We all know the story of how skateboarding took off in the 70's. Surf to freestyle, backyard pools to street skating, then street skating back to pools and vert, then back to the streets etc...
If you are over 30, you have probably noticed a slight trend in the style and terrain of skateboarding. We love to innovate as far as we think we can go before switching to another style of terrain to master. Once we have innovated even further on that medium, we usually revert back to the previous medium to revisit the thought that we can expand our trick selection to an even greater height.
We are seeing the re-emergence of the transition era because of a generation of skateboarders who grew up in the skate parks. I honestly thought that the implementation of so many skateparks would be the death of creative and roaming street skaters. I saw a lot of talent being developed in the parks, but not a lot of that talent being translated into the streets.
How often do you find a quarter pipe in the streets?
The new generation is classically trained on transition and hungry for something new. Street skating in becoming increasingly dangerous, so many skate parks that the police will be very harsh if you are "destroying" property when "There is a skatepark right down the street!!" As well as architects becoming privy to the benefits of laying schools out completely FLAT with no stairs and stoppers on all possible grinding surfaces.
So this new generation is forced to find new terrain. The terrain they have settled on is not "new", but they sure are taking things to a whole new level. Fully outfitted with water pumps, extension cords, buckets, brooms and anything else you might see in a commercial pool draining service van, these crews are on the hunt for backyard pools in need of "service".
Between google maps and word of mouth, home owners are finding themselves being asked for permission to drain, clean and shred their unused backyard pools. Many homeowners agreeing in exchange for the cleaning and draining service.
Another way they are finding hidden gems is through foreclosures. Often times foreclosed homes that contain a backyard pool will be unmaintained for spans of several months and can be a heavy burden the safety of a neighborhood. Mosquitos can run rampant in just a small amount of water. So, in theory, while it may look like "trespassing" to you, they are actually doing the community a favor by draining and cleaning these pools.
So if you hear a little skateboarding going on in backyard next to you, don't call the cops, send those guys a thank you because those guys and gals are probably keeping you from getting west nile.
Written by Keith Halterman
