Skate park Etiquette and unwritten rules?

[Ross McArthur]

Yo.

So everyone knows how to use a skate park, right? No, no they don’t. We have scooter kids blasting in front of your lines, not giving a toss what’s going on. They hang off the edge of the coping and skip queues.

What I want to know is; what is everyone’s view on park etiquette? Whats the do's and don’ts? Whats happened to you that could have been stopped if everyone was educated enough in using the park properly.

If anyone has any links to any other threads or topics like this could you please link me?

Ta.

[Jake.]

Basically if you're on a bike you get priority over everyone.

/thread

[MartMini]

Just like everything else in life, give way to anyone bigger than you

Edited August 15, 2014 by MartMini

[Ross McArthur]

Now that's the mongo trials rider's responses out of the way... Anyone else?

[AndrewEH1]

If any arseholes are sitting around on the park they are fair game to try and hit.

[trialsbikingnunn]

Anyone and everyone are fair game imo, get out the way of people or you're gonna get hurt

[Matt24.]

I have spent the last 12 years of my life using skate parks and have definitely seen a change in etiquette / usage since that time. I think it goes hand in hand with part (not all) of the youth today being more self involved than previous generations.

General rules I used to see but don't anymore

- no snaking

- be cautious of letting others, don't try line after line

- don't stop on something people are using

- never ever try a line that someone is trying that are having trouble with a make them look like a fool when you do it first time

- egg each other on but no need to be over competitive - it's a bout fun with mates not one up on each other

I am sure there is more but the general rule of it back in the day was " don't be a dick"

[J.KYDD]

Whats happened to you that could have been stopped if everyone was educated enough in using the park properly.

Remove 100% of scooter-ers

[TOMTRIALS123]

bang on ^^^

[Ross McArthur]

Ok, so time to come clean. What I'm meant to be doing is teaching some younger kids, (some scooter riders, some not), who are being bullied in a skate park by the "bigger boys".

Ive been asked to show them some tricks which they can then take away and build on.

I tried to explain to the girl who got in touch that theres park etiquette which the younger generation wont understand, and thats why the older kids are getting upset.

As Matt24 rightly says, they cut lines etc, so I want to be able to educate them in how to use the park properly and safely so everyone can get along.

[craigjames]

Snaking. I think it's just a general lack of awareness of other people. Doesn't matter what you're riding/skating if you are observant and aware of the people around you then you should be alright.

[manuel]

Modern technique: shout "BOX", then ignore everyone else and push off on your super awesome scooter into the park and aim for any object you like, even though it probably isn't a box. Land on your feet (or head), then loiter in the way until you feel ready to repeat. Feel and look awesome.

[Jamie_Trials]

I've literally never ran into anyone at the skatepark cause I think I'm the only one who has brakes.

Most scooter kids don't even look where they're going, they stand next to the coping and they think they have priority over everything.

Skateboarders however, don't have brakes but they do seem to have brains so they tend to look before they go somewhere, I do give a little more priority towards skateboarders as it is a skatepark.

People on blades tend to be chavs around my area, they don't cause hassle that much apart from their big event where everybody in the skatepark needs to "wait" and "move" because they're gonna try something at the other end of the skatepark.

The most annoying type of people there though are the people who think it's okay to sit on stairs and ledges. No it's not you bellend, there's a big field and benches right next to the skatepark, there is no need for you to be in the skatepark. Oh wait, what's that, you brought a football on to the skatepark because the field isn't adequate enough for you?

Bleugh, just gets me annoyed thinking about it.

[Mark W]

People doing really long trains around large sections of the park with their friends brings a big sack of dicks to the picnic. I get that doing trains once in a while is kind of fun, but scooter kids (and scooter kids who seem to have upsized to BMXs but still have the same mindset) take it to the extreme. I've been at parks before and had to basically sit there for around 5-10mins while they just circulate the middle section of a park not really doing much, but just following each other around.

