Skate craze: Skateboard parks expand to meet demand as popularity takes off

Rebecca Malone

Thursday, July 19, 2001 | 10:48 a.m.

His skateboard barely hangs on over a 4-foot drop as Aubrey Dezarn prepares to drop into a cement bowl that almost matches his height.

He glides up and down the graffiti-covered walls several times, then pops up to the edge on his feet, unhurt.

This 11-year-old, who has been skateboarding for two years, continually challenges his skills with his friends at the Desert Breeze Skateboard Park. The park provides a place for "skaters" -- as skateboarders call themselves -- to have fun without the fear of breaking the law by skating on and destroying private property.

Desert Breeze is one of three such parks that have sprung up around the Las Vegas Valley in the past four months. There are plans for another five to 10 parks within the next two years, according to city and county parks officials.

With city, county and private parks responding to the growing popularity of skating through the construction of skateboard parks, the 2001 Legislature joined in by passing a law laying out rules for skaters and skateboard park operators.

The creation of the law and the parks supports the idea that skateboarding is a trend that has become increasingly popular. Jon Myers, 22, has been skateboarding since he was a child and believes it has become more popular in recent years because of television coverage.

"Extreme sports" shows on cable sports networks feature skateboarding professionals whom children try to emulate, according to many parents. The children agreed that most of them started skating from watching it on TV and wanting to try something challenging.

"When I started skating in the early '80s, it was looked down on," Myers said. "I was one of three skaters in my eighth grade class. People just didn't like the way we looked or the clothes we wore."

Even with the current popularity of skateboarding among school-age kids, Dezarn and his brother said they still get harassed for their clothes and shoes. Skaters sometimes wear baggy pants because they are functional and allow room for movements, Myers said.

Their shoes are fatter and are made with different materials to provide durability as they are scraped across the rough surface of skateboards, according to Barry Leydecker, co-owner of the Sub Skates stores. He said the skateboard shoe market is the fastest-growing shoe market in the country because of the sport's acceptance.

Although the store's sales have stayed pretty consistent through the years, Leydecker said, its safety gear sales have doubled, if not tripled, since the skateboard parks have opened.

"Skateboarding attracts boys and girls because it is an individual sport of personal achievement," Leydecker said. "Skateboard parks are probably the best thing to happen to the youth of Las Vegas."

Leydecker not only likes the skateboarding parks, he also thinks the law is a great way to give people limits and keep them safe. It says that anyone who is using the skateboard park must follow the rules posted by the park's operator.

Some of the signs posted in the parks state that protective gear is required, but others are not as strict. Desert Breeze has a sign that reads, "Protective equipment should be worn while using this facility." It has been covered with spray paint.

"We can't police all of the parks, but we try to encourage users to wear safety equipment," Doug Bradford, a Clark County spokesman, said.

Neither suggestions nor requirements appear to be working, if a recent visit to Desert Breeze is any indication. Most the skaters using the park did not wear helmets or knee or elbow pads. Myers said he doesn't wear protective gear, because it is uncomfortable and restrictive.

Dezarn said he doesn't wear pads, because he sticks to doing tricks he knows he can do without falling. But falling or colliding with other skaters or walls is inevitable in a highly populated, confined space, such as a skateboard park. When his bloody elbows were pointed out, Dezarn admitted he does fall, but said minor bumps and bruises are expected in this activity.

The longer people skate the more they know how to fall and catch themselves without getting hurt, Myers said.

However, even with years of experience, accidents do happen, as Brad Dawson found out more than a month ago. Dawson, 28, spent five days in the hospital due to injuries to his head from skateboarding, University Medical Center confirmed. Dawson said he was skateboarding at Desert Breeze, but does not remember how he injured himself or how long he was in the hospital.

The number of injuries from skateboarding has increased over the past two years, with everything from sprained wrists to serious head injuries, Dr. Michael Zbiegien, medical director of the emergency department at Sunrise, said.

About two to three emergency room visits a day result from skateboarding, he said, with about one-quarter of those being substantial injuries. He believes that most of the cases he sees could have been easily prevented with safety gear.

Elaine Doyon, whose 11-year-old son skateboards at local parks, said that although her son is required to wear a helmet, a majority of the kids do not.

What is still unclear is who is liable when someone is injured in one of the parks. No lawsuits have been filed against county parks to set a precedent, local operators said, and the law does not assign liability. The law only states that skateboard parks will not be liable if skaters injure themselves outside the designated area for skating.

Anyone could sue, according to Val Steed, deputy attorney for the city of Las Vegas, but the person would have to prove negligence to get an award.

"We know to look out for people and be careful," Louie Dezarn, 13, said. "It is our fault if we get injured, and we are not going to blame anyone else."

The law does require users to report any injuries that occur at the skateboard parks to the operators. Failure to do so could result in a person being cited for a misdemeanor.

The high potential for injury led to one other provision in the new law: requiring skateboarders to avoid collisions, conflicts and fast speeds.

"Skaters are almost always respectful of each other," Myers said. "That is what I love about the skateboarding culture; it is a culture and we are nice to each other. There are always jerks, but the vast majority of them are good kids."