Fight For The Future Of Skateboarding In California!
Take a stand to help end discrimination against skateboarders! Do it NOW!
The Issue:
IASC has been involved for many years in trying to help get skate parks built by decreasing the liability to cities, allowing them to build skate parks without fear of lawsuits.
The current law in place, SSB994, recognizes skateboarding as an HRA (hazardous recreational sport) without offering it the full protection it offers many other sports it has restrictive pad laws that are mandatory for cities to enforce and many skateboarders are put in a constant conflict with law enforcement.
This newly proposed bill would give further liability protection to cities and remove the mandatory pad requirements from the state law.
We need your help in getting this bill passed!
IASC is asking its members and anyone enjoying the skateboarding culture to find every skateboarder & skateboarding supporter in California and get them to write letters, send emails, or make phone calls to their Senators and Assemblyman in the State of California in support of SB1179. (Other organizations supporting this bill: The Southern California Skate park Coalition, SPAUSA, USA skateboarding, Skaters for Public Skate parks,California Parks & Recreation Society)
To view the bill in it's entirety go to the news section of skateboardiasc.org and click on IASC supports SB1179...
What can you do?
SEND AN EMAIL- IT’S EASY! And forward this to everyone you know who supports skateboarding!
STEP 1: To get in contact with your state and local representatives click the following link http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html
STEP 2: Enter your zip code and click “Search” (This brings up your Senator and Assembly person’s info)
STEP 3: Click on the name of the representative (this should take you to their homepage)
STEP 4: For Senators- click “YOUR FEEDBACK” or “CONTACT”-- For your Assembly person- click “EMAIL” which is generally located under “contact” (send the letter to all of the contacts!)
STEP 5: Enter your information in the blanks (name, zip, etc.)
STEP 6: You might see a pull down menu w/bills listed- The issue may not be listed - but if it is, click SB1179 and click “support”
STEP 7: Copy the letter below and Paste it into the “comments” area on the representative’s web site and add your name in at the bottom.
THE LETTER: Copy and paste this letter, Feel free to add your own comments and any important info about you, your business, or your interest in your community
RE:Support SB 1179:
I am urging you to support SB 1179 proposing that skateboarding be added to the list of hazardous recreational activities in Section 831.7 of the Government Code, and to repeal Section 115800 of the Health and Safety Code. Section 115800 has been successful in reassuring many public entities that they can operate skate parks without fear of lawsuits. SB 1179 is a logical next step in support of California’s 2nd fastest growing recreation. There are 12,000,000 skateboarders in the United States and only approximately 2000 skateboard parks for these skateboarders to safely participate in their sport- supporting SB1179 will help even out these statistics in California.
In 1998 Health and Safety Code 115800 mandated safety gear because injury statistics were unknown. In 2003, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission found skateboarding is safer than basketball, football, and bicycling. California has no health and safety code guiding the norms of these other recreational activities and attempting to legislate the wearing of safety gear in a skate park is problematic, if not discriminatory. The Commission goes on to warn; “The more serious injuries that result in hospitalization typically involve a crash with a motor vehicle.” Skateboarding is safest on surfaces of a well-designed skate park. Please do not push our kids into the streets and parking lots where they can be put in harms way.
Adding skateboarding to the list of protected recreational activities is a much needed step toward encouraging litigation-shy officials to build skate parks in California, and bring the growing number of young skaters in off of our sidewalks and streets and into safety of these skate parks. Skate parks can be a remedy to the decades long clash between law enforcement and the skateboarders, as skaters are increasingly banned from public areas.
Skateboarding is an activity that can be accessible to everyone and the demographics of skateboarding show that it appeals to all colors, ages, and income levels. California, as the cradle of this activity, should be the leader in enacting laws that embrace the sport and it’s participants. The young people of California need the protection of a community-gathering place where they can skateboard out of harms way. Endorsing SV 1179 will help give California’s youth a place to practice the sport safely.