The biggest thing is just awareness though - being aware of who/what is around you and what they're doing is the basis of any of the skatepark etiquette thing. If you don't know someone's there then having the rest of the 'rules' is your head isn't going to achieve much; unintentionally snaking someone is still snaking someone. If you've basically been asked to try and steer them in the right direction then just make sure they keep checking around them to see what's going on. If they've managed to make it this far in their lives without getting wiped out crossing the road then they've got the ability to do it, but just need to apply that to being in a skatepark.

[aener]

The biggest thing is just awareness though - being aware of who/what is around you and what they're doing is the basis of any of the skatepark etiquette thing. If you don't know someone's there then having the rest of the 'rules' is your head isn't going to achieve much; unintentionally snaking someone is still snaking someone. If you've basically been asked to try and steer them in the right direction then just make sure they keep checking around them to see what's going on. If they've managed to make it this far in their lives without getting wiped out crossing the road then they've got the ability to do it, but just need to apply that to being in a skatepark.

Exactly this, a thousand times over.

If older kids are having a go at them, I'd put money on most of the reason behind it being that the kids accidentally get in the way.

Just basic spacial - or maybe logistical - awareness.

[Pete.M]

Matt24's "general rules" seem good. I guess for kids to understand you need to start by making sure they vaguely know what "lines" are. Only then can they be aware of other people's lines.

Big ones for me are not riding the same bit non stop, and don't stay in the centre of the bowl/park or whatever, therefore becoming a permanent obstacle.

As for general awareness, I'd stress to the kids to take a quick glance around whenever they change direction or set-off.

Also be sure to teach them that riding scooters is the number 1 cause of cancer in kids.

[mr ailsbury]

Most of the time when i'm at a park, first on the pedals is the person that's up next, if you're waiting for your turn, be aware of everyone else waiting and if you see someone who's obviously ready to push off as soon as the person before them is finished, let them go, always keeps things running smoothly.

Be aware that 99% of roller bladers will go out of their way to shove in front of you and if they're part way through a line and you get in their way, theres no way in hell they'll stop for you and you'll probably end up with a boot/badly rolled spliff in your face.

When I was little, being just chilled out and chatting to the bigger guys usually helped (normal convo not harrassing them to do tailwhips for you like a trained monkey). I always found that the higher the skill level the sounder the guys are and if you can prove you know some sort of park etiquette most of them will be nice to you/encourage you etc.

Don't leave 300,000 empty cans of monster on the park/half full ones that get knocked over and make everything rank and sticky. thats one i've been seeing a lot of lately.

If you bring your girlfriend to the park, supervise her and make sure she stays out of the way. Especially if she brings her mates with her.

Be assertive and make it obvious that you're waiting for a turn, if you just pussy out and stand back you'll never get a run in, mostly because people won't know you're actually waiting to go and they'll get mad at you for pushing in if you appear at the edge of the ramp out of nowhere. If I ever see anyone looking a bit nervous I try to let them go first or give them a bit of encouragement, most people won't do that though.

[eskimo]

Most has been mentioned. The non-queue thing as Ailsbury mentions is pretty much the game.

Unfortunately skill level kinda takes priority a lot of the time. Most parks these days you have to play the game/ politics. Cruise about and identify the mood of the park. If people appear snakey, compy, or generally rude then it's either give them a taste of their own medicine or put up with the crap. Most people normally back off easy enough i find, but some don't which then creates a whole load of compy session, which is tiresome.

Generally i've found skaters are normally pretty respectable to riders if they are not average tailwhip joe with tight jeans.

One thing not mentioned though, filming normally takes priority, if it's genuine. Not average joe doing a flyout or other basic move. Which again does tie into the, skill = priority.

[James281098]

I was at a local park not so long ago and this woman brought her children to the park to ride there bikes.... I have no problem with this but... It got to me when they ride about 3 inches up a ramp and turn around, that's not a problem has everyone starts somewhere but when the mother saw what we were waiting we just had a lengthy chat with the mother ans sorted the issue out

[dezmtber]

don't just roll into a skate park take base on the top of a fun box in the middle and proceed to roll around in the way of everyone.

