Skaters ramp up the summer heat

Steven McGee gets some air off a ramp at Shelbyville's skate park in H.V. Griffin Park. (T-G Photo by Jasen Richardson) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

Skateboarding and BMX biking are two sports that sometimes carry negative connotations.

Whether it's because of the way the participants dress, the fact that they take to the city streets, or because they have been viewed by some authorities as gangs of rebels, these athletes have been given a bad rap.

"Some of it is the way skaters look, people think that we're all bad," skateboarder Zach Gordon said. "We're not. (People) think just because someone's got a board on them, they think they're horrible people. We're just like everyone else."

Shelbyville-area skaters and bikers, usually between the ages of 14 and 18, have been enjoying the skate park at H.V. Griffin Park for the last two years. Parent supervision is necessary for children 10 and under.

The skate park is located between the recreation center and the playground. It allows these enthusiasts a chance to congregate and rip it up on the ramps, tables, and rails that the park provides. Even with the heat index reaching around 100 degrees, the skaters and bikers still take to the grind.

"It's nice to come out here during the day," BMX rider Steven McGee said. "We get to come out here, mess around with our friends, and have a good time."

Through the existence of the park, the equipment for skating and biking has slowly been added. The park now consists of two quarter pipes with a smaller ramp in between them. There are several other smaller ramps off to the side, with a table and another set of rails. Users hope more ramps and rails will be added soon.

Skaters and bikers like Gordon and McGee enjoy street riding, especially at night. They feel if the city of Shelbyville would put in lights, then the majority of the time the skate park would be used, rather than the city streets, at night.

"If they had lights, I'd be out here every night, unless I had to work," Gordon said. "We want lights. They think we won't ever leave, even if they put in lights."

Suggested possibilities include lights that automatically shut off when the park closes or are shut off by a park employee turn them off.

Skateboarding and BMX biking have been around for decades, and it doesn't look like these sports are going anywhere -- except to the skate park.