How many kids really skate at El Paso public skateparks?
A high quality, progressive skatepark will be one of the city’s most used recreational facilities. Our attendance surveys found that Carolina Skatepark had anywhere from 50-100 users on any given night during the summer of 2007. We often found more than 15 users at Carolina Skatepark on any given Saturday or Sunday afternoon, despite 100-plus degree heat, while the adjacent basketball was completely empty. In truth, many skateboarders will always seek the glory of challenging obstacles in the streets that were never meant to be ridden – benches, stairs, ditches and empty swimming pools. Pick up any major skateboard magazine and check out what people are skating. About half the photos show various forms of “organic” street skating while the other half features skateboarding in progressive concrete skateparks. Many of these high quality skateparks now mimic skateable urban architecture in the form a street plaza designs and address the specific challenges today’s skaters are looking for.
