1. Take the Skateboard Park User Survey.
2. Attend a SPI meeting.
3. Learn the facts about Skateboarding.
4. Become an informed advocate.
5. Share this page with everyone.

Thursday, May 8^th – 6 pm @ the Boys & Girls Club located at 3321 Bridges Street, Morehead City.


Exciting News as of April 11, 2008
After speaking with Deborah Pasteur, Director of the Carteret County Parks and Recreation it looks like the follow areas of the county maybe up for consideration to request for use to place a skateboard spots/park:

R     Salter Path Park – Attached is a drawing that will be used as a model for a project in 2009-10. The second attachment is the skateboard area 75X30 images. This is a very small park and this type and size equipment was the only one that would fit in that space. The equipment, concrete foundation, fencing, and landscaping will be $55,000 in today’s price.  Conclusion:  We may want to research feasibility and cost of placing a concrete structure in the area.
R     Swinson Park – a survey/topo is being conducted on the land to determine if land can be developed.  More will be know after the survey is complete.
R     Western Park – Permission will have to obtained first from the state to change the usage of this site.
R     Mariners Park in Sea Level – We will have an opportunity to be a part of a public forum to develop a Park Master Plan for where a skateboard facilities could be a part of that plan.

 Other possibilities include:
R     Dr. Barnum, Barnum’s Chiropractic has land in the western end of the county that he may consider leasing to the County for purposes of a skateboard park.
R     Glad Tidings Church in Morehead City maybe asked to consider leasing land to the County.

While the above mentioned land, are considerations much more work is going to have to be done on our part.  I have assured John Langdon, County Manager that HYHF will raise money to build these requested skate spots. 

Our next step is to develop a Master Plan which will include:  prioritization of skate spots/park, user input for proposed sites, cost projections, fund raising ideas, timelines, etc.  So this is where we need your help!  In order to start gaining some serious momentum for this initiative we will begin hosting meetings every other week.  The next meetings are scheduled for Thursday, April 24^th – 6 pm & Thursday, May 8^th – 6 pm at the Boys & Girls Club in Morehead City.

Please call or e-mail me to confirm your attendance!

10 myths about Skateboarding

Skateboarders are a vital part of our community. Please take a moment to learn more about ways skateboarding my not be what you think.

1.SKATEBOARDING IS FOR KIDS
skateboarding is extremely popular with kids, but not all skateboarders are young. skateboardings greatest heroes, like rodney mullen and tony hawk are well into their 30's. it is one of the few sports where the young and the old can share experiences and participate as equals.

2.SKATERS ARE A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF OUR COMMUNITY. skateboarding is one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S. and has surpassed baseball and football as the healthy activity of choice. There are about 13 million skateboarders in the U.S. with a 10% annual increase in participation during the previous 3 years. Skateboarding is here to stay.

3.SKATEPARKS ARE NOISY
skateparks are not loud. a properly constructed concrete skatepark generates about as much sound as a conversation between two people. wooden parks are slightly louder, but still much less than normal automobile traffic.

4.SKATEPARKS ATTRACT DELINQUINTS
any public park can attract unsavory elements, but skateparks often deter disruptive behavior and vagrancy because skaters populate the park. parks that are remote, secluded or seldom used by the community are the ones that get abused. without a skatepark in the community, skaters are forced into the streets.

5.SKATEPARKS ARE MESSY
like any athletic activity, skateboarding will generate refuse. in skateparks that benefit from strong community support such as burnside (portland, or) or ballard ( seattle, wa) most litter removal is done by the skaters themselves. professional skateparks allow the skating community to take pride in their facility.

6.SKATEPARKS ARE EXPENSIVE
a world class concrete skatepark averages $40/sq.ft. even at full capacity all day, all year, a properly built park won't show signs of overuse.  compared to the relatively limited use of a tennis court or baseball field, its an efficient and popular use of public park funding.   long term maintenance expense for a concrete skatepark is minimal.  garbage and general inspection requires only about a half-hour a day, and can easily be offset by volunteer programs, concession sales, or vending machines.

7.SKATEPARKS ARE PLAYGROUNDS
skateparks are sophisticated structures that require particular attention to detail. in order to be safe and efficient, skateparks need to be designed and built by experienced , knowledgable contractors. skateboarding is a high-energy , athletic activity and requires surfaces smoother than your average sidewalk, proper alignments, and safe traffic control.  an experienced skatepark designer should be able to address these needs directly. skateboarders themselves can usually offer testimony to the most respected skatepark designers. great skateparks are the ones that  get used and maintained by skaters.

8.CONCRETE SKATEPARKS ARE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN WOODEN OBSTACLES
the immediate cost of a concrete park is generally 20% more than wooden or steel skate obstacles. however, the maintenace and inspection costs of skateable obstacles (loosening of structures, wear and deterioration, etc.) make concrete the long-term preferred choice of city planners and skateboarders.

9.SKATEPARKS ARE DANGEROUS
Among the most popular sports, skateboarding is relatively safe. safety studies show that skateboarding related injuriesfall well below other sports related injuries.  as with any athleic activity, nobody should skate beyond their ability.

10.THERE ARE ALREADY SKATEPARKS NEARBY
many communities continue to ignore the need for a safe, accessible place that skaters of all ages can reach. though older, mobile skateboarders often travel to their favorite parks, younger skaters are frequently limited to whatever is nearby. is ther a skatepark in your community? if not, your community is the skatepark.


SKATEPARKS ARE IMPORTANT!!