The Crime of Skating

For as long as I can remember the common perception of skateboarders has been that they are a bunch of hoodie wearing, pot smoking vandals, hell bent on the destruction of all road infrastructure. It seems (especially in traffic cop circles) that this belief reigns unchallenged. But as the skating scene continues to grow, and who in Stellenbosch can refute that it is growing, now is surely the time to start changing perceptions.

I never really skated as a teenager, so I missed the whole late 90’s early 00’s street skating as a punk movement bit, but in 2011, while living up in the Rozendal area, I decided to get a longboard for commuting and I've never looked back. Despite shedding square meters of skin on the tarmac of Stellenbosch I've grown to love longboarding. I don’t just use my board for commuting; I also participate in a scene known as free-riding, which is essentially going down steep hills and sliding the board to arrest the descent. But there is so much more to longboarding than that.

Now I’ve yet to be harassed by the police or traffic officers for skating but yesterday afternoon a few of my friends were and that got me thinking. As far as I could discover in my research skateboarding is only prohibited by municipal by-law, but the law prohibits the riding of a skateboard on any public road. So by that rule skateboarding is a crime. And as a usually law abiding citizen I take offence at my sport being labelled a crime.

So what can skaters do? Well individually we can’t get the by-law changed, but with a concerted effort we can. But that should at this point, be a more mid-term goal. First we need to convince the general public that skateboarders aren't vandals who thrive on destroying public property. If you are a skater the future of our sport is in your hands, so be respectful of private property when skating. Exercise caution, the fastest way a spot gets blown is when someone gets seriously injured, so always wear protection. And finally be friendly and approachable when people ask you about skating talk to them, convey your passion. I've had conversations about skating with the widest range of people from little kids in Idas to retired engineers in Uniepark. When you talk to people they draw a human connection between to the sport and are less likely react negatively to your presence.

The fine dished out to a longboarder yesterday -
R60 first offence, R1 500 for the second offence

Over the last few months I've seen heartening signs that the public perception of skating is changing. I've seen mothers buying their primary school kids longboards and I've seen more and more girls skating. The scene needs to expand to win over the naysayers, but new skaters have to keep up the good fight.

As for the cops, the most constructive advice is to be polite and if at all possible record the exchange, just in case things end up going wrong. If they get agro, I’m very tempted to say if they treat me like a criminal I’ll act like a criminal and flee the scene. But that's up to you.


For more articles on Skating in Stellenbosch check out PFR's website or read Fear and Loathing in the Suburbs on the Maties Surfing Blog.