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Important Notice to Riders by Erik Overland:
I wanted to skate the Maryhill Loops Road, a legendary road I have heard referred to on internet sites as the perfect skateboard destination. Its incline and terrain is near legendary and draws skaters from around the world. This July a friend and I shuttled to the top and began our trek to the skateable section below. We were then stopped by Mr. Zane Kerns. Kerns told us we were on his property and asked us to leave. We then took an alternate path thinking we were in the clear and skated the hill. The path however was not alternate enough. We still crossed part of Mr. Kerns property and at the bottom we were arrested by a local sheriff and charged with Criminal Trespass 2, an offense punishable by a $1,000 fine and up to 90 days in jail. This very quickly became the most expensive day of skating I had ever experienced. It involved court appearances, fines, and missed work, not to mention the possible jail time.
At first I was angry over the fiasco, but after looking around I now understand Mr. Kerns viewpoint. First of all, property owners worry about the liability if someone falls and is injured on their property due to a hazard and they do not want a lawsuit. I don’t believe any true skater would sue for a fall. But the court system is littered with frivolous lawsuits, so I can’t blame him for being concerned. This isn’t the only reason having skaters around has become unappealing however. When skateboarders cross property they tend to leave harsh marks. We wear trails into the land that can lead to erosion problems. If we cross fences they can stretch and break, which cause livestock to get out, or allow unwanted animals in. However the most obnoxious reminder that skaters had been there included the litter; empty cans and bottles from beer, Red Bull and pop, as well as paper and much more. Some may say that isn’t all from skaters but if you look at the old slide pucks, duct tape, the numerous skate stickers mixed with it, and other skating paraphernalia, the skaters have not represented their community well.
I don’t think that the majority of skaters want to offend anyone. It is only a few that exhibit offensive behavior. As a skateboarding community we must remember to behave in a responsible fashion, mindful of our sport’s impact on our surroundings. We can do this by respecting personal property rights. We must be respectful of fences and borders, obtaining permission to cross either. If it means you can’t shuttle to the top of Maryhill Road then walk. If an area is posted no skateboarding, then don’t. Wherever you skate try to keep it clean and free from marks and litter. If we can do this, not only can we keep places open for us to skate, perhaps we can open up more legendary areas to skating and help our sport to grow. |
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