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December 3, 2024 Login
Opinion

From Vans to Thrasher, Berkeley should embrace skate culture

By Cedar Gilmour, November 8th, 2024

The Red Bull Sky Line skateboarding contest in San Francisco showcased highly skilled and even professional skateboarders from across the Bay Area. Wheels ground against metal and pavement as skateboarders showed off their most impressive tricks. The Red Bull Sky Line was hosted by the energy drink company Red Bull, in San Francisco, just last week. Situated on top of Twin Peaks, a temporary skatepark, complete with nine obstacles, was built specifically for the contest. The skatepark offered an incredible panoramic view of the San Francisco skyline along with lush hillsides. Berkeley, as a city, should embrace skate culture to the same extent San Francisco has, recognizing the amount of Berkeley skateboarders and enhancing the city’s unique and colorful community.

For Bay Area skateboarders, the new Twin Peaks skate park is just one example of the skateboarding hubs made available in San Francisco. To many, San Francisco is considered to be where modern street skateboarding was born. Actions such as hosting skateboarding contests and building new skateparks, such as SoMa West skatepark and Lake Merced skatepark, demonstrate the city’s commitment to embracing Bay Area skateboarding culture, rather than trying to diminish it. Many cities have negative perceptions of skateboarding culture due to unfavorable media depictions and stereotypes, but San Francisco’s policies support skateboarders. The city not only recognizes skateboarding as a recreational sport and a community, but also as a form of transportation. San Francisco has implemented skateboard-friendly zones within the city, permitting skateboarding as long as proper safety measures are followed: specifically wearing helmets, knee and elbow padding, and other safety gear, fining those who don’t adhere to safety laws. 

In contrast, Berkeley is considerably different. “Berkeley has essentially one skatepark, called the Berkeley Skatepark,” Zael Johnson, a Berkeley High School senior, said. Johnson has been skateboarding for 11 years. He mentioned several skateparks in San Francisco but pointed out that there is only one in Berkeley. Another BHS senior and skateboarder, Miles Hill agreed. “I mostly go to Oakland to skate,” Hill said, “I don’t go to the Berkeley skate park often at all.”

Johnson mentioned other skateparks that he typically skates at around the Bay Area, like Emeryville and Alameda, but described the number of skateparks in Berkeley as sparse. “I often don’t go to the Berkeley skatepark,” Johnson said while explaining his preference for skateboarding spots. “I find myself often going a little bit further,” he added. This is the reality for many Berkeley skaters who are left to find skate parks outside the city due to the lack of good skate parks.

The City of Berkeley should fix this issue by creating more skateparks. This would not only accommodate for the substantial number of skateboarders in Berkeley, but it would also strengthen the sense of community for them, creating local hubs. Berkeley skateboarders would no longer have to look to further spots just to skateboard. However, this solution is not as straightforward as it seems.

While Berkeley needs to take steps to accept skate culture like San Francisco, there are many things for the city to consider before creating more skateparks. Johnson expressed his concern that overuse of new skateparks could lead to neglect. “There would be tons of people there all the time, it might get overrun and trashed,” Johnson said. This highlights the need for planning to ensure skateparks can be properly maintained, so they remain enjoyable.  If skateparks are kept in good condition, they can become community spaces for everyone not just skaters. These spaces can help connect Berkeley’s residents to each other and eliminate the stigma around skating. Additionally, there are valid concerns regarding the misuse of skateparks. If they are not monitored, spaces intended for people to express their creativity could easily be subject to improper use. 

Despite these factors, creating more skateparks in Berkeley would help foster more community, fun, and creativity.