1. Shop name

2. Owner’s name

3. Contact info (address, phone, email, etc.)

4. Website

5. Year shop opened

6. What made you want to open a skate shop?

7. How did you start it? Where’d you get the money, how did you decide on the location, etc.?

8. What challenges have you faced in starting/running the shop?

9. What would you do differently if you could do it again?

10. What do you like about running a skate shop?

11. If you weren’t running a skate shop what would you be doing? If you do other things, what else do you do?

12. Do you sell online? If so, how’s that working out for you? If not, why not?

13. Where do you think the business of skateboarding is headed?

14. If you could change one thing about the skateboarding industry what would it be and why?

15. Do you have a shop team? How does that benefit your shop?

16. Who’s coming up in Utah?

17. What do you think about the Utah skate scene?

18. What’s your opinion on Salt Lake outlawing skateboard ramps in backyards?

19. If you had a million dollars that you could only spend on your skate shop (not on burritos or jewelry for your wife or anything), what would you do with it?

20. What’s the best trick you’ve done in the last year?

21. Anything else you want to say?

Salt Lake Valley Health Department held a short meeting this morning [October 2nd] to determine if skateboard ramps were causing unnecessary damage to the public due to noise ordinance violations. The problem however, is the council didn’t know anything about skate ramps or how much noise they actually produce. This problem will be addressed come April 1, 2009 when the topic is brought back before the board for review and public input with all the facts.

The ban came from a two-year review of Salt Lake Valley’s noise ordinance and two public hearings that were held during that period. There was no one present to oppose the ban because no one in the skate community knew it was going up for review with the health department. Three weeks ago, the ordinance was put into effect and immediately the community spoke up loud and clear, “Let skateboarders do what they love to do within the confines of their property.” Because the ban came from a noise complaint, the health department was involved, but Salt Lake City got most of the bad rap for being the city in which the restrictions were imposed. Since the ban on private half-pipes here has been over 900 e-mails supporting the lifting of the ban and rewording the noise ordinance to include skateboard ramps into outdoor activities held from 7 am – 10 pm. Although other sports, lawn care and power tools are already existing under the ordinance for noise, extending the clause to include action sports would classify the sports into traditional sports such as basketball, volleyball, and horse shoes that already happen in yards across the valley.
For the next 6 months, skate ramps are once again skateable, while the city collects data and talks with the two parties representing each side. Skateboarders have had to fight for city skateparks to be built which would allow them to venture out of their yards and lifting the ban until more information is collected the right thing to do, each party should still be respectful and come to an agreement that works for both.

Keep up the work kids. Get your parents to contact the powers that be. Talk to the news media. Be on your best behavior. You have more power than you think.

On August 7th, 2008 the Salt Lake Valley Health Department passed a new ordinance which prohibits the use of any skate ramps on a residential property. The reasoning they have used to issue this ordinance is based on “Noise Pollution”. The ordinance can be found here on the SLVHD website. It is Regulation # 21, and reads as follows…

4.5.21. Sporting Ramps. No person shall build or use nor shall any person cause, allow, or permit anyone to build or allow anyone to use any skateboard, roller blade, bicycle, or snowboard ramp or half-pipe or similar configuration within 800 feet of a dwelling, except within facilities that have been designated for such use by government entity.

To anyone who has ever used a backyard skateboard ramp, this law was obviously created by people who are ignorant of the noise such a skateboard ramp produces. It would be a specious claim to say that a mini-ramp produces any more noise than a backyard swing set, trampoline, swimming pool, basket ball hoop, children laughing, or a family gathering for a nice summer evening barbeque.

Skateboarding is illegal in most public venues. Now our local council has made it illegal to enjoy this activity in the privacy of your own backyard. Their argument is that anyone who skateboards can now enjoy the several public skateparks that many of the numerous counties, cities, and communities have assembled throughout Utah. For this reason they feel it is only fair that we are prohibited from skating in the privacy of our own backyards. Though it is true that there are several skate parks around the valley, these are not accessible to the majority of skateboarders unless those skateboarders own a car. In addition, many of these skateparks are poorly built, although we’re grateful to have anything we can get. But this is all beside the point anyway. If skateboard ramps are too noisy, why haven’t they made a noise ordinance that states families can no longer enjoy their backyard pools due to the excessive noise? There are public, and community pools to enjoy instead, right? Or perhaps you can no longer shoot hoops in your driveway because the city provides baskets at the neighborhood park, or school? This ordinance unfairly targets skateboarding. Speak up, and voice your opinion in this matter. Let our officials know that you are not willing to stand by and be told that you are no longer able to enjoy skateboarding in the privacy of your backyard. Sign the petition and send a message to our county representatives.

So kids, listen up. Kids! DO NOT send rude messages to these people. Do not call them idiots. Do not call up and flood their phone lines. That is not going to help. If anything, it will just make them mad and make things worse. What you need to do is get your parents involved. These people care about adults because it’s adults who vote and who determine whether these people can keep their jobs or not. Get adults involved writing letters, making phone calls, sending emails, attending public meetings, and that’s how you’ll get this changed.

3rd Lair guys, please get a better website. Let me know if want to do some trade work. I’ll hook you up if you hook me up with some product.

Final results – Notice that Tyson won on both street and mini-ramp, not to mention a respectable 5th in the bowl.

Check out the video footy too. And bear in mind not a single one of these kids has hit puberty yet. Just imagine what they’ll be doing 10 years from now when they’re all of 20 years old. It’s a good thing skating is fun or I’d quit right now.

First up is Austin Namba. I don’t know the guy, and I’ve never heard of him until today. But check out the Austin Namba footage on Filmbot Fridays and you’ll see the kid kills some of the Utah skateparks.

He’s definitely got the ghetto gown in full effect, eh?

In case you’re curious, the Utah skateparks he is skating at are South Jordan, Taylorsville, and Cottonwood, along with one or two I don’t recognize.