Irish Skateboarding Federation

shag

A meeting hosted by SOPE to discuss the formation of a nationwide governing body for skateboarding will be held in the Clinton centre in Eniskillen at 1pm on the 2nd of August. Other upcoming meetings will be another ILAM meeting sometime in september and a local meeting in Killarney on the 1st August. I have to do more checking up on these two to verify details.I'll post more info when I have it.
Shaggy.
www.geocities.com/irishskateparkforum

the fnj

I’m fairly new to the current skateboarding scene but I’m just interested to know what exactly the functions of a governing body will be? Is it just being set up to help get more public skate parks or is it planning on becoming similar to a group like the FAI, IRFU, GAA etc.

I agree that something needs to be done to get more public skate areas in Ireland but I don’t think skateboarding needs a governing body at any level.

shag

From talking to others involved the concensus seems to be that the main function of the governing body at the moment will be to try and encourage more councils to build skateparks and to make sure that the parks they built are as good as they can possibly be (ie to avoid a waterford repeat). I don't think anyone involved in it wants it to become like the GAA are any other body like that. As every skater knows we get screwed over constantly ,treated like criminals by security gaurds and cops get no skateparks while every other sport gets new facilities every year. The reason for this is simple we're not united and not organised and all the schemes for the provision of sports facilities and grants are geared towards organised clubs and governing bodies. It's time to get what we're due and if we have to present an image of "clean cut athletes / skateboarding is a legitimate sport" then so be it. Don't worry no-one is in this to introduce skateboard proficiency tests, merit badges or enforce stupid rules and regulations. Ireland has 30 years of skatepark building to catch up on, we're here to give a good hard shove in the right direction.
That meeting in Killarney is wrong by the way ignore it .

MrScruff

dream on mate......

by the time there are public skate parks in Ireland the only wheels we will be able for will be feckin' wheelchairs i'm afraid :-(
I don't think there is even the demand for them really is there?
Woodworks in cork has been closed for a good while now, and I heard they are selling off the ramps, doesn't sound too bright for the future.....

o well

TacT

That's great MrScruff, you just sit back on your arse while other people do the groundwork, then when there's a park open somewhere near you thanks to the effort people are putting in, you can go enjoy it and thank god someone gave a flying fcuk.

I'm going away for 3 weeks as of Saturday on holidays so I won't be able to make this first meeting but I'll be looking forward to the next one to knock some heads together and see what we can do to improve the situation.

As for the need for it, haven't you noticed all the kids on their boards/blades or are you blind or just plain ignorant..

FanJ, it is needed and seems to be the only way to go to get what we want - public skateparks - facilities for a sport and as has been pointed out, unless we appear to be organised etc etc, it's never going to happen.

shag

Well it's allready happened .Waterford county council spent 100'000 euros on building a public park. Yeah they got ripped off and the park could have been a hell of a lot better for that kind of money , but the point is it's been done. Now every other council wants to play catch up ,keeping up with the jones's is very important in local government. Dublin County council and Fingal county council have made commitments in their recreational planning documents to providing skateboard facilities. The ball is rolling allready so you can dream on if you want to but I intend on trying my best to see my dreams become a reality. If you do a bit of research you'll find councils all over the country are including the building of skateparks in their recreation plans.Wood worx was closed down cos it couldn't get insurance not cos there wasn't the demand .... we're you there for Paddys weekend!!?? Now that woodworx has sadly gone there is a hell of a lot of pressure on Cork CoCo to provide a public facility and they're looking at Bishopstown leisure centre. If we can keep up that pressure and get them to get it built by the right people then we can have something 3 times as big and far more skatable than waterford.It's easy to be cynical and I'll admit there's plenty of reasons to be so in this backward quagmire of a country but it wont get us anywhere except rolling around in the rain trying to find un-skatestopped ledges!Besides I'm 33 now and nearly in a wheelchair anyway so I've got nothing to lose!

DeVore

bizarrely for the name of your website, I dont see a forum on it

If you want one here let me know and we'll sort you out. I'm not a skateboarder (I'm considering giving it a shot but at 33 learning is a bit ruff on the hips! Snow is a whole lot nicer to faceplant on.) but I still think its a really good way of getting inner city lads off drugs/crime and into something sporty without the Heinie's and rugby tops .

Good luck and ignore people who tell you you cant do it, they said the same thing to IOFFL.

DeV.

MrScruff

Fair enuf...

But you can't tell me my cynicism is unfounded!
Take woodworks for example again! I think that tipped it for me, there was always talk of them re-opening, getting insurance from somewhere.Now its fairly definite, I think, that there snookered. Ireland is a compo culture.
I'm not saying some sort of organisation is a bad idea, but what is achievable in reality, I like the points about portraying skating as an actual sport. That would be a step forward, but I'm still saying that it's going to be a long drawn out process, this IS still Ireland isn't it?
I was in america last summer, and for a smallish place there was a lovely big public park. Can you see even Dublin getting a public park in the next ~10 years?? Because I can't

DeVore

Rather a self-fulfilling prophecy that isnt it?

DeV.

MrScruff

Fair point.
Maybe I have no right to complain if I'm not doing anything to try and remedy it.
Wouldn't it be nice though, if the council actually catered to the needs of the community with people having to perform hari kiri on the steps of their offices to get there attention? I admire the effort these people go to in highlighting the cause. I fully admit my lazyness. Let me have a bit of a moan though, eh?

shag

I can really see Dublin having at least one public skatepark within 3 years ! Probably Lucan. Bushy park within 5.

