Article: Skateboarding in Winter

By Warren Toombs

Eugene’s local skaters do not let the rain stop them from doing what they love.

Winter is an unfavorable time for the skateboarding community of Eugene. With the constant rain, it is rare for the streets and parks to remain dry. Anyone who skates can attest to the fact that water and skateboards are not good friends. There are many popular skate parks in the Eugene and Springfield area that cannot be used for a significant portion of the year due to the rain. Does this mean that the skateboard community comes to a standstill during these winter months? Absolutely not. Many local skaters have found alternative ways of feeding their obsession while also remaining dry.

With the inevitability of poor weather conditions, the skateboarding community has developed creative solutions for the problem of inaccessible outdoor skate parks. For example, local skater Ben Fernyhough found a way to keep skateboarding through the winter without ever having to leave his house! He accomplished this by building a half-pipe in his garage with his roommates. Ben says, “Its great. I can skate whenever I want, regardless of the weather.” Ben and his roommates took on the project last summer and were very happy with the way it turned out, even though none of them had any experience with building something of that nature. Clearly, Ben and his roommates are very passionate about skateboarding and were not willing to let bad weather get in the way of their desire to skate. While most students living in houses use their garage for storage or other things, Ben successfully turned his garage into a friendly skateboarding environment where wet ground is never an issue.

While Ben’s creation is admirable, most local skaters lack the space and resources necessary to construct their own half-pipe. Finding good places to skate around town can prove to be more difficult for some than others, the two biggest factors being safety and the law. To say that one cannot ride their skateboard to class when the streets are wet is not entirely true. There are special wheels and other parts available at local skate shops that resist water damage and prevent rusting, so the board will stay in good shape no matter what. However, in terms of safety, the roads may not be such a good choice.

Earlier this year, a 19-year-old student and skateboarder by the name of Scott Michael Frank Svetal, was “injured in a collision with a car at Harris street and East 20^th” (Register Guard). This story, along with many others, shows the real danger behind skateboarding on the busy streets of Eugene.

Another issue that causes controversy in the skateboarding community is the law. Many schools and businesses have signs outside of their buildings that prohibit skating in the area because of issues such as property damage and liability. While sharing old skateboarding stories about him and his friends, Ben says, “Most of the time it is not a big deal if the cops show up. They just tell you to leave… However, one time a policeman gave me and my friends a trespassing ticket. That was a bummer.” It is not surprising that there is tension between the skateboarding community and the Eugene police department. While the police are simply doing their jobs, skaters are being pushed out of more and more public areas, creating the need for new places where skaters can go to escape the rain while still obeying the law.

Well, it just so happens that a new skate park is being built that will serve as the new winter home for local skaters in Eugene. The park will be set “under the Washington – Jefferson Bridge and will be over 23,000 square feet long” (SK8EUG). Basically, it is a dream come true for the skateboarding community. Finally, skaters in Eugene will have a covered area where they are welcome without breaking any laws.

The Eugene City Council gave the green light for the new park in 2012. Since then, the city of Eugene has been working closely with the skateboarding community, recruiting volunteers and organizing fundraisers to help pay for its construction. Many local restaurants and other businesses extended a helping hand once the park was approved. For example, on September 7^th 2013, “10% of gross sales at Turtle’s Bar and Grill were donated to the WJ Skate Park” (SK8EUG). For a local skater, it must be very comforting to see different parts of the community coming together in order to make this happen.

The planning for this new park has had a great influence on the skateboarding community. Needless to say, people are getting very excited for June, when the construction is said to be complete. Dylan Grytness, a local skater who has been involved in fundraising and volunteer work for the new park, says, “It has really brought the skateboarding community together in a special way. And now that the park is almost done, it feels very rewarding.” Dylan is only one of many skaters who have volunteered their time to help build and raise money for the park. Essentially, this new park will provide solutions for problems pertaining to both the skateboarding community and the community at large. Come June, skaters will always have a place to practice and show-off their skills, regardless of poor weather conditions. By building a rainproof park, the city is also giving skaters motivation to stay away from private property and pursue their extreme passion in a concentrated zone.

Our team learned a lot about the skateboarding community from doing this project. Specifically, we learned that dedicated skaters do not fear nor surrender to the poor weather conditions of Eugene’s winter months. Instead, they find creative ways to continue skating. From doing research and interviewing different members of the community, we developed great respect for the passion that many of these people share for skateboarding. It is empowering to see how far people will go to do what they love.

Sources:

“The Register-Guard.” Skateboard Crash Victim Identified. N.p., 17 Nov. 2013. Web. 01 Feb. 2014. <http://www.registerguard.com/rg/news/local/30745861-75/svetal-police-eugene-vehicle-harris.html.csp>.

“WJ Benefits at Turtle’s.” SK8EUG. N.p., 17 Sept. 2013. Web. <http://www.skateeugene.org/>.

Dylan Grytness (Q&A)

Ben Fernyhough (Q&A)