Author Topic: The Wall Street Journal Reports on DC Gov Shutdown Skate Boom  (Read 4325 times)

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sluggers

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The Wall Street Journal Reports on DC Gov Shutdown Skate Boom
« on: October 07, 2013, 07:50:12 PM »
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303492504579118220560115320

WASHINGTON?On Wednesday, the day after government workers vacated federal buildings in downtown here, professional skateboarder Darren Harper got on Facebook and broadcast a message to his crew: "One positive thing about the gov't shutdown?spots at gov't buildings are now skateable!"

Where most people see ornate, neo-Classical federal buildings and sweeping stone plazas in this city, skaters see something else: opportunity, in the form of sturdy railings, low stone benches, ramps?ideal "obstacles" for skateboarding stunts. And now, after years of ducking the national park police that patrol these plazas, this week's closure of public buildings and easing of surveillance offered skaters hope of revisiting their favorite spots. It was, said one, "on."

It's not that the skaters aren't sensitive to the capital's pain. Some work for the government, or their families do. But after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, a security crackdown pushed skaters out of the Capitol area and eventually into a skate park created for them outside the federal district. And for decades, a federal ordinance has barred the sport on national park property, including trails.

"D.C. has some of the best spots architecturally for skating but also the tightest security," says Jonathan Mehring , a freelance photographer who lived and skated in the district in the early 2000s. "It's like torture for a skateboarder to be there."

In recent days, that torture has been easing up, with so many plazas empty and with the National Park Service furloughing all but essential personnel. Those left, says a park service spokesman, are focusing on safety and property. Late Thursday afternoon, a half-dozen skaters glided up to Freedom Plaza, a scarred city block of red granite and pale marble on 13th and Pennsylvania, to test the waters.

Nicknamed "Pulaski" by the skaters after the equestrian statue of Revolutionary War hero Casimir Pulaski overlooking it, the Soviet-style square is particularly tempting because the smooth architecture lends itself to skateboard tricks. The plaza is raised above street level, with broad steps and low walls on every side; it has long, low stone barriers, ramps that lead to nowhere and, for the truly acrobatic, oversize saucer-shaped metal planters to launch from.

Greasy black serpentine wheel marks, long linear gouges and hacked-off stone corners attest to decades of use by skaters and BMX bicyclists. They blame each other, and the city's hulking maintenance trucks, for chipping the marble.

If caught by the police, skaters could have their boards impounded and be given a ticket for a $50 fine. Frustrated officers have chased the skaters on motorcycles, ambushed them by arriving en masse from different directions, tackled and handcuffed them.

Some in Thursday's group have been skating here for years. A furloughed researcher with the National Institutes of Health pushed across the square, a lighted cigarette dangling from his lips. Rachel Davis , meanwhile, the only female skater there, pushed across the west side of the plaza. One skater performed a "tail slide" along a slick granite ledge, while another skated alongside, filming. A YouTube search on the terms "Pulaski skateboard DC" turns up more than 1,300 videos.

As the sunset illuminated the Capitol in the distance, more skaters trickled onto the plaza, calling out as Jimmy Pelletier rode up on his motorized bicycle. At 41, Mr. Pelletier has been skating here since the 1980s, and runs a charity, D.C. Wheels, that gives free skateboards and gear to underprivileged kids. Nearly two decades ago, he got a ticket for public skateboarding and refused to pay the fine or report to court. Consequently, "I haven't had a driver's license since 1996," he says. "I'm not gonna let them win."

Professional skateboarder Bobby Worrest was practicing a switch kickflip, rising high into the air, when a National Park Service policeman rode up on his motorcycle and stopped 5 feet away. Most of the others skated for cover among nearby landmarks, disappearing beyond the potted palms of the Willard hotel, slipping between parked cars in front of the National Theatre and making for the hedges at Pershing Park. A few, mesmerized by Mr. Worrest's tricks, didn't have time to run.

The two men sized each other up. Mr. Worrest wore a trucker cap backward, a black T-shirt and baggy black pants. The officer wore a crisp blue uniform and his helmet low across his eyes. Both had heavily tattooed forearms. "You a pro boarder?" the officer asked. "Yeah," Mr. Worrest replied. "Don't ride that thing here, man," the officer said.

Mr. Worrest called it the most chill experience he had ever had with the police. By dusk, there were three dozen skaters on the plaza.

Friday morning, a crew of professional skaters from Canada to California, sponsored by an athletic shoe company, was flipping off the walls and planters, gaining speed across an inscription from Frederick Douglass : "It is our national center. It belongs to us?." A videographer filmed them.

Mr. Harper, the skater who posted his encouragements on Facebook, and who is just back on his board after a foot injury, applauded and greeted them. The traveling professionals all knew him, but "my approach is different," he said. He stands for "the underdogs, that come from nothing." Mr. Harper, 31, grew up in one of D.C.'s toughest neighborhoods and credits skateboarding with keeping him "out of the 'hood." He has won competitions and started his own skateboard and T-shirt lines.

