To those who love it, skateboarding is a pastime, a spectator sport, a daily commute and a passion.
“Like boarders to snow,” sophomore Evan Goulette said, “anywhere that is pavement is game.”
But to University officials and the Department of Public Safety, the performance and recreation art can be more like a potential safety hazard and a nuisance when it comes to skating on a crowded campus. And while it’s hard to let go of the stereotypical relationship between boarders and administrators, most skaters are understanding of community concerns.
“We’re trying to get (skaters) to cooperate instead of resorting to enforcement,” DPS Associate Director Tom Hicks said.
According to the Oregon Administrative Rules provided by DPS, there are several finable violations related to skateboarding and on campus “stunting.” Failure to yield to a pedestrian is a $25 fine, failure to dismount and walk — including along the EMU breezeway — warrants a $10 fine and skating in a building or structure is a $25 fine. Acrobatic, or “stunt,” skating guarantees the largest fine on campus — $30. Hicks said the majority of skaters are not fined, but he added that difficult cases could result in a confiscated board held at a $10 bail.
“I didn’t even know DPS cared,” sophomore L.J. Groth said.
Groth skates to class any day it’s not wet and tries to visit local skate parks up to five days a week. For safety reasons, DPS officers advise students to wear helmets, pads and reflective clothing when skateboarding, but Groth and Goulette said the majority don’t wear any gear.
“I’ll wear a helmet when I’m at a park,” Goulette added. “That’s saved me before.”
Keeping wheels in good shape and bearings free of grit are also important to safety, yet some feel it isn’t just equipment but conduct that’s important.
“Our objective is to be safe as well as welcome alternative forms of transportation,” Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students Anne Leavitt said. “We have a very densely populated campus at this point, and we are oriented toward safety on campus for pedestrians, bikers, drivers and skaters.”
Goulette and Groth agreed that skating on campus during the final 10 minutes of the hour — when most students are bustling to class — isn’t the best idea.
“If there are ungodly amounts of people, I’ll sit down for a second until things clear up,” Goulette said.
Hicks said a main concern is the damage stunt skating causes on campus, namely the stripped concrete edges in the EMU Amphitheater and the roughened brick wall edges leading up to the Knight Law School.
“We’ve seen some serious accidents with bicyclists,” he said, “but skateboarders are causing property damage.”
In their defense, Goulette and Groth said it actually isn’t the skaters who take chunks out of campus pavement and brick — it’s the BMX bikers who grind away.
“When bikes grind on ledges, it’s much worse,” Goulette said.
Groth even suggested “coping” — a metal edge — be attached to the damaged peripheries, much like at local skate parks.
But Leavitt, understanding of skaters’ passion for the sport, said she still thinks the activity is more appropriate at designated off-campus locations.
“These different and specialized forms of recreation need specialized venues,” Leavitt said, advocating the use of local skate parks.