Skating in the hood

[Tarela]

I'm from SIlver Spring, MD which is basically northern Washington DC and now it's super gentrified, but back in the 90s it had some hood elements in the downtown part of town.  I never really had anything happen to me, but I've seen a whole bunch of gnarly shit happen just because it's the area.  There used to be a skatepark right behind the City Place mall and I saw a dude back out of his parking spot and hit a dude on his bike and he just got out of the car and shot the guy.  That was pretty crazy.  We used to walk through the mall sometimes to get drinks and this one time a dude had smashed the glass front out of a Foot Locker and he had this huge shard of glass sticking out of his neck and an armful of shoes and he was just screaming.  The cops were there too, and we got ushered away so we didn't get to see what happened.  There was an empty lot across the street from the skatepark and it was pretty common to see dudes getting blowjobs or just passed out in the grass or whatever.

Shit used to go down with the homeless lurkers at MLK plaza too.  Nothing bad, they'd just always wanna hang out and be crazy, and to be honest, they had every right to be there that we did, but yeah, it was pretty common to see dudes smoking crack or whatever.  We saw this one dude just full on fuck this cracked out chick behind a planter.  That's burned into my brain.

I used to live in this really sketchy part of Little Rock, AR and I had a dude pull a gun on me at a bus stop for my skateboard.  Fuck that, he can have the shit.  After that though, my house got robbed and all my neighbors showed up and were really cool about everything.  One dude beat the shit out of another dude who was lurking around my basement and shit because he looked like he was trying to break in.

If you're respectful and don't act like you're afraid, skating in sketchier spots is usually alright and like others are saying, people are usually pretty hyped on seeing you skate.

Yo that's were i stay when i go skate DC! it is gentrified but that homeless shelter by the tracks look insane..people still do crazy shit an get bagged by cops that hasn't changed..Half of that place is stuck up Half hood....

Im going back to skatin the hood only cops have been on a mission to bag dudes and ticket everyone, shit sucks i'd rather skate some broke down neighborhood where the cops got better shit to deal with.

[BIGFLIPSALLDAY]

There's always some crazy shit goin down at the chico skatepark.

[Tufty]

 Ι went in Athens,Greece last year for skating and some demonstrations. Things in the center there are very sketchy. People shootin heroin in the streets and not giving a fuck, beat down foreigners from fascists, riots and full on street fights with the cops. However the thing that blew my mind is that inside an abandoned car some junkie whore and some sketchy dude were fuckin while there where 30 people in the bus station right next to the abandoned car. I went by and i so a man's ass going up and down and i said to my friends "What the fuck?" the car was trembling and if there werent cars passing by you could here the sex sounds (screams, breaths and squeeky sounds). After half an hour the whore went in the appartment right behind the car and the man just sit in the car to get his head straight and left like nothing happened he was dragged out too.


 There is also a law that police cant enter the campus in the center so the drug dealing is done there. The students and guards dont let the junks in the campus but there is a street between 2 campus that is also consider campus area and police cant go there so there are about 100 junks there in the street drug dealing shootin heroin and its like an apocalypse scene like 100 zombies walking by in your hood.

[Fenzadill]

Some of Miami's most well-known spots are in the ghetto, but yeah: don't act scared, be respectful, don't be a target, roll with a crew, leave before dark, and gauge your surroundings before you take out a camera. 

Buying drugs on the street is good practice.

[Christopher Lambe]

be humble ,before u r humbled .
what happened to Jeremy Rogers , I read Kalis saying something about him being n idiot in the wrong part of town ?

[HATE!]

I'm from SIlver Spring, MD which is basically northern Washington DC and now it's super gentrified, but back in the 90s it had some hood elements in the downtown part of town.  I never really had anything happen to me, but I've seen a whole bunch of gnarly shit happen just because it's the area.  There used to be a skatepark right behind the City Place mall and I saw a dude back out of his parking spot and hit a dude on his bike and he just got out of the car and shot the guy.  That was pretty crazy.  We used to walk through the mall sometimes to get drinks and this one time a dude had smashed the glass front out of a Foot Locker and he had this huge shard of glass sticking out of his neck and an armful of shoes and he was just screaming.  The cops were there too, and we got ushered away so we didn't get to see what happened.  There was an empty lot across the street from the skatepark and it was pretty common to see dudes getting blowjobs or just passed out in the grass or whatever.