Flashy and athletic, he speaks regularly to D.C. school kids, showing them there is another way to live well besides dealing drugs. "We skate the court buildings a lot, we skate Archives and the Welfare" Mr. Harper says, meaning the National Archives and the Health and Human Services headquarters.

So what would happen, he is asked, if the shutdown causes the police to stop chasing the skateboarders altogether? Mr. Harper smiled broadly, then shook his head. "That thrill is always good," he said.

left knee cap

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Re: The Wall Street Journal Reports on DC Gov Shutdown Skate Boom
« Reply #1 on: October 07, 2013, 08:37:05 PM »
Awesome that people are taking advantage of this.

In addition, the writing of this article is pretty laughable.


crobar

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Re: The Wall Street Journal Reports on DC Gov Shutdown Skate Boom
« Reply #2 on: October 07, 2013, 08:38:14 PM »
COOL but it would have been cooler to not tell everyone and their canadian athletic shoe team about the spot. whateves d harper is da man

tidwid

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Re: The Wall Street Journal Reports on DC Gov Shutdown Skate Boom
« Reply #3 on: October 07, 2013, 08:59:59 PM »
I wonder how high in the air Mr. Worrest's switch kickflip really rose. I'm imagining well high, so that he had to use his baggy pants as a parachute.

SEAN PABLO

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Re: The Wall Street Journal Reports on DC Gov Shutdown Skate Boom
« Reply #4 on: October 07, 2013, 10:53:48 PM »
GOOD

Probably A Robot

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Re: The Wall Street Journal Reports on DC Gov Shutdown Skate Boom
« Reply #5 on: October 07, 2013, 11:08:14 PM »
I wonder how high in the air Mr. Worrest's switch kickflip really rose. I'm imagining well high, so that he had to use his baggy pants as a parachute.
"I'm regular, but I identify as switch backside."

ben shraider

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Re: The Wall Street Journal Reports on DC Gov Shutdown Skate Boom
« Reply #6 on: October 08, 2013, 01:11:17 AM »
Those dumbass comments on that site are kinda funny

tom

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Re: The Wall Street Journal Reports on DC Gov Shutdown Skate Boom
« Reply #7 on: October 08, 2013, 03:47:10 AM »
COOL but it would have been cooler to not tell everyone and their canadian athletic shoe team about the spot. whateves d harper is da man
because Pulaski is such an unknown and obscure spot it has to be kept secret.
It's highly likely that one of the big three figured the shutdown would be prime time to film and sent whoever was available to go on a whim
fuck you bama

TwisT

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Re: The Wall Street Journal Reports on DC Gov Shutdown Skate Boom
« Reply #8 on: October 08, 2013, 07:34:05 AM »
that worrest sketch


The Nose Face

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Re: The Wall Street Journal Reports on DC Gov Shutdown Skate Boom
« Reply #9 on: October 08, 2013, 08:25:22 AM »
Those dumbass comments on that site are kinda funny

Holy fuck these people are annoying - some of these are great:

It's people like this we find amusing and even fascinating...until one starts selling dope, knocking up girls, and getting into fights. Then, we realize that they have to go from national memorials.

Those skateboard wheels are like hammers pounding and pounding on the edges of steps and other structures. It's very destructive.


I used to skateboard when I was a kid (I got an Alien Workshop board with neon yellow grip tape one Christmas) and back then I never understood why cops went after skateboarders.
Now, as an adult I know why. Skateboarders put wax on ledges, benches, and architecture to slide and grind on it all. Doing so literally destroys the marble/concrete/etc. You can NEVER get wax off of most of the areas where it's been applied. So I feel this article paints skateboarders as harmless when, in reality, they destroy beautiful architecture.


The Worrest sketch is awesome though...glad this shit riles people up about destroying the property. Like anyone really gives a fuck - people just want to complain.

Oprah Winfrey

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Re: The Wall Street Journal Reports on DC Gov Shutdown Skate Boom
« Reply #10 on: October 08, 2013, 08:46:25 AM »
Mar, you couldn't be more right. The total disregard of skateboarders for anyone but their immediate pleasure is juvenile and/or repulsive. About the only way they get criticized is if they hit a dog. Run over an old lady, no big deal. Mangle her poodle and then there is a problem. Skateboarders are perfect examples of a cancerous irresponsibility degrading the public square. "Just do it" syndrome.

yep yep

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Re: The Wall Street Journal Reports on DC Gov Shutdown Skate Boom
« Reply #11 on: October 08, 2013, 08:47:07 AM »
COOL but it would have been cooler to not tell everyone and their canadian athletic shoe team about the spot. whateves d harper is da man

Miguelito

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Re: The Wall Street Journal Reports on DC Gov Shutdown Skate Boom
« Reply #12 on: October 08, 2013, 08:50:36 AM »
 I definitely didn't expect the Wall Street Journal to be Darren Harper's first coverage in years.

gnidraobetaks

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Re: The Wall Street Journal Reports on DC Gov Shutdown Skate Boom
« Reply #13 on: October 08, 2013, 09:57:36 AM »
Haha, this comment:

"This all sound nice and wonderful, until you have seen the damage skaters have made to the stone work"

"and until they get hurt and want to sue somebody."


we should all start taking advantage of our rights to sue people.

