San Diego Recommends Manned Skate Board Park

By Linda Karn

San Diego City Parks and Recreation has four skateboard parks.
Robb Field Skateboard Park opened six years ago as part of a whole recreational park. The skateboard park is 40,000 square feet with transitional, bank and street designs.

The rails and steps represent the street environment of skating. Roger Hughes, director, offered insight and some recommendations to the Speedway Park Board. He recommended that the park be "manned" and fenced high enough to keep skaters out after hours. Hughes said BMX bikers are not permitted because skateboarding and bikes don't mix. However, roller bladders are permitted to use the facility.
Usually 20 to 30 skaters occupy the facility. The facility does have a maximum capacity limit of 70 skaters. Beyond that number, a red flag is raised to indicate it is closed to new admissions.

He noted lessons are given and helmets and pads are provided, but not the skateboards. He said there is no arguing that helmets must be worn.
There is a $5.00 fee to skate all day or a $30 pass for 3 months. He noted that parents know their children are safe in the supervised area. The park collects about $45,000 to $60,000 a year from fees. The facility also offers skateboard camps that generate additional revenues. He said the skateboard parks have grown in popularity across California once the state passed the assumption of risk law that makes the state immune from litigation due to injury involving sports. The law basically states the participant is aware that injury could result by engaging in the sports activity.
This legislation opened the door to building skateboard parks across the state. He also noted the city passed an ordinance requiring skateboarders to wear helmets and padding at the parks.

Indiana State Representative Phil Hinkle said that Indiana does not have an assumption of risk law, and maybe it was time to look into creating a piece of legislation so that youth can have safe places to skateboard.

Gabe Ryan, staff member, said it is not a matter of if but a matter of when a child will be hurt in the facility. May of the skateboarders like finding a new edge of skill that always involves a risk of falling.

Ryan noted a correlation that since the park has opened no child has been struck by a car skating on the street. Prior to that, two children were killed skateboarding in the street. Ryan contends the skateboarders want to skate in a facility free from cars.
It was not only dangerous to skate on the hills, but skateboarders were also developing a negative image. Merchants were becoming annoyed with them jumping the curbs at their local businesses, interferring with shoppers trying to have access to the sidewalks.
The skateboard park has improved the image of skateboarders in the city because they are not disrupting businesses.

Ryan showed a photo taken on opening day that showed kids lined up outside the facility waiting to get in the facility. Mike McIntyre, president of Site Design, designed the facility. McIntyre was a professional skateboarder.
Hughes mentioned one negative to the design that he would like to change. He cautioned Speedway to avoid this situation in its future park design. Hughes said the only draw back to the design is not all of the skateboarders are visible from the office. He often has to walk around to check on the far corners to see if everyone is OK. That makes it difficult to balance during busy times of collecting admissions.
He recommended that the entire facility be designed so staff can see all areas of the facility.