Shit used to go down with the homeless lurkers at MLK plaza too.  Nothing bad, they'd just always wanna hang out and be crazy, and to be honest, they had every right to be there that we did, but yeah, it was pretty common to see dudes smoking crack or whatever.  We saw this one dude just full on fuck this cracked out chick behind a planter.  That's burned into my brain.

I used to live in this really sketchy part of Little Rock, AR and I had a dude pull a gun on me at a bus stop for my skateboard.  Fuck that, he can have the shit.  After that though, my house got robbed and all my neighbors showed up and were really cool about everything.  One dude beat the shit out of another dude who was lurking around my basement and shit because he looked like he was trying to break in.

If you're respectful and don't act like you're afraid, skating in sketchier spots is usually alright and like others are saying, people are usually pretty hyped on seeing you skate.

Yo that's were i stay when i go skate DC! it is gentrified but that homeless shelter by the tracks look insane..people still do crazy shit an get bagged by cops that hasn't changed..Half of that place is stuck up Half hood....

Im going back to skatin the hood only cops have been on a mission to bag dudes and ticket everyone, shit sucks i'd rather skate some broke down neighborhood where the cops got better shit to deal with.

I just noticed your name- I think you and I have some mutual friends on FB and I've seen you post.  Do you know Jimmy Pelletier and Tai Johnson?

[myles.]

never really been in a bad situation. always the occasional homeless dude/thugs coming over to watch us skate/talk to us, which i don't mind. ive met some homeless dudes that were rad as fuck and just chilled with us the whole time we were skating. idk what it is but thats true that they really do enjoy seeing random dudes skating

[yeahmmm]

There's always some crazy shit goin down at the chico skatepark.

chico california?  i live about 20 mins away and pretty much just stopped going there. always closed or people trying to start shit. 

[Tarela]

I'm from SIlver Spring, MD which is basically northern Washington DC and now it's super gentrified, but back in the 90s it had some hood elements in the downtown part of town.  I never really had anything happen to me, but I've seen a whole bunch of gnarly shit happen just because it's the area.  There used to be a skatepark right behind the City Place mall and I saw a dude back out of his parking spot and hit a dude on his bike and he just got out of the car and shot the guy.  That was pretty crazy.  We used to walk through the mall sometimes to get drinks and this one time a dude had smashed the glass front out of a Foot Locker and he had this huge shard of glass sticking out of his neck and an armful of shoes and he was just screaming.  The cops were there too, and we got ushered away so we didn't get to see what happened.  There was an empty lot across the street from the skatepark and it was pretty common to see dudes getting blowjobs or just passed out in the grass or whatever.

Shit used to go down with the homeless lurkers at MLK plaza too.  Nothing bad, they'd just always wanna hang out and be crazy, and to be honest, they had every right to be there that we did, but yeah, it was pretty common to see dudes smoking crack or whatever.  We saw this one dude just full on fuck this cracked out chick behind a planter.  That's burned into my brain.

I used to live in this really sketchy part of Little Rock, AR and I had a dude pull a gun on me at a bus stop for my skateboard.  Fuck that, he can have the shit.  After that though, my house got robbed and all my neighbors showed up and were really cool about everything.  One dude beat the shit out of another dude who was lurking around my basement and shit because he looked like he was trying to break in.

If you're respectful and don't act like you're afraid, skating in sketchier spots is usually alright and like others are saying, people are usually pretty hyped on seeing you skate.

Yo that's were i stay when i go skate DC! it is gentrified but that homeless shelter by the tracks look insane..people still do crazy shit an get bagged by cops that hasn't changed..Half of that place is stuck up Half hood....

Im going back to skatin the hood only cops have been on a mission to bag dudes and ticket everyone, shit sucks i'd rather skate some broke down neighborhood where the cops got better shit to deal with.

I just noticed your name- I think you and I have some mutual friends on FB and I've seen you post.  Do you know Jimmy Pelletier and Tai Johnson?

Yea i know Jimmy i met him a few years back the first time i went to DC skating Pulaski dope dude, i don't think i know Tai..

[BIGFLIPSALLDAY]

yeah its chico california. yeah the cops roll by like every 5 minutes now and sometimes just post across the street now cause theres just hella drugs and alcohol all day and theres alot of dumbass people that dont even skate fighting and starting shit all the time. where do you live?

[maurice]

I spent a month in Rio some time ago and used to go to this raggedy skatepark on Flamengo beach, I stayed kinda close. Its not considered hood, and in Rio you are actually safer in the favelas if you know how to behave, the gangbosses wants order in their streets and their control is total. Anyways, the first time there I was the only one skating and there were these lurkers walking around and eyeballing me. I was getting real nervous and was about to leave when a crew of 5 skaters arrived. They immedeately befriended me, guess they were stoked a superpale swede was skating their park. I dont speak any portugese but one of them spoke good enough english to let me now I was stupid to skate there alone and pointed at the characters hanging around in the proximities. They put their gear at a certain spot, and they all wanted to play SKATE with me. Suddenly a few of them just darted off in the same direction, I didnt understand shit but saw them chasing this guy who apparently snatched a backpack. The guys overtook him and beat him up pretty fiercely and got back acting as nothing special happened, business as usual. These two homeless kids not older than 10, showed up after a while and was assigned to guard the gear in exchange for some change.. Even thou nothing happened to me it was a humbling experience, the shit people have to deal with everyday is crazy.

[yeahmmm]

yeah its chico california. yeah the cops roll by like every 5 minutes now and sometimes just post across the street now cause theres just hella drugs and alcohol all day and theres alot of dumbass people that dont even skate fighting and starting shit all the time. where do you live?

yeah thats a huge problem there.  I live in paradise. moved here about a year ago from the bay area.

[lampshade]

I spent a month in Rio some time ago and used to go to this raggedy skatepark on Flamengo beach, I stayed kinda close. Its not considered hood, and in Rio you are actually safer in the favelas if you know how to behave, the gangbosses wants order in their streets and their control is total. Anyways, the first time there I was the only one skating and there were these lurkers walking around and eyeballing me. I was getting real nervous and was about to leave when a crew of 5 skaters arrived. They immedeately befriended me, guess they were stoked a superpale swede was skating their park. I dont speak any portugese but one of them spoke good enough english to let me now I was stupid to skate there alone and pointed at the characters hanging around in the proximities. They put their gear at a certain spot, and they all wanted to play SKATE with me. Suddenly a few of them just darted off in the same direction, I didnt understand shit but saw them chasing this guy who apparently snatched a backpack. The guys overtook him and beat him up pretty fiercely and got back acting as nothing special happened, business as usual. These two homeless kids not older than 10, showed up after a while and was assigned to guard the gear in exchange for some change.. Even thou nothing happened to me it was a humbling experience, the shit people have to deal with everyday is crazy.

Brasil's crazy.  Non-skating story, but last year my wife and I were in Salvador and went to a gas station to buy some drinks.  We came out and there was a gang of about 15 kids (ages 10-14) who just started grabbing our clothes and trying to get into our pockets.  They were trying to pull my wife's bag off her shoulder.  This was the middle of the day.  It was weird because I felt like I couldn't really punch a little kid in the face or anything.   Finally some guy getting gas screamed at them in Portuguese and they ran away. 

[S.]

I stayed in Bogot?, Colombia for 2 months a few years ago. One of the skateparks/bowl is in a really a really bad neighborhood called el guavio, it is actually more of a slum than a ghetto neighborhood. The crazy thing is that it is only about a mile up the hill from the presidential palace. I really wanted to go skate that bowl because it looked real sick on photos so I went with a colombian buddy on Sunday morning at 9 o'clock, which is pretty much the only time any skaters go there. After skating there for awhile I noticed two drugged up looking guys getting into a scrambel one pushing the other down and stabbing real hard into his back multiple times. When the guy managed to get up he didn't even seem to notice that he was bleeding all over. He tried to push the other guy and then ran away. There were other people arround who witnissed the situation. After a very short shock people just continued what they were doing. We kept skating for a bit. I took some photos and got the hell out of there. I love travelling in Colombia. I have been there twice for 3 months. Nothing bad has ever happend to me there personally, but I have witnissed some fucked up shit.
They tend to build the best skateparks in sketchy places there in Colombia as they do alot all over the world I guess, because it is cheaper. One of the best dudes I ever met, who I skated with a bunch when I was in Bogot? was shot dead in a skatepark in Buccaramanga, Colombia only two weeks ago. Just randomly by dudes who robbed him.

 

[needlejuice]

i doubt any of you slappers will ever come here cuz your average slap poster is not important but if your ever come to the Tampa contests AM or Pro don't go to Lake Vista skatepark in st. pete

if you do dont go after dark,

seen kids get beat up there a few times, heard about kids getting their shit jacked from phones/money to VX cameras and their car.

also street skating in certain places in tampa could catch you like that, just go before all the gangsters wake up or roll deep. all the best spots to skate in tampa are hood as fuck so gotta do what u gotta do.


here the best tip for you shit heads that know a spot to skate super ghetto wherever you are in the states, Skate their in the morning! Real gangsta ninjas dont wake up till like 1 or 2 in the afternoon

damn u must not be familiar with the project or real hood areas because anyone knows dope dealer/junkies all wake up at the crack of dawn and get movin early...i have a lot of friends who are involved in this scene and early in the morning is when things are crackin the hardest

[BIGFLIPSALLDAY]

what you live in paradise?  Shit, i probably know you, that's where i live. Whats your name?

[Pike St]

The shit I've read about cali blows my mind. Skating in the hood sucks. If you purposely went there to add some type of fake atmosphere to your video thats pretty lame. Skate where ever. Ghetto ass skateparks in washington are pretty dope, it's the ones with the juggalos that suck.

[augustmoon]

i don't think anyone one is skating in the hood to provide "atmosphere"...its just that a lot of time the best spots happen to be in the hood.

[HATE!]

i don't think anyone one is skating in the hood to provide "atmosphere"...its just that a lot of time the best spots happen to be in the hood.

Plus you can often skate there with little to no hassle from cops.

[Pike St]

i don't think anyone one is skating in the hood to provide "atmosphere"...its just that a lot of time the best spots happen to be in the hood.

Plus you can often skate there with little to no hassle from cops.

I agree with you guys about good spots, sorry my post was a little misleading. But I have to reiterate really really hooded spots suck. If it means we gotta go to the hood and pick up some weed, and do some errand for and hour, I'm over it. If we want to go to some "spot" in a shitty part of town just to film at it and have to deal with a bunch of bullshit, I'm over it. Especially with the recession it seems rather stupid.

Now I was blown away hearing about these spots in cali that real life gang banging and gnarlyness going down is crazy as fuck. I was shocked to hear that, it sounds like it was a frightening place to skate at.

The definition of hood has probably changed over the years, which probably implies a spot with rough ground nowadays or drug dealers, but to me implies gravel roads, and nowhere to really roll around, and people to rob you as soon as you make eye contact. Scary shit. Dudes minding their business making their skrill probably aren't going to fuck with you, but isn't that in most places when you're out street skating? I guess if you're a pro skater going to the "hood" to stack a clip is worth it, but most people it seems like kook shit. You gotta buy your skateboard online or at a skateshop, right? The hood doesn't have skate shops or internet cafes.

Unless you can get away with skating in the hood, then more power to you. I am not calling Barcelona hooded, but the fact that Daewon doesn't fly over there to skate a curb is the same argument why you don't have to go the hood to skate something. But we all have our different viewpoints of what a hood is. The last thing I want to hear about is some suburban kids going to a violent neighborhood to film a lipslide and get jacked or assaulted. It would suck for them, but they were kind of asking for it. Maybe that has happened to some of you. Pro skaters are a different because that is their income, I remember reading about the eS team getting shot at in Peru a number of years ago.

edit: this is a really stupid post, and I've read the posts and you guys do use good judgment. Don't listen to me. Go skate in the hood.

[ice nine]

R u high?that was such a terrible post, wow.

U BANG*?

[Pike St]

Whatever man. The fact that people label it as the hood, are creating an atmosphere, and not so much for the spot.