Gotta manscape ... it's mandatory.

ben shraider

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Re: The Wall Street Journal Reports on DC Gov Shutdown Skate Boom
« Reply #14 on: October 08, 2013, 10:48:03 AM »
Haha, this comment:

"This all sound nice and wonderful, until you have seen the damage skaters have made to the stone work"

"and until they get hurt and want to sue somebody."


we should all start taking advantage of our rights to sue people.

Would that really work?? I mean it sounds regular that somebody would even think about suing a company or the property owner when getting hurt, but could it be possible to get some money in that situation? Has anybody tried? I could see someone trying it, if they broke their scull or back or something that need a lot of expensive treatment, although it would be highly unethical.

StabMasterArson

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Re: The Wall Street Journal Reports on DC Gov Shutdown Skate Boom
« Reply #15 on: October 08, 2013, 10:51:50 AM »
They should cover Johnny Layton's massive ollie. That is still fucked.

silkyjohnson

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Re: The Wall Street Journal Reports on DC Gov Shutdown Skate Boom
« Reply #16 on: October 08, 2013, 10:59:26 AM »
They should cover Johnny Layton's massive ollie. That is still fucked.
didn't chima take him out on that one?

janky858

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Re: The Wall Street Journal Reports on DC Gov Shutdown Skate Boom
« Reply #17 on: October 08, 2013, 12:07:02 PM »
those commenters are a bunch of pussiez

joebudden

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Re: The Wall Street Journal Reports on DC Gov Shutdown Skate Boom
« Reply #18 on: October 08, 2013, 03:08:54 PM »
D STREETS NIGGA!!!

_aminal

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Re: The Wall Street Journal Reports on DC Gov Shutdown Skate Boom
« Reply #19 on: October 08, 2013, 09:21:15 PM »
that was painful to read. the comments were worse.

i really dont care if skateboarding is destructive. break shit!


Ed's impossibles are like gonzs kickflips....

ben shraider

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Re: The Wall Street Journal Reports on DC Gov Shutdown Skate Boom
« Reply #20 on: October 08, 2013, 09:47:01 PM »
The argument about having to use tax payers money to clean some ledges and occationally re-painting rails is quite dumb. Hundreds of millions of dollars of tax payer money are used annually to provide a chance for kids to play football, soccer, baseball, basketball, hockey, lacrosse, golf, etc... Why is a little scraped marble and paint such a big deal?? Skateboarding takes a small prize compared to the other sports.

tortfeasor

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Re: The Wall Street Journal Reports on DC Gov Shutdown Skate Boom
« Reply #21 on: October 08, 2013, 09:49:40 PM »
Expand Quote
Haha, this comment:

"This all sound nice and wonderful, until you have seen the damage skaters have made to the stone work"

"and until they get hurt and want to sue somebody."


we should all start taking advantage of our rights to sue people.
[close]

Would that really work?? I mean it sounds regular that somebody would even think about suing a company or the property owner when getting hurt, but could it be possible to get some money in that situation? Has anybody tried? I could see someone trying it, if they broke their scull or back or something that need a lot of expensive treatment, although it would be highly unethical.


with a bench trial in the right jurisdiction anything is possible.  


also fuck these comments.  the only people who comment under news articles are crazies with a dog in the fight.  


edit: this comment is amazing
Quote
BS! Those wheels still abrade the polished surfaces, making micro cracks which allow water penetration and subsequent fracturing.
« Last Edit: October 08, 2013, 09:54:34 PM by tortfeasor »
more heaven-cruise than hell-ride.

joebudden

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Re: The Wall Street Journal Reports on DC Gov Shutdown Skate Boom
« Reply #22 on: October 08, 2013, 09:58:43 PM »
lets just call it "urban decay"

yukaton

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qwertypoiuy

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Re: The Wall Street Journal Reports on DC Gov Shutdown Skate Boom
« Reply #24 on: October 09, 2013, 02:36:46 PM »
too bad none of this is true

J.R.

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Re: The Wall Street Journal Reports on DC Gov Shutdown Skate Boom
« Reply #25 on: October 09, 2013, 11:37:36 PM »
I was at Pulaski last weekend, all I saw was a bunch of 20 somethings that really fucking sucked at skateboarding.

silkyjohnson

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Re: The Wall Street Journal Reports on DC Gov Shutdown Skate Boom
« Reply #26 on: October 10, 2013, 03:08:25 PM »
I was at Pulaski last weekend, all I saw was a bunch of 20 somethings that really fucking sucked at skateboarding.
including yourself?

Generik

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Re: The Wall Street Journal Reports on DC Gov Shutdown Skate Boom
« Reply #27 on: October 10, 2013, 07:51:30 PM »
Is it just me, or are other skaters not feeling sensitive to the capitals pain?
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