Skateboards FAQs
I heard the military has done combat training with skateboards. Is that true?
As surprising as it sounds, yes. The marines trained in a drill called Urban Warrior in 1999 that took place in Oakland, California not only with hovercraft landings, helicopters and jet flybys, machine-gun fire and flash-bang grenades but also with a few skateboards. They were ridden by armed troops in urban environments but specifically were trained for riding indoors in larger buildings such as schools to detect trip wires and draw sniper fire. The hypothesis is that they would be moving too erratically and fast to be hit by a sniper and be out of harms way if they happened to trip an explosive device. Unfortunately the skateboards proved too difficult for the military to ride with equipment and guns, and someone probably realized there are easier ways to get shot at and be blown up, but it sure could have made some interesting war movies. It may have been a joke, or a message to skaters informing them their only use is as bullet magnets, but from the pictures on the Department of Defense’s website, you can see that those soldiers weren’t just riding the boards, but also doing board slides and tail grinds, possibly under enemy fire. Although the boards are not armored they are camouflaged. The soldiers may complain, but I think it was Rumsfeld that said “You go to war with the board you have, not the board you want.”
What is the largest skateboard ramp in the world?
The biggest skateboarding ramp in the world is located in professional skater Bob Burnquist’s backyard. The top of the ramp is over 8 stories higher than the lowest point of the ramp. It starts with a 180 foot ramp that leads to a 70 foot gap over trees and brush then to another ramp that speeds the rider along to a 30 foot half pipe that propels the skater another 20 feet into the air, over 50 feet from the ground on the quarter pipe, while the highest point on the gap exceeds 100 feet. The whole set up is much longer than a football field and is one of the most dangerous ramps in the world, attempted by only the best skaters in the world. It also provides some of the maximum air time allowing skaters to perform multiple rotations and flips with ease or merely tweak a grab into oblivion. The gap is protected by the same netting used by acrobats and has been tested many times. It doesn’t make this ramp safe, but decidedly less fatal.
Is there any skate park etiquette?
Skate part etiquette is the same as having etiquette and respect for others everywhere. Everyone should be honest about their skills and humble about them as well. Never act like you own the place even if you are the most skilled. I might considered myself a skilled cook, but I’m not going to tell a cook in a restaurant I’m eating at how to do his job even if I could do it better. Respect other people, and their stuff while still keeping an eye on your own possessions. Some people are thieves, it doesn’t matter if you are in the skate park or on the street. Wearing protective gear is important, and can save a lot of doctor’s visits when used correctly. Always watch out for other skaters and be courteous to them as well. I can’t stress this part enough, I’ve seen more collisions that could have been prevented than I’d like to mention. Always get back right after you fall. Sure it hurts, but others still want to ride and you have a reputation to uphold. Knowing when to go to the park is important too. After schools get out they are often crowded with foul-mouthed kids and all their friends. Fun for some, not for others. I prefer early mornings, it is still cool and there is almost no one there, giving me free-reign over the whole park.
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