No matter where in the world your skatepark is located, if you’re a skateboarder, you’re a part of a family of freedom seekers who foster and protect their skatepark at all costs. It’s no wonder every year thousands of people step on a board for the first time hoping to join in on the fun; however, many beginners find it difficult to navigate skatepark etiquette and culture.
Skateboarding is one of the most hermetic cultures in the world, with its own sets of lingo, fashion, and overall highly developed community, it can be rather intimidating to drop in at your local skatepark for the first time. While skateboarders are some of the most supportive and inclusive people on the planet, they are apprehensive of anyone potentially threatening their way of life. That being said, every skateboarder, pro or not, was a beginner at some point. Someone showed them the ropes and every one of them has or had a local skatepark to nurture their passion. With a little help from our guide, you’re already on your way.
At Dew Tour, we wanted to create a guide for people who want to start skating or have found it difficult to overcome the intimidation of a skatepark. It’s not always easy to know how to get started or more importantly, where, but the prospect of more people falling in love with skateboarding is just one of the many reasons we established Dew Tour in the first place. So without further ado, here’s our Dew Tour Beginner’s Guide to the Skatepark.
When in doubt, skate!
This might sound overly obvious but this simple truth is undeniably profound. Many beginners when first going to a skatepark find themselves intimidated to the point of hardly skating or not skating at all. Skateboarders want to accept you but they have to respect you first. The worst thing you can do is give in to the intimidation and stand in a corner like a deer in the headlights. Skateboarders overwhelmingly would rather have you skating with heart and passion than tip-toeing around as a bystander. What you resist will persist, so focusing on not getting in someone’s way can actually lead to more collisions. Instead, pick one area and focus on your skating and finding a groove in the park others can observe. When one skater recognizes another sessioning on an obstacle, they will either join in on the fun or keep a step back to give you space. You’ll also learn best from doing and while you can learn a lot from watching, you won’t truly understand what it means to be a part of the skatepark until you join it. In the meantime, we’ve included tips on how to recognize when a skater is skating an obstacle and how to avoid getting in people’s way throughout this article.
Skate on the early side
We’ve all been to a crowded skatepark. It’s arguably the number one reason people are intimidated when attempting to skate in a skatepark. If you’re a beginner, the hours of sunrise to noon are generally observed for kids and beginners, especially on weekends. If you’re a working adult, weekday mornings are a great time to meet other adults who are skating before school or work. Older skaters are usually the most friendly and overall mornings mean fewer people and fewer chances of getting in someone’s way. The last hours before sunset are generally when most locals go to the skatepark. It’s where you can see some of the best skating but the expectations for maneuverability are also the highest. In the morning, less bystanders will also be present, including kids and their phone wielding parents. Pretty much every skatepark has a ‘morning crew’ and since the majority of skaters don’t skate on the early side, you have a better chance of being recognized and greeted with a hearty ‘Hey, I’ve seen you here before.” Wherever your park may be, it’s always a great rule of thumb to skate on the early side when you’re a beginner. Don’t forget your water bottle and your morning stretches!
Drop-in Culture & Waiting Your Turn
Drop-in culture and waiting your turn is probably the hardest thing for a beginning skateboarder to grasp. While there are plenty of analogies we can use to symbolize drop-in culture, it’s really as simple as driving a car on the street or walking on a sidewalk. You wouldn’t head directly into traffic or purposely bump into someone on the sidewalk. You should be cautious at a skatepark like you are on the highway, recognizing the lines, turns, obstacles that force you to stop and look both ways. The thing is, a skatepark is not as easy to understand as driving down the street. You have to allow others to show you the way. Waiting your turn allows you to watch others and discern the ‘flow’ of the park. Start by noticing where skaters are standing to begin sessioning an obstacle. When someone will be trying to perfect a trick on the same obstacle, over and over again, you’ll need to recognize when you can jump in the mix. It’s incumbent on both of you to recognize this and sometimes it’s as simple as asking: “Hey, do you mind if I skate this with you?” Other times it’s about securing your place in line as the thief, fourth or fifth person to drop in. Once you’ve found your place in line, just make sure you don’t take too long or take up consecutive runs from other people. Don’t be a ‘snake’ as skateboarders call it. Essentially, don’t cut in line or get in people’s way due to negligence.