I find the best way to get park etiquette would be roll in look around you at the whole section for a min before rolling over close to or next to the area everyone is setting of from, do a few runs from there and if you feel the need to chance your start point, just call it but be prepared to do what you call out or you look a fool.

skate parks for me is about the social aspects aswell as the riding, if your not going to chat with other riders scooter users then when they get in your way there just some scooter kid or bmx dude in your way and that makes you pissed. but if you speak to them belive it or not quite often there looking out for you and your lines because your not a nobody to them now.

its pretty much the same reason road rage is so popular, because you don't them the idiot who just cut you up.

[Skoze]

People sitting on landings is the worst. I remember some kid getting lemon with me once for launching out of a quarter and footjam whipping in his general direction, he got upset for me being 'dangerous', had a massive row and I explained how it was in fact a skatepark and that's what it's built for. The quizzical look of 'shit, i never knew this' was magical.

Just teach common sense, and show them places they shouldn't lurk. Add in a bit of courtesy and the above, they'll be sorted.

[Miss-Higgy]

My favoured tactic for moving the scooter kids is, when they snake me go anyway like they did and get as close as possible to hitting them. After that they tend to avoid you.. And that really is a last stand tactic.

In my opinion it all comes back to children not being brought up properly and their parents having no respect, therefore the children grow up being worse than the adults. 80% of the worlds population is full of self involved arseholes who have no care or forethought for people around them. I could compare the way a skatepark works these days to so many other things and produce the same conclusion, motorways for instance, "oh ill be over taking another truck in a mile so i might as well sit in the middle lane. I'm going at 55mph" Not having any thought for the person sat in the inside lane going at 70mph that will have to pull all the way out to get round them.. Food shopping in your local store.. "owhh an offer i don't want but its on offer! I'll just stop dead to gawp at it!" Also "This super wide path with share with care written all over it, that must mean we need to walk side by side and not let anything else use this path"

These situations all involve adults and if these people could wake up and learn to think of others then their off spawn may also be capable of this. Until then i see no improvement for skateparks that are unmonitored. Rampworx in Liverpool has it right! Anyone found not following their etiquette will be ejected…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwXRhszZ_Rs&list=UU0-A_GCv_au4GYEQ5fQWIfg <-- skatepark etiquette video

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwXRhszZ_Rs&list=UU0-A_GCv_au4GYEQ5fQWIfg

Embeding never works for me

Edited August 17, 2014 by Miss-Higgy

[CC12345678910]

The one about the mum using the park as an exercise yard rings true with me.

It annoys me immensely at times because the local skatepark is in a large park (green space ect. not concrete n ramps) and yet it is suppose to be our responsibility to avoid the kid(s), and the inevitability of wiping them out.

All because they have been let run riot in a highly dangerous environment by their 'responsible' adult. This has caused more ambulance visits and stand up arguments than anything else. In these cases I'm of the opinion it is not the 5yr olds faults but the townie chav social workers wet dream that spawned it.

In actual fact it pisses me off no end. I really hope our new indoor (http://www.urbanextre.me/) isn't like this.

Edited August 18, 2014 by CC12345678910

[tdubz]

I dont really ride skateparks often enough to be a model etiquette follower but if I cut somebody up I make sure I apologise straight away even if I am not 100% in the wrong. I find that loosing my temper with the scooter kids etc just puts me in a bad mood for my ride and when that happens I may as well load the car back up and go home.

That being said if a kid is being un courteous and then loud mouthed about a near miss or collision I tend to find a look or a "you need to be careful else you are going to cause s crash" seems to do the trick. If you show that you are wound up for some kids that then engages them in a gamevof wind that bloke up.

Thats my experiences anyway both indoor outdoor on my bmx but by no means are they the right answer.

[aaccJosh]

I'm a skatepark dweller and I agree with everything else here too - seems mainly to be aware of your surroundings - but this last is it if you mess someone up, even by rolling parallel to or whatever, go talk to them, shout it out, apologize somehow.