may seems risky to the unaware, longboarding is a sport that relies strongly on the rider's comfort zone. If a teenager is longboarding down a hill alongside your car, chances are high that he is confident in his abilities to make it to the bottom unscathed. A zero risk situation does not exist, and while longboarders are certainly quite vulnerable on their little planks of wood, we are not risk takers.
ban people writing poorly written, biased and self important articles.....
Its better for kids to be out getting active, not watching tv as much, meeting new people, and not selling drugs or doing other harmful things. Longboarding has given me the opportunity to do all these good things and it is a great sport, it would truely be a shame if it was illegal to longboard on northvan roads
"Since there has already been one longboard fatality in the district"
Try comparing skateboard (long or otherwise) related fatalities to bicycle related fatalities. We should certainly ban bikes before skateboards if this is the criteria.
"there is no safe way for longboarders to share the roads safely with motor vehicles"
Yes there is. Just as with bicycles, one can follow the rules of the road and safely stop and control speed. No swerving required.
I have been at this for 5 years now, and I will be the first to admit that I've used the streets of the North Shore to hone the skills to tour 11 different countries this year alone. I, along with many others that are not nearly as experienced as me, can get from the top to bottom of any one of these hills while staying in our own lane respecting traffic. I'm sorry that some of you have encountered the very few 'bad apples' we have, I really am. Shame on them for putting up the middle finger, I bet they also don't say excuse me when they burp and constantly forget to call their moms as well, but hey, rude people exist in every community and I'm willing to bet that if we were playing a ratio game, we would have far less assholes than any.
I'm not an idiot, I understand why residents in highly trafficked areas are scared, I would have a tough time letting my kids play on open roads if I had some, but through the eyes of a future over protective mother, there is something good here. In a sad, mad world we have managed to form something purely magical...Im sure there are a few of you that are going to have dropped jaws at the support that will flow in for us through these times and in knowing this, I would be overwhelmed with pride for being able to provide my children with the experience of interacting and growing within this community.
PLEASE - Provide the children of my sport a place to play safe so they can continue to have the opportunities I have had, I will be there for them, as will many others; Our family values are stronger than you might realize.
Skaters have to express themselves. You give snowboarders and surfers a place to do their thing, and you have also given longboarders a place to do theirs. I believe that longboarders SHOULD have to follow the rules of the road (stop sign's, speed limits, etc...). I am a skater who lives in San Diego. It is ILLEGAL to skate down here. Does it stop anyone? No. Do the cops care if you skate? No. The only difference it makes is having angry people call the cops for us having a board. 99% of the people I meet smile and wave if I do, but 1% will just drive off or honk a horn, even though I am being positive. Follow the rules of the road, possibly make helmets required, but don't ban the whole sport.
There should be wider skate and bike lanes.
I have skated all over the world. Currently in my 4th year of traveling and skating the globe. I have met my best friends doing what I love to do, including some from Vancouver (I am Australian). Vancouver is an amazing city and I was able to see a lot of it because it is such an easy city to skate around and through. I even saw some spots which your average tour would never go, I went to those spots for the roads but I stayed for the nature, running rivers, mountains and good people. I have skated with Dentists, doctors, parents, teachers, stoners, drinkers, vegetarians and meat eaters. I have skated in Germany, Czech, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Italy, France, America, Canada all over Australia and many other places in the world. I have good friends from all these places and I am a better person for it.
Your article is biased, poorly written and inaccurate in so many ways. Instead of attacking it, why not grab a board from someone in your local area and give it a go, learn something about the activity and the strong community and soul behind it. You could then give writing another go and hopefully come up with an article actually worth publishing.
The editor that wrote this story has done so ill equiped and without any reserch. A simple google search would of shown them that the 'organised tournaments' longboarders need to start running are extremely common around the world with the igsa world series and many smaller local events, All of which have strict saftey rules. Somthing so ignorant and bias should never be allowed to be published in any paper.
Jack.
I truely can't believe this. Longboarding is a way of transportation, a way to have fun, a way to meet some of your best friends to this day, and a way of life. I can not explain how much longboarding means to me. We are not causing crimes, doing drugs, or trying to disrupt anybody's day. I skate as a way of relief, and as a high school student trying to keep up his running career, I have to stay away from drugs and alcohol. The only way I can make it through the peer pressure and the life of being made fun of is by going out and skating. If this were taken away from me, you would be taking away my everything. So as someone who only has respect for the law, please recognize what this means to me and my fellow skaters and do not let this happen. However, if it comes down to it, I will disregard this and continue to skate, because you will never be able to take away what means the most to me.
i mean if they are getting so mad about it why dont they tell cars to move? its not completely our fault and i met up with some police and they encourage it because it keeps kids from robbing and smoking.
I think that this article is very innaccurate. Longboarders intentionally try to find empty streets and stay safe at all times as its better for everyone that way. And besides, anyone who is out riding on public roads should have the skill to stop and or get out of the way quickly.
whats the difference between a longboard and a bike? both can be used safely and both can be used recklessly treat them like bikes and move on with your life.
Longboarders aren't a menace to anybody. Public roads are called PUBLIC roads for a reason... What's next, banning bicycles? Banning pedestrian traffic?
For a lot of people a hobby is what keeps them off the streets causing serious trouble like vandalising and taking drugs and alcohol etc. Longboarding is more than just a hobby to some people as well, it can be seen as a passion. If you take this away from people you are ruin what they love and what some people live for. Ian Joe Dutch is a rider for a longboard company who lives in his car and is a drug addict currently he is 3 months clean and looking for a place to live and all because of longboarding. He said without longboarding he wouldn't have the will power to do anything and would just a hobo lying in the streets regretting his entire life.
they can go ahead and ban it all they want, it will just cause more problems for THIER system. I'm not going to stop riding for anybody and I'm not the only one, either. You can send me to jail for it and the first thing I'll do when I get out is grab my skate and hit the streets.
The editors who wrote this garbage should be banned from using the Internet.
misleading article.
If they ban it were would we skate? We have no were else to skate but public streets and the drivers should be more careful when they drive because its not always our faults
This article is greatly off reality. Longboarders such as myself keep in our own lanes and slide straight to stop or slowdown. Carving is an option but is rarely used andon large roads with turns and traffic. Roads on the only place for us advanced boarders to ride. We are no menace, just teenagers and young adults living our lives and staying away from television. -James 14 years old
It's sad how you guys actually want to ban us skateboarders for the sport we love!!! It makes no sense to me at all that you would ban us for skateboarding, if we stay in our own lane going down a hill we aren't obstructing traffic at all. At least we aren't sitting on our couch at home everyday eating junk food and playing video games/watch tv! So I think you should just give it a rest and stop taking away our stoke/passions!
Are longboarders the ones doing crime and vandalism? no. So don't waste time worrying about longboarding when you can be doing something better for the world like worrying about crime and vandalism instead.
Ban video games, not longboards.....The kids need exercise to keep from becoming obese lifeless adults. Encourage fun, healthy activities that don't require a giant SUV driving them to practice or organized games. Let the kids be healthy and creative. Skate on......Dennis Blevins, 50 years old and still skateboarding since 1975.
Are skateboarders really our biggest issue in Vancouver?? Sad. And yet, laying around on city streets, injecting heroin into your veins is acceptable? Give it a rest people!! There are far bigger problems in this city!