NYC
SKATE PARK
WORDS&PHOTOS BY IVORY SERRA
Skateboarding and photography are very similar. In both pursuits,
an individual chooses a particular subject/object and applies acquired skills
in order to obtain a predetermined goal. The histories of each mimic one
another, both evolving in reference to the past.
Skateboarding and photography, as creative endeavors, originated on
a primal level, the wheel-the-camera obscura. Conceptually simple,
the skateboard is a flat surface with wheels; likewise, the camera is a
box containing a hole.
Both pursuits are elemental in origin and principle, but if your job
was easy, someone else would be doing it. Therefore, skateboarders
and photographers have rapidly progressed over the course of their
brief existence (the birth of color transparency film parallels that of
skateboarding) through the use of various camera formats/film and
types of skateable terrain.
If skateboarding and photography became merged as "skatography,"
then vert skating would be the use of large negatives. Equally, street could
be 35 mm. So, with a short history of skatography in mind, I think
of New York's shorter history of skateparks. Photography has
always been here and, with its relation to other "arts," has creat-
ed the visual history of New York City. The one thing missing
from the past is a public skatepark. The tri-state area has always
yielded vert ramps, but Manhattan, due to limited space, hasn't
provided a skatepark until now.
Organized by Andy Kessler through the help of Riverside Park
and the NPS, a skatepark lies between the Hudson and W 108th
Street. Seemingly displaced from the chaos of NYC, this metal
facility rates high on my list of metropolitan skate spots.
When it comes to cities and skateparks, a few stand out from
the rest. Portland has Burnside, Canberra-Belconnen, Madrid-
Alcobendas, Marseille, Alice Springs, and now in New York City.
there is an exceptional place to skateboard.
With winter coming on strong. I'd suggest getting to the park
early. The diversity of New York is reflected in the skaters present
on any given day. Comparable to a subway car, the skatepark
offers a wide variety of adrenaline and visual enjoyment: Buddy
wakes up at 4:30 am and will make your next sore; Jim, King of
the Park, his 1st run is better than your last, the Lopez Bros, fre-
quently flying 540" twins; Andy, he'll put down a hammer to do a
wheeler, dreadheads, bald heads, flat wheels, fat wheels, and too
many rollerbladers. It's New York City.
Quotes:
"Best thing to happen to New York since the bagel."-Andy Kessler
"Speed, fun, metal ramps and big airs."-Kisasi Brooks
"A nice little spice to flavor things up"-Shelter Serra
Clockwise from above right: Andy Kessler, the grand organizer,
grabs a backside edger on his metro creation. Jimmy Murphy
adopts a laid-back attitude when skating in the city that never
sleeps. Rick Charnowski rocks a frontside feeble. Overview of the
ramp, momentarily free of rollerbladers
HHH
HHH