US skater Carter Dennis first contacted us a month ago, asking if we would like some help promoting Skateistan to the huge U.S. skateboarding industry. We think he’s done some amazing work, so we asked him to write a few words…
NRPA Convention 2008 by Carter Dennis
Every year the National Recreation and Parks Association host a convention in the U.S. which promotes the advancement of parks, recreation and environmental conservation. This convention attracts thousands of Parks and Recreation employees, students and military folks from around the nation. On top of that, the convention attracts vendors of all shapes and sizes. Playground companies, sports equipment peddlers and most importantly the skatepark industry.
This year I was able to attend the event in Baltimore with our nonprofit group SPS (Skaters for Public Skateparks). We shared a booth with the IASC (International Association of Skateboard Companies) and the THF (Tony Hawk Foundation). Having a booth gives you a huge opportunity to talk with attendees and vendors from all over the world.
Our organization SPS basically helps promote skatepark advocacy around the world. In the last few years we have assisted countless cities in developing public skateparks. However, when I stumbled upon Skateistan and their efforts to promote skateboarding in Afghanistan I was blown away. So with the NRPA coming up why not get the Skateistan name out there and educate the skatepark industry on this noble cause.
After many exchanges with Sharna and Oliver of Skateistan we had enough material to put together an information packet and some good photos of Afghan children skating. Luckily, our hotel had a FREE copy machine so we printed a healthy stack of copies for the event.
On opening day the floor of the NRPA convention was packed with attendees and vendors. People came by our booth wanting to learn more about skateparks, and left with the knowledge that skatepark advocacy is universal. Not only are skaters lobbying for a park in Smalltown, U.S.A., but you have skaters on the other side of the world in a predominantly Muslim country plagued with war trying to get a skatepark built. I didn’t give packets to just anyone. I gave them to the people who looked in amazement at the cover photo of a young girl riding a skateboard in Afghanistan.
Skateistan Packets
Peter Whitley with SPS and Miki Vuckovich from THF man the booth.
I also made it my mission to go to every skatepark builders booth and hand them packets. It doesn’t matter if you are selling modular equipment or poured in place concrete skateparks. Every skatepark builder can help with this cause whether donating equipment, providing construction techniques or helping with design aspects. Almost every one of them showed interest. A few of the modular vendors mentioned having equipment they can donate. Getting it overseas could be another issue, but this maybe a good start for Skateistan.
Spohncrete Booth
In the end, I hope this can do something to help the skateboarding cause in Afghanistan by educating the public and letting the skatepark industry know Skateistan is out there. When I first stumbled across the Skateistan link, it was posted on many skateboarding forums. One of the skaters responded by saying,
In the heart of darkness there is still light. The youth of the world brings new hope to ending old ways…..Skateboarding can unite the youth of the world!
I’d like to thank the Tony Hawk Foundation and the International Association of Skateboard Companies for getting us to the NRPA.
www.tonyhawkfoundation.org
www.skateboardiasc.org
www.nrpa.org
www.skatepark.org
Nice article, Carter. I’ve gone through all the info from Skateistan and it looks like something that skaters in the US need to support.
We need to show that skateboarding brings people of all cultures together in a non-competitive way that accepts differences but has a common, postive goal.
I hope that everyone who reads this gets involved.