7 minute read

Finally! At the moment of writing this article, skaters are allowed to go to the skateparks in Quebec and everywhere in Canada.

*The Vans bowl located close to the Olympic stadium is the exception to this. The re-opening would be on June 8th according to non-official sources.

It is great news and a great relief for so many skaters who were probably bored to skate the furnitures of the living room and or just stand on a balance board. However, the pandemic is still ongoing and the risks to contract the virus or contaminate someone vulnerable still exist. How can we go back to skating with our friends without putting anyone at risk? Are the skateparks safe? What is the new etiquette to skate responsibly? We are no experts and there is no perfect answer or specific rules for skateparks but there are still a few things we can do in order to stay safe. Hopefully this will help all of us in our practice and contribute to see all of you safe and sound! N.B. These 5 recommendations are a complement to the official rules put forward by the government. You already know how much it is important to keep a distance and follow hygiene rules.

5 new habits to adopt at the skatepark

1- Celebrate without contact

It is only natural to give a high five or a fist bump to someone who landed his trick, joined the session or is leaving the spot. Whatever may be the reason and despite the fact that skateparks is the number one place for high fives and fist bumps we must adapt. How do we keep celebrating? We can do the exact same moves but without contact! It is only better because now no one will slam your palm or knuckle with to much enthusiasm. Here is how you can do it : establish visual contact, aim, synchronize and boom. You can even make it explode if you like that variation but word on the street is that making the explosion move after a fist bump is not that cool. Take care of your street cred as much as your health because it is one of the most precious things you have. All jokes aside, cheer without risks and avoid touching everyone’s hand in sight like TJ Rogers is doing in the picture below.

2- Wear a mask

There are many people who make weird things with their mouth while skating and it is not always quite hermetic. Nothing wrong with that but wearing a mask would allow these people to pull out their tongue mid-kickflip without contaminating the spot. We know the mask does not protect the person who wears it but it still protects others. This is a great opportunity to develop empathy, to build good karma and be a part of the collective effort. No one will accuse you of living in fear since you are on a skateboard. It may also be said that street cred is not affected by wearing a mask. As for the masks, there are many cool models and we will soon have a JACKALOPE one available! Here is two sketches we made. Let us know which one is your favorite and we’ll notice you when they are on our online shop.

3- Be careful with your food and drink.

Some people always bring their lunch box to the party. Whether you are eating a tuna sandwich or a snackbar, do not let anything behind. No wrappers, no breadcrumb. Nothing. Nada. The virus travels in tiny droplets so anything food related is like a double-decker bus full of disease. Clean your spot, put the wrappers in your backpack, bury anything left into the ground if needed but do not let anything at the park. One more thing: no more sips between friends. From now on it’s every man for himself in anything related to snacks!

4- Do not borrow or lend any object

Who likes lending his board? No one. According to a non-academic source only one person in the whole province of Quebec and a total of four people in North America actually enjoy lending his board. We heard that the numbers are even lower with phones. In these dire times, you have the perfect excuse to decline such a request. You will say : “I refuse because I take part to the collective effort”. It is impossible to know where people put their hands and it should remains a mystery the same way your board should remain in your hands.

5- Do not put yourself in danger by trying crazy tricks

Skateboarding is risky. However, it is less risky than skydiving above a cactus field because the risk factors are easier to manage. If you are learning feeble grinds these days then it would be wise to wait before taking it to the biggest rail in the park. You will eventually get there but why not keep progressing on safer obstacles. It is a great time to get better at manuals, get better at the tricks you already know, get more consistent or learn new variations. One thing you could also do is wearing a full kit of protection like Fay, a contestant from last years’ JACKALOPE contest. Why would you do that? TO AVOID GOING TO THE HOSPITAL! Stay at the park. It’s better.

That is all for our 5 recommandation! We do not want to moralize anyone here. We just love our community and we look forward to see you all in person. We would like to know how your comeback to the skatepark went so please let us know in the comment section! Did you notice people being careful? Would you suggest any other habit we should add to the list?