TacT

That's the spirit Shaggy, good man

DeV, my good man with the battleplan!
Whip us up a forum there please my good Sir! I'll start re-directing the lost souls in that direction so we have a place where everyone can put forward their idea's, proposed plans/propositions to the county councils and the whole shebangwopadoodledoo!

Would really appreciate that, your a star

MrScruff, all I've ever heard about the lack of skateparks in Ireland is moaning, it's time to do less talk more action kinda thing, so why don't you jump on the bandwagon and try to be positive about it please

the fnj

Just in case anyone thinks I’m being cynical my only concern with a “governing body” would be over regulation of the sport and end up with a situation were they try and standardise the sport. This works fine for other sports but skateboarding is an expressive sport and regulation would ruin it. I feel that’s what the term “governing body” implies.

I would support any movement that is trying to get better standards of parks etc for skaters. I look forward to politicians calling to my door in future because I’m going to grill them on the skate park situation in Bushy Park. Myself and a few of my friends are getting back into skating and I’m also getting my youngest brother into it, so a park right beside my house would be sweet.

Originally posted by DeVore
into something sporty without the Heinie's and rugby tops .

I take personal offence to that Tom, I'm going to give you such a wedgie when I see you next. Everyone knows jocks are cool .

TacT

Not at all FanJ, just lettin ya know that it's not gonna be an FAI
but will be geared towards getting the insurance problems sorted then getting the land and the right people for the job.

shag

The governing body title is there solely because after 3 years of running as a NGO (national governing body ) we can apply for funding from the Irish Sports Council. Other funding is available before then but unless we get united and organised we can't apply for it, can't lobby local government effectively and will be in the same situation as we are now.
As regards a forum that'd be great I could stick a link on my site for it. I used forum in the title of my site as in information forum but you're right it is a bit misleading .Shaggy.

http://www.geocities.com/irishskateparkforum/index.html

shag

Oh yeah McScruff there Galway too .....they've provided a skate facility there, on university Rd.
So if Waterford coco and Galway coco can do it why not one of the Dublin councils?
Theres a temporary facility going up in Lisburn too see other thread. Check my site for more news
http://www.geocities.com/irishskateparkforum/news

jaarius

Originally posted by MrScruff
dream on mate......

by the time there are public skate parks in Ireland the only wheels we will be able for will be feckin' wheelchairs i'm afraid :-(
I don't think there is even the demand for them really is there?
Woodworks in cork has been closed for a good while now, and I heard they are selling off the ramps, doesn't sound too bright for the future.....

o well

this isn't exactly Cali now is it? most of the time the country is unsuitable for skating.

a recognised national body would be a good idea. hold comps, promote safety and other such crap. then get some rich skaters folks to push for this kind of stuff. screams and shouts will more than likely fall on deaf ears but a whisper from the right person usually gets the ball rolling.

jaz?

DeVore

Forum created. Its under Activism.

Tact and Shag mods, tact show him the ropes

DeV.

MrScruff

Wow, checking out your site there again shag and it looks like there's a flurry of activity at the moment!:)
Things are definitely looking up, I think my sceptisism was a bit off the mark. (Thank god):D

most of the time the country is unsuitable for skating.

Now all we have to do is get onto Met Eirrean(sp?) about this hiccup and it's sorted

scruff

TacT

Nice one DeV!

/me shows shaggy the ropes

shag

Theres a lot more to come too , expect a lot from the skate scene in the next few months. Theres a big FMX show on in Belfast next month and there should be a skate demo at that. Theres a good few other things brewing too but you'll have to wait.

shag

Cheers for setting up that forum I'll put a link to it from my site. I've posted a mail I sent to fingal and dlr councils giving them grief for their ridiculously high (nearly half a million yoyos) estimate for the cost of supplying a small park.

DeVore

cool, the closer you are to getting parks the closer I am to my grand-plan of killing you all and covering said parks with snow and snowboarding on them....

I would you know, I'd laugh while doing it too... oops... time for the medication again...

DeV.

TacT

DeV, your just gonna have to take up skateboarding and lay off the medication :cool:

DeVore

Ah I just think I'm too old to go back and start learning it all again.
I mean, its hard to go from being reasonably good on a snowboard to being a total n00b on a skateboard again.

And seriously, while I've done myself any number of mischiefs on my snowboard... skateboarding looks HELLA fnckin' sore!

I mean, hitting snow fast and hard will give you concusion and occasionally break something, skating looks like you could break something EVERY TIME YOU FALL

My frail old bones might not be able for it, but I might well give it a try sometime.

DeV.

shag

Well yes and no concrete and wood is obvoiusly a lot harder to fall on than snow but a skateboard is a lot easier to throw away than a snowboard. I've broken my collarbone and a finger snowboarding and split my fibia BMXing but all I've got in 18 years skating is hippers rolled ankles and bruises (most of my right ass cheek is black at the mo from a slam last week). Yeah you will have to pay your dues to the skate gods but sooner or later you're gonna feel the pain no matter what board or bike sport you're into. Build yourself a small mini ramp and start skating again , theres plenty of skaters in Dublin in their 30s !