Next month, get ready for Terry’s very own Flatland VooDoo Jam! Me, Kerry, Jilted and a few others went to the last one, and it kicked ass… you ca basically check out every top flatland bike head in the comfort of New Orleans… you can bet we’ll be there again this year.

Also, check this out… Terry presents the Flatland Nightclub Tour:

Terry’s sick in the head…

My friend Clarkie runs Real Skate… a skate news and skate-activism site. Clarkie knows what she’s talking about… she spent a long time in the industry, and an even longer time fighting for skateboarding in general.

…that quote is from a city councilman named Kirby Nichol in Capitola, California. Read this article, and consider how good we have it here in Hammond. Read the piece, and if you feel inclined, send and email to the councilman here: kirby@wharftowharf.com

I sent this:

Good morning, councilman Nichol!
I would like to take a moment of your time to address some comments you made, comments that have been traveling through the skateboard community via the internet and email. Before I go on, please understand that respect that everyone has their opinions, and my wish isn’t to change yours, but to relay some personal experiences that no doubt differ from yours.

The comments to which I’m addressing were found in this article: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/…
You’re quoted as saying, “I don’t like skateboarders, and I don’t like skateboard parks,” before scrapping the idea of building a public skatepark for your local youth.

As a skateboarder myself, I’m a bit alarmed that there might be an individual out there that doesn’t like me because of the athletic activity I take part in after work (I work for my state government down in Louisiana). Along with that, I hate to think that multitudes of kids might not be liked by a government official simply because they entertain themselves with a plank of wood strapped to four wheels. I don’t know if such generalizations are fitting for a councilman, but I admittedly don’t live anywhere near your area, so you may very well speak for other people in your community that also dislike children and adults that take part in what I consider the most creative extra curricular activities available to date.

I can’t make you like us, I know that. But I do wish to offer up the idea that skateboarders aren’t one particular type of person. The act of skateboarding is at an all time high, attracting kids and adults from all walks of life, with numerous interests and varied personalities. Through interaction, you may find that the only commonality shared between individual skateboarders is the fact that they simply enjoy the act of manipulating a skateboard. At least that’s my experience. According to some nationwide statistics, the number of people riding skateboards surpasses the number of people playing baseball… and I would venture to say that there’s no one way to define the character of baseball players as a whole, at least by using blanket judgments.

As well as not being able to make you like us, I’m also aware that there’s no way for me, a guy several states away, to convince you that a skatepark could be a benefit to the area you preside over. What I can say however, is that it worked wonders here in my sleepy little city of Hammond, Louisiana. With support from my mayor and our city council, my city built a skatepark in a highly trafficked downtown area… a general area that was used by skaters to practice their hobby, much to the dismay of local business owners, law enforcement, and the parents of the skaters in question (no parent likes to pick up their children from the police station for any reason). Since the construction of our park, my city’s law enforcement has noted a significant decrease in skateboarders being in places that they shouldn’t. On top of that, our local youth and adults have used the local park to such a degree that it quickly became the most used public facility in our city… so used in fact, our city council approved of additions to the park to accommodate the skateboard population of our city, as well as tourists and visitors. Our local economy has also benefited from the construction of the park, as thirsty and hungry skateboarders have been supporting local businesses by purchasing drinks and food at every store within walking distance from the facility built by our city.

Finally, I beg you to watch this short video:
http://www.smalltimeskates.com/hammond/

Our local park and skateboard scene were recently featured on television, and I think the clip does a great job at showing several positive aspects of having a skatepark to accommodate the needs of local youth and adults that take part in this activity.

I really do appreciate your time, and as I stated, there’s no way that I can change your perception of us. If anything, I hope this message serves to give you a viewpoint that you may not have considered or had the chance to hear. I can’t speak to your personal experience with skateboarding, but I can relay mine. As it stands, my city has seen the positive side of skateboarding and has enjoyed the fruits of supporting this activity that so many of us enjoy.

Sincerely,
Neal Boyd

If you do send an email, please be respectful. This guy obviously has a beef with us… be reasonable and let’s see if we can help some fellow skateboarders.

Update:

Neal.

First of all, my name is spelled “Nicol”.

Secondly, the newspaper “quote” that prompted your email was taken out of context, as a result of which I am now receiving vicious threats of bodily harm from skateboard extremists, which does not endear me to them.

Here’s what’s really going on out here on the left coast: We have 7 skateboard parks in our county. We in Capitola have, for some time, been exploring the idea of building a skateboard park for our youth. The record will show that it was, in fact , I,  who initiated the movement to build such a facility in a controversial local park, in response to the local skateboard community’s lobby, despite the fact that I, personally have had a series of bad experiences with the sport and its culture and do not embrace the demonstrated social values of activity. The skateboard park project has failed in our community due to overwhelming public opposition.

Thank you for your interest.

Kirby Nicol.

My last response:

My apologies for misspelling your name.

>Neal

In case ya missed it… Todd Taylor sent us this: