The Financial "Lowdown" on Street Skating

I don’t know how to “ollie”, but it’s pretty exhilarating to watch a skateboarder perform this incredible feat. During an ollie the skater and the board synchronously leap into the air, then land gracefully. Once mastered, it’s surely a sign that this pilot is moving on to bigger and better things; after all, this trick is the foundation on which many other tricks rely.

Let’s “step it up a notch.” Let’s add an obstacle to the sequence of moves, with the skater leaping over that obstacle. Yep, it’s gonna take fifty or so iterations a day—for months, before the skater gets the timing just right.

To me a grind isn’t as mysterious as an ollie, but it’s equally incredible. Basically, the skater moves along an object using the trucks of the board instead of the wheels. When done right, there’s a certain elegance to the trick: A grind can be of any length, but a long, continuous movement down a stair rail with unfettered arms gives birth to a new style of foxtrot.

Now, let’s imagine the former obstacle is an outdoor drama stage (”mushrooms”) at your local elementary school, which isn’t designed to take a beating, and the latter is a curb in front of your corner house or a stair rail at the local community park or a bench at your local elementary school. Truth be told, this street skating goes on daily in many cities without skateparks, and the City of Newark is no exception. I don’t know what it costs to repair sidewalk curbs, railings, or play structures (or civic center spots), but it can’t be cheap.

I sometimes ask myself if this advocacy is worth it—not because the kids aren’t worth it—but because I wonder if I’m taking away an unstructured play for a structured one. But, then I’m reminded that I’m a tax payer first and foremost. Aside from a real skatepark for Newark kids, my only wish is to learn how to ollie.

Angela Akridge, Executive Director

Newark Parks Foundation
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