Letting people loose with spray paint cans on a blank canvas like the fresh concrete of a skateboard park, can often turn ugly.
That’s why Kyle Dion of NewLine Skateparks is encouraging municipalities like Sidney — who have built a new skateboard park — to take steps to prevent graffiti and try to keep them as pristine as possible.
Dion, who owns the company and is its founding principal, says skateboard parks — and boarders themselves — have spent too long in the shadows, tucked out of the way, and now that these parks are moving front-and-centre into community spaces, the trend of seeing them covered in paint is changing.
“It is a trend, absolutely,” Dion said from NewLine’s headquarters in Langley. “We are starting to see skate parks using colour, landscaping and more to be highly-visible community spaces. Back in the day, the parks tended to be placed in out of the way areas.”
Sidney’s new skate park is one of the more than 300 Dion said he’s built across North America. And after being a skater himself for 28 years, he agrees with the Town of Sidney’s stance against graffiti of any kind in its new facility.
The municipality reiterated its position Thursday, June 1, releasing a letter to the Peninsula News Review following a series of social media comments and a letter to the editor, which were critical of the Town’s decision to ban graffiti in its new skateboard park. Those comments came after a May 12 News Review story on the Town’s anti-graffiti policy. Just a handful of the comments are listed below. (To see the rest visit the PNR Facebook page.)
Speaking to the letter, Director of Engineering and Parks Tim Tanton said they are acting on the recommendation from NewLine with this no-graffiti policy. He added he is aware of the many concerns expressed on social media about the loss of a creative outlet. But he said allowing carte blanche at the new park is not the way to do that.
While Tanton said he knows there are great graffiti artists out there, there are plenty who are not and in many cases, it’s the worst who take over. And while there is a difference of opinion over what constitutes art, he said the chances of inappropriate imagery showing up made their decision clear.
Dion agrees. He is suggesting Sidney allow people to use the new park for about a year and see if any opportunities for controlled art programs arise.
“Letting kids go nuts and spray paint never, ever works,” he said, adding in his career he’s seen many parks painted with inappropriate or disturbing images — and that mars the reputation of skateboards as well.
“We’ve been fighting that for a generation,” Dion said. “And now the sport is going to be in Olympics. We’ve come a long way.”
Tanton added when paint is used on a concrete surface — whether it be graffiti or the paint used to cover it up — it makes it slick and more dangerous to use. So, for those reasons, Tanton said the Town will act quickly in the event any graffiti or vandalism is reported. The plan is to react within 24 hours of such a report, he said, and use a variety of methods to remove it — from painting over it to using a steam pressure washer. The Town, Tanton continued, is also looking into the use of a web cam nearby and perhaps even sprinklers at night to keep the park surfaces wet and therefore hard to paint.
The old skate park near the Pat Bay Highway is scheduled to be demolished some time this month to make way for the construction of Sidney’s new community safety building.
The new park will open for the first time June 3 and 4, with an official opening set for the Canada Day weekend.
