Safe space: something skaters need

What+was+once+a+skate+park+in+Hinsdale+was+removed+and+has+yet+to+be+replaced.+

Chicago Tribune

What was once a skate park in Hinsdale was removed and has yet to be replaced.

Until 2018, Hinsdale had a skate park for all to use. But since then, the ramps and rails have been removed, leaving an empty, useless space. It’s an out of the way location that is made hard for passers-by to see. Without a proper park, people are discouraged from progressing because they lack a safe space to express themselves.

A common problem for people who skateboard across the globe is that they are constantly berated or yelled at just for partaking in the sport. Skateboarders in Hinsdale are constantly getting reported by police or getting kicked out of locations and are told to go somewhere else, just for it to happen again. It’s a repeating cycle. There is no true place in Hinsdale where a skater can just relax and practice.
The main issue the Village of Hinsdale had with the previous skate park was that it was being vandalized. But anyone could discern that people were able to vandalize because it was in a hidden area. So the obvious solution would be to rebuild in a more open and public area. If we were to rebuild a new skate park, we would need it in an area that is easy to see and accessible to the public.
According to a 2018 article in the Chicago Tribune, a man by the name of Colin Peterik, along with his wife, had collected 135 signatures in favor of a new park at the local Hinsdale Starbucks. They also happened to mention that the majority who signed were unaware that there was even a skatepark in Hinsdale, which is another reason why the new location should be somewhere open and visible to the public.
What people fail to see is that skateboarding isn’t just about doing tricks and going home. Skateboarder’s thrive for community. And without a central area for everyone to meet, it’s hard to get any motivation if you’re skating alone. Just being able to skate with people is a huge motivator on it’s own. And a community of skaters that look out for each other is definitely something that Hinsdale should strive for.
In the end, all skateboarder’s want is a place they can go to spend their time with friends, practice tricks, and just pass the time. Whether you support or dislike skateboarding, everybody should be able to agree that every sport deserves it’s own designated space. And skateboarding lacks that space in the Village of Hinsdale.