New website is up at https://b-woody.com
I will no longer be updating this Blogger page but leaving it here for archival purposes.
Wednesday, May 4, 2022
Friday, February 15, 2019
Common ground in ethos of Skateboarding and Open Source
The ethos of both Skateboarding and Open Source software are something I've always been drawn to.
When Rodney Mullen did his TED talk a few years ago he touched on similarities between the two when he compared skateboarders
to Linux kernel hackers. Ever since then I've pondered about all the other common ground between the two.
Last but not least there seems to be a mutual love of stickers in both the Open Source and Skateboarding world 🤣
That's enough ranting from me. Step outside and skate a curb or go inside and hack some code!
Community
Linus Torvalds was a student who was tired of paying for UNIX so he started writing a free operating system as a DIY hobby while releasing the source code to the community. Mark "Red" Scott wanted a skatepark in Burnside so he started concreting one underneath an empty overpass and inspired others to contribute. Both of these people were DIY trailblazers in the 90's. It's fair to say that both Skateboarding and Open Source spawn communities from people taking initiative and doing it themselves. You can also look at the community around a successful open source project and you'll see a lot of the same comradery that makes a local skate scene healthy. Skateboarding and Open Source both thrive when people come together and collaborate.Passion before Profit
Skateboarding is something done for the sake of the joy of doing it. There are some people who can make a decent living from it but even the ones who can would probably still do it if it wasn't profitable for them. It's just too fun! The same can be said for a lot of open source contributors. Many developers are paid to write code (or even contribute to OSS) but they will also contribute code to other projects on their own time because it's interesting to them and they love doing it.Accessible
John Cardiel used to be both a pro skateboarder and a pro snowboarder in the 90's. In an interview he gave some very righteous reasons that he liked skateboarding better. He talked about how a person needs to be well-off to even try snowboarding because you need to buy expensive equipment, get to the mountains, get a lift pass etc. but if you want to try skateboarding you only need to get a skateboard then step out your front door into the street. Skateboarding is more accessible to more people. The same point could be made for Open Source software. In the Open Source world all you need is your computer/device and then the software is free. Expensive proprietary software and DRM can be a barrier for people to learn be productive with technology.Freedom
In skateboarding there are no rules. You just go skateboarding and do it the way you like. If it's not working for you then try it your own way and put your own spin on it. Sure, there are tried and true ways of doing certain things on your skateboard but ultimately you just do whatever you want and have fun. The same cannot be said for a lot of traditional sports and recreation. Open Source projects have communities who manage those projects and steer them to create the software they want but because the source code and licensing is open there's nothing from stopping you from forking it and making your own version of it. There are always trends and better ideas rising to the top but ultimately Open Source and Skateboarding both give you the freedom to do things the way you want.Global and for Everyone!
Skateboarding isn't just a California thing anymore. Writing code isn't just for people with access to high education and expensive technology anymore. Both of these things are worldwide and are embraced by people from all walks of life! There's still a ways to go in both skateboarding and software development to have a more diverse gender and racial representation but the last few years have been encouraging and stepping in the right direction. The recent uptick in women's skateboarding has been amazing and has huge momentum! I run a volunteer skateboard workshop for kids and we have been getting more girls in attendance than boy as of late. There are also lots of programs out there to encourage girls to learn to code. The future looks bright!
Last but not least there seems to be a mutual love of stickers in both the Open Source and Skateboarding world 🤣
That's enough ranting from me. Step outside and skate a curb or go inside and hack some code!
Sunday, May 7, 2017
5 tricks in Canberra that blew my mind (Skateboarding)
Sometimes tricks happen or unlikely spots get skated that are so ridiculous that it probably won't ever happen again. Here's a few old clips from local Canberra spots and parks that still blow my mind when I watch them.
Grant Taylor - Scrivener Dam Drop-in
 |
| Source: Grant Taylors "Nike SB Chronicles Unplugged" part. https://youtu.be/GsdAArPhckg |
No footage or photo can do really do this spot justice. The dam is huge and before this happened a lot of people wondered if a drop-in was even possible. There was no margin for error and if he'd missed the gap between the concrete teeth at the bottom it would have been game over.
Jack Fardell - Kink Rail at Marist College
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| Source: Thrasher |
This one was a full page photo in Thrasher for the "Lizard of Oz" tour way back when Jack Fardell was still living in Queanbeyan. There used to be a clip of it on YouTube but I haven't been able to find it. That's a lot of kinks to 50-50 through and I'm doubtful anyone else will mess with that rail.
Grant Taylor - Kambah U-Pipe Channel
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| Source: NikeSB Belco or Bust https://vimeo.com/16962164 |
Anything on Kambah U-Pipe is gnarly. The part of the ramp that Grant Taylor had to roll up was literally only just wide enough for a skateboard to fit. His body was inches from the wall. If you go see this thing in person it's hard to believe this was even do-able.
Mike Vallely - Weston Creek Axel Stall
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| Source: Sk8parx.com - Bangers'n'Trash https://youtu.be/z2F_uz8mOXM |
This must have been at least 15 years ago. The railing is gone now but even if it was there I doubt anyone else would think of something this nuts. The clip is from the old Sk8parx.com (now skateboard.com.au) video called "Bangers n Trash". The whole video is definitely worth a watch.
JoJo - Woden Structure Drop
JoJo is a french guy who was road tripping through Australia and skating things that nobody else was crazy enough to consider skate-able. Rolling off the massive shade structure at Woden skatepark was straight up stuntman skating at its finest. Source: Mat Casey's Instagram @matdarat
There's probably way more tricks that I forgot about but these are the ones that stood out in my memory.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Getting a Skatepark fixed.
In my town (Canberra, Australia) we're spoiled for choice when it comes to skate facilities. Belconnen is the biggest park in the southern hemisphere and five of our parks have lights that operate every night. Unfortunately in the past it has taken some effort and lobbying to ensure the upkeep and maintenance of our skateparks.
Thankfully we're reaching a point in Canberra where we don't have to jump through as many hoops just to be heard. In this post I'd like to share some of the tools and strategies used by myself and others in the past to get local government to fix skatepark issues. Most of this is just common sense stuff but maybe it'll be of use to someone wanting to get things done in their town.
When you see something that needs fixing pull out your phone and take some photos and notes about it. Try to take photos that will easily demonstrate the problem to a non-skateboarder. A good example is the photo below. Holes in the concrete at Erindale were big enough for wheels to get stuck inside so I took a photo with my wheels stuck in the hole. This photo put emphasis on the safