Growing up, skateboarding in the streets of SLC, being yelled at and chased by security guards and 5-0 was part of the sport. It was a part of the sport that was totally lame. Even worse than the perma-scabbed knees and elbows. It has been awesome to see how over the years, society’s perception of skateboarding has shifted so radically. The stigma placed on skateboarders has gone from street-thug-vandal, to talented athlete. Skating around in more youthful days, we assumed that every little plaza, set of stairs, hand-rail etc. was illegal to be skating, unless marked otherwise. The one exception to this was the University of Utah campus, which was a free-for-all. I would be lying if I said that this policy did not heavily influenced my decision to attend the institution for my undergraduate career. Ok, maybe not heavily influence. But it was something that I definitely took into consideration.
In current times, assumptions on whether or not it is safe to skate, have completely reversed. One can safely assume that it is ok to skate, unless marked otherwise. These signs in the plaza bordering the WFC yacht harbor are examples. Even if one errs in assumption, the worst that is likely to occur is a friendly notice by a rent-a-cop. It’s good to live in the 2000’s.
