ALMOST everywhere
go, I see those awful
“No skateboarding”
signs with the little
“ald school” skater guy
with a big line going
through the side of his
bedy.

Or those big and bold
“NO SKATEBOARDING
ALLOWED” signs posted in
virtually every parking fot. I
think those signs might as
well say ‘NO FUN
ALLOWED.” °

Many a time have I over-
heard little old ladies on the
bus whispering not so quiet-

ly (so their hearing impaired :

ccomrides can hear) about
those “‘hoodlum.vandal”
skatebrurders giving each
other AIDS. Well, sorry to
be the:ane to break it to you
gals, but.the vast majority of

: us are, definiiely not like
that.

“Skateboarders are nice
guys. They love their grand-
mas just like everyone else,”
says Mike Rogerson age 18.

“When peopie don’t
understand you, they'll treat
you differently,” adds John
Rusia, age 19.

Yeah, I know there hap-
pens to be a few bad-seed
kids who skateboard, but

NEWS photo Brad Ledwidge

YOUTH Views contributor Jennifer Ramay writes that

skatedoarders like the rad rider above get a bum rap —

when they are labeied troublo-makers.

most other kids who skate
are just bored kids trying to.
have a good time. I mean it’s
not like we are going out
and beating up old people
and young kids for their
money. That’s ridiculous. i
don’t think people realize

_ that We too can be good

kids, as well as responsible
human beings, not just some

‘punks riding a piece of ply-

wood on wheels.

A friend of mine, skate-
boarder Dylan Baker, age
18, told me this story. “I was
downtown one day in
Chinatown, coming from
Foo's Restaurant. I had my
skateboard with me. I acci-
dentally brushed up against
this Asian woman. With a
frightened look on her face,
she grabbed her purse and

re

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ran across the street.”

To most people who
skate, it is a sport that is
physically challenging and
demands a strong mental
focus, Also, il's a great way
lo get from point A to point
B if you are too young to
drive or don't have that great
privilege of borrowing Dad's
Volvo station wagon. It is
really fun and a good way to
relieve the stresses of every~
day life.

It is really narrow-minded
how some peuple prejudge
us because of our preference
of recreational activities

“Lam treated as less than
human when i have my
board with me,” explains
Chris Dircks, age 19, skate-
boarder and founding mem-
ber of the Vancouver
Skateboarding Association.
“The difference is amazing. !
don’t see why roller blading
is legal and skateboarding
on any public street is not.”

I met a nice elderly
woman on my way home
and § asked her what she
thought of skaters,

“You know, it’s true
teenagers haven't got a lot to
do," says Erma Delwecnie,
age 67, “It’s not like the old
days. It just isn't safe any-
more. I say if kids like to
skateboard, it’s fine by me.
Skateboarding is pood exer-
cise for those young’ns.”
(Yes folks she actually did
say young’ns.)

“They need something

better to do rather than break ,

into my house,” she pointed
out.

{t really takes a lot of
time, effort, and hard work
to learn those “neato mos-
quito” tricks. When [ show
my grandpa the stuff I can

[

do, he thinks it’s cool. !
know it’s because he knows
me and doesn’t think I'ma
punk.

I think if other people
just gave us the chance,

somehow underneath the
tough attitude and all those
big baggy clothes, they
could find some really nice
kids.

Jennifer Ramey is a
Grade 12 Carson Graham
student enrolled in Vidéo
Production 12 at Leo’

Marshall Curriculum Centre,

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