Friday, October 14, 2011

Who's Afraid of the Man?


For me and my friends, it all started in the driveway: ollies, kick-flips, and 180’s. Then we hit the streets, the industrial parks, and finally city hall.

The Man didn’t appreciate it. Chewing up public property and causing mayhem was not his idea of a wholesome sport. Cities put up skate-stoppers and ordered security patrols to keep us off the streets. We found the cat-and-mouse game amusing.

For a time, running from security and trespassing on private property was a way of life. The rush that came from getting the better of The Man was almost as great as finally sticking the big trick that’s been taunting you for days.

Eventually, the life wore us down. We got kicked out of shopping centers before attempting a single run. For six months we were banned from the Grapevine Mills Mall (although skateboarding only played a minor roll). Our favorite spots became littered with skate-stoppers. Something had to change.

We began to make a record of every spot we visited, and over the years a master list was created. The list detailed the locations of a variety of skate spots and the best times to skate in order to avoid confrontation. The list was constantly being added to, updated, and passed between groups of skaters.

But over the years, the cliques broke up, and the list was lost. The concept of skaters being able to discover and share the best skate spots in Dallas was the inspiration for this blog.

We beat the Man. You can too. Check back for the best spots in Dallas.

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