Official versus unspoken skatepark rules
Every skatepark will generally have a sign or plaque with a set of standard rules governed by the city’s Parks and Recreation. These rules are pretty standard and should generally be followed to support a healthy skatepark environment. The irony is some of these rules won’t be followed by local skaters, like hours of operation, wearing helmets and pads, or refraining from bringing glass beverages into the skatepark. While you may follow posted rules to your discretion, every skatepark also has a set of ‘unofficial rules’ governed by the local skateboarding body. The sections in our guide surround precisely such rules.
While the city’s rules are somewhat up to interpretation, the local rules are quintessential in your acceptance into the crew. Be mindful, be vigilant. Notice how the skaters are acting, where they are sitting, if they are playing music, filming a trick, or skating a particular obstacle. Be prepared to observe and reflect so you can calculate where you might step on some toes. For instance, if the locals are playing music from a beatbox or loudspeaker, you probably shouldn’t roll up with yours or ask for the aux cord. The last thing you want to do is assume a ledge or bench is meant for sitting and accidentally block skaters from skating it. Notice where people put their things and what zones are dedicated ‘chill zones’. If you’re filming a friend or standing anywhere in the park, make sure it is not around any obstacles or potential runways. If you have to, it’s harmless to ask someone if you’re in their way. Which is what brings us to our next section.
Rules of engagement
The rules of engagement are where a lot of people can find themselves ostracized versus accepted at a skatepark. It begins with the understanding local parks are always being visited by outside skaters, so the circle of local skaters have been formed as a nucleus to the skateparks identity that pushes back or governs outside forces entering the park. So naturally, in many circumstances, you will be looked at as an outsider. But don’t be discouraged for everyone has to go through what you’re about to go through as a right of passage. It’s kinda like the new scrawny guy at the gym. If you read the group well or approach a particular amicable individual, you’ll be more than fine. However, it’s about timing and knowing when the time is right.
On your first day, you might not want to go to center stage and start introducing yourself to the core of the locals. Instead, hit the skatepark on the early side. Look for someone who is also skating alone but seems to have a grasp on the park and what it means to skate there. It’s as simple as making friends and being sincere. Show some respect and kindness and you should hopefully get some in return.
The best things take time
You won’t learn to kickflip overnight, so don’t expect to become a local or master an understanding of skatepark etiquette overnight either. Here’s the thing, locals have to see you around consistently and acting respectfully before you’re one of the crew. It takes a lot of friendly interaction and locals witnessing you skate to even get the initial ‘in, and this takes even longer if you’re a beginner. Even so, it takes time and like most things in life, the best things happen naturally. This by no means suggests you can’t take steps to expedite the process but you should expect to put in the work. Bravo to you for taking the first push in reading this article. Most skateboarders will attest it can take years to really become a local but with a little help from this guide and not so common, common sense, understanding skatepark etiquette will get you there a lot sooner. At the very least, it will help you skate better and make friends. Just be patient and remain optimistic. It’s as simple as paying your dues as you would in any sport or profession and every skater has gone through what you’re going through and that should be encouraging.
General Tips for New Skaters
Now that you have read our Beginner’s Guide to the Skatepark, you’re ready to dive deeper into skatepark etiquette. Here are some general tips for new skaters that will have you one of the local crew in no time.
- The gym analogy: Skateparks are more like gyms than a basketball court or football field. They certainly are not a daycare center or ‘playground’ even if parents think they are. The obstacles are cycled through by taking turns, some people being more talkative while others are quieter. Hopefully, everyone respects the new guy.
- Know your limits: Knowing your limits doesn’t necessarily mean skill in tricks but your ability to get out of someone’s way, of turning around corners, jumping off your board, or things of that nature required to participate in a skatepark flow.
- Pick up your trash: Sometimes common sense isn’t all that common. Trash cans are usually just a few feet away and locals will take notice if you respect or disrespect the park. Pick up your trash no matter how small.
- Slow your roll: Don’t be that new guy coming into the park firing on all cylinders. Slow your roll and take some time to follow the guide above. Practice makes perfect but proper preparation prevents poor performance.
- Use the buddy system: Skateboarding much like anything is better with friends. If you’re new to skating it can be difficult to convince a friend to cruise with but maybe you’ve gone early a few times and noticed someone around your age usually there too. Don’t be afraid to exchange Instagrams and start hitting each other up to skate. Skateboarding, after all, is all about having fun with your friends.
- Leave the headphones at home: skating with music is one of the most enjoyable things to pair with skating. However, if you’re not an experienced skater, you’re essentially blinding yourself from the sounds around you that might otherwise keep you from colliding with someone. It also blocks you off from friendly conversation. If you’re a beginner, leave the headphones at home.
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