Depending who you were, the Go Skateboarding Day celebrated in Duluth -- as well as cities across the globe -- was about youthful innocence and good clean fun, or pesky kids breaking the law and nearly causing accidents.
From noon to about 4 p.m. Thursday, more than 100 skateboarders skated throughout downtown Duluth.
The "skateboarding holiday" was meant to celebrate skateboarding and remind everyone that there's a greater need than ever for a skate park in Duluth, skaters said.
"Today, we're kind of using the strength-in-
numbers card," skater Gary Shockley, 19, of Duluth said. He and other skaters said -- perhaps because there were so many of them -- local business owners didn't seem to complain as much.
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"Usually, they kick us out right away," said Eddie Johnstone, 16, of Esko.
But their freewheeling ways didn't go over quite as well as some of the skateboarding enthusiasts believed.
Police said they weren't notified about the event and had received multiple complaints about the skaters.
The skaters also disregarded the law prohibiting skateboarding during the day on downtown sidewalks and streets, Duluth Police Sgt. Dan Boese said.
"They obviously need to abide by the skateboarding laws and be respectful," he said.
While dozens were given a warning to quit breaking the law, one rider was even given a ticket for riding his skateboard by the Duluth Public Library.
Police were telling the riders that attracting negative attention isn't the way to gain support for a skate park or get the city to loosen the ordinance governing skateboarding, both complaints police heard.
"I encouraged them to work with the city instead of against the city," Boese said.
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But Jack Boyd, co-owner of Damage Boardshop, said he was pleased with how things went.
"I think it showed how bad we need this park," Boyd said of the one being planned at Wheeler Field.
Boyd said the public generally views skateboarders negatively, so an event like this wouldn't really make their reputation any worse.
"It's part of the culture, how it's always been looked at. Skaters are this rebellious group," Boyd said. "If it was a bike rally, it would be a completely different story," he said.
Although the international event began in 2004, Duluth skaters celebrated for the first time last year, Boyd said. That time the event attracted only about 20 people, he estimated. But this year the event was advertised online and at all the area skate parks and skate shops, he said.
The skateboarders plan to attend a public meeting at
6:30 p.m. Monday at Wheeler Field, 35th Avenue West and Grand Avenue, to discuss the new skate park proposal.
PATRICK GARMOE covers the Duluth community and city government. He can be reached weekdays at (218) 723-5229 or at pgarmoe@duluthnews.com .
