As designers of Skateparks, I feel that it is my and every park builders' obligation to build parks that matter. This means that every park, from $500,000 concrete wonders to $10,000 starter parks in small towns, every Skatepark needs to make a difference in some kids life.

That being said, I'd like to discuss the role that the Mini Ramp (mini half pipe) plays in today's skatepark world. Obviously, Municipalities are fighting an uphill battle when it comes to space, funds, insurance and maintenance budgets (but they keep building little league diamonds, discussion later) but the fact is that for $7,500 and up, with no pavement or site work (in some instances) the kids of your town can be skating.

Let's be clear on one point- a Mini is NOT two quarter pipes placed facing each other. A Mini Ramp has 'flat bottom' which connects the two ramps and is one, continuous, flowing unit with NO seems, bumps or steel plates!!!

Mini Ramps teach kids the basics of skate etiquette (when you rip, you go first, when you don't rip, you watch), teach them how to stand on a board, drop in and most importantly, how to slam. Sorry, but it's true. Learning to slam is part of skating and it's a lot less painful to slam on a nice mini than planting your forehead into the sidewalk due to a Pea-sized pebble on the sidewalk.

Now, something that bothers me to no end is a City or Town who sits back, year after year, waiting for the perfect location to become available all the while sitting on $10, 20, 50 or even $100,000!!! Do the right thing and invest that money into phase One of the skatepark and get the kids skating. A mini is just the ticket as it requires no permanent infrastructure, can be moved at any time and satisfies a huge portion of the skate populous in most areas.

Obviously building Phase One of a killer park means that you'll have to go fundraising again because the ramp will be so busy YOU'LL NEED MORE!!! With the growing numbers of young skaters, ages 5-8 in particular, it makes sense to provide these younger skaters with a consistent, safe and reliable place to skate. A Mini Ramp does just that.

'Til next time!!!

Tom and the WHo Crew

Any guess Tony Hawk's worth?
Do you know who Tony Hawk is?
Perhaps you saw him Sunday night on Oprah's new show, "The Big Give," but they didn't tell you much about him.Other than being someone familiar with Oprah, Hawk has developed more than 12 video games, has a clothing line featured at Kohl's stores, is an author and a creator of his own company, and soon is to be a creative mind in designing roller coasters for Six Flags.How did he come about all this? It started with a board with wheels on it.Skateboarding has been on the rise since the early 1990s, when Hawk burst on the national scene. And with winter nearly over and anxious skaters ready to get outdoors, the complaints about kids on skateboards are ready to return to fly recklessly into conversations in our communities.It's time again we take a deep look into the possibility of establishing a skatepark. It's been about 10 years since a group in Harrison County worked unsuccessfully on this project.The most annoying thing I hear about skateboarders is something to the effect of "punk, thrash, criminal-minded skaters are everywhere and they are a nuisance."How to solve it? Put them somewhere, and let's not wrongfully continue to call skaters a nuisance. Skaters and supporters of the skate community need to come together and make it happen. I can promise you a majority of leaders in this area — no way, shape or form — will go for it until the research is done and groups of people show they want it and why.Here is a little project for all the "we always know what's best for the youth of our community" people. Pack a little cooler of goodies and grab an umbrella to block the sun and sit at a local tennis court. There is a good chance that you'll quickly figure out there isn't much going on.The next day, take your same little get-up and head over to Louisville Extreme Park and stop at the skatepark located near downtown Slugger Field. What you will find is a community of kids, free of drugs and violence, not to mention, they are doing tricks and stunts I could never dream of pulling off. But those kids have a place to go.Hawk's history is no secret. The now multi-millionaire skateboarder was a crazy, troubled kid but a really smart one. Doctors said he was gifted mentally, so his brother handed him a skateboard. From there, the boy grew to a man who invented nearly every trick kids and professionals attempt today. Skating was an outlet for him, just as it is for many of the kids that grind the sidewalks here.Just take a look around the world and our community today. Have you noticed there's an obesity epidemic? The harsh reality is children and teens are gaining weight and sitting their butts in front of a television and video games more than we would like to admit.Skateboarding is an outlet for youth these days and it is an overall healthy lifestyle. Can't we quit profiling people by the way they dress and look along with what they like to do? Wake up, people. For once, these kids aren't involved in drugs and alcohol.According to research compiled at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, they found physically active adolescents are improving their health and also lessening their chances of getting in trouble. The topper of the study, the best faring teenagers in the study were skateboarders. Go figure!The study also found that the kids who watch TV and play games are at a higher risk of moving to the dark side of risky behaviors. If meth and drugs are still one of the top concerns of our youth in this community, why not take a chance and give them another outlet besides team sports or the television.The fight to start a skatepark begins with those who want it instead of those who want to pick on the skaters.Pull a Tony Hawk and make a move, kids.

Written by Brian Smith

3000 miles, a few hundred stickers, 15 bad meals and about 500 Tshirts later, the Airwalk Tour of Alabama and North Carolina is OVER. Belk stores have began carrying Airwalk and Andy Mac clothing and were gracious enough to provide the area's of Birmingham and Charlotte a chance to see Andy for free, get some autographs, tshirts and stickers and just hang out in the wonderful Southern weather.

Who Skates provided a small demo set up for Andy and we had a blast doing it. Thanks to Airwalk, Belk and Andy for their hospitality and gracious attitudes. Andy is a class act, is always professional and of course rips the snot out of anything he skates.

Thanks guys!!!
Tom and the WHo Crew