[Borthas]

i doubt any of you slappers will ever come here cuz your average slap poster is not important but if your ever come to the Tampa contests AM or Pro don't go to Lake Vista skatepark in st. pete

if you do dont go after dark,

seen kids get beat up there a few times, heard about kids getting their shit jacked from phones/money to VX cameras and their car.

also street skating in certain places in tampa could catch you like that, just go before all the gangsters wake up or roll deep. all the best spots to skate in tampa are hood as fuck so gotta do what u gotta do.


here the best tip for you shit heads that know a spot to skate super ghetto wherever you are in the states, Skate their in the morning! Real gangsta ninjas dont wake up till like 1 or 2 in the afternoon

damn u must not be familiar with the project or real hood areas because anyone knows dope dealer/junkies all wake up at the crack of dawn and get movin early...i have a lot of friends who are involved in this scene and early in the morning is when things are crackin the hardest

damn u must not be familiar with hood skate spots cuz shit aint on peoples crack corners and shit. i've never seen anyone awake in the hood spots around here early in the morning. Plus drug dealers dont really fuck wit skaters.

you needta stop watching movies and go out for your self and see whats up

[midwestmiddleman]

When "Skating in the hood" i take the time to teach kids kickflips that rock inch thick pink riser pads on their princess completes after i ask them to play a game of SKATE.

[tangar]

Whatever man. The fact that people label it as the hood, are creating an atmosphere, and not so much for the spot.

just focus already dude.

[planman]

Once I got mugged and these guys took my hat

[Pike St]

Whatever man. The fact that people label it as the hood, are creating an atmosphere, and not so much for the spot.

just focus already dude.

dude whatever, skating in the hood sounds so stupid. Say that out loud to your friends, "lets go skate in the hood!" hahaha. c'mon that sounds like a movie or something. They got leprechauns in the hood. Be careful.

LEPRECHAUN Back 2 Tha Hood Car Scene	Small | Large

Leprechaun in Mobile, Alabama	Small | Large

[Numeral]

I spent a month in Rio some time ago and used to go to this raggedy skatepark on Flamengo beach, I stayed kinda close. Its not considered hood, and in Rio you are actually safer in the favelas if you know how to behave, the gangbosses wants order in their streets and their control is total. Anyways, the first time there I was the only one skating and there were these lurkers walking around and eyeballing me. I was getting real nervous and was about to leave when a crew of 5 skaters arrived. They immedeately befriended me, guess they were stoked a superpale swede was skating their park. I dont speak any portugese but one of them spoke good enough english to let me now I was stupid to skate there alone and pointed at the characters hanging around in the proximities. They put their gear at a certain spot, and they all wanted to play SKATE with me. Suddenly a few of them just darted off in the same direction, I didnt understand shit but saw them chasing this guy who apparently snatched a backpack. The guys overtook him and beat him up pretty fiercely and got back acting as nothing special happened, business as usual. These two homeless kids not older than 10, showed up after a while and was assigned to guard the gear in exchange for some change.. Even thou nothing happened to me it was a humbling experience, the shit people have to deal with everyday is crazy.

Rio is amazing, most locals told me the safest place to skate was the botafogo skatepark, on the flip side the best places to get a beer are around downtown on one of the favelas (can't remember the name at the moment)

anyways I wanted to go to all the skateparks in Rio but I ended up only going to botafogo and the sul bowl which is a sketchy side of town too.

[eastenders]

never had any bad trouble in the sketchy areas. Plenty of people trying to step,spying my camera etc. always managed to talk my way outa it. Sucks when your the filmer and you gotta handle people up in ur face while if your trying a trick u can just ignore it and go get your run up.

Having said that, in nicer areas, places your not allowed to skate i've been tackled by cops, got thrown to the ground by an actual elderly man, had my board taken and have seen my friend get punched square in the face by a security guard with a 8 yr old or so daughter by his side. That's all part of the fun though right.

id put up with any amount of grief over filming a trick at a stinkin skatepark anyday..

[Zurg]

Whatever man. The fact that people label it as the hood, are creating an atmosphere, and not so much for the spot.

just focus already dude.

dude whatever, skating in the hood sounds so stupid. Say that out loud to your friends, "lets go skate in the hood!" hahaha. c'mon that sounds like a movie or something. They got leprechauns in the hood. Be careful.

i think youre the only skateboarder that doesnt understand the fun in skating new spots. people arent going to the hood to skate for the fuck of it, theyre usually going to skate something that you cant find else