This hasn’t been a banner week for skateboarding. The northern Utah city of Richmond is considering banning skateboards on city streets. There have been complaints that skateboarders ride in the middle of streets, but one city councilman reportedly expressed concerns that the boarders threatened the safety of pedestrians, especially children.
Won’t someone think of the child? But seriously, how is it that the boards are threatening children – are the kids walking in the middle of the streets as well? It would seem that skateboarding on the sidewalk would threaten the safety of pedestrians.
Meanwhile, ESPN has announced that it has eliminated women’s vert skateboarding form the program at this July’s X Games in Los Angeles. This event reportedly struggled to sustain a viable competitive tour, and the X Games was the only remaining major competition.
On the plus side women’s street skating will remain a part of the X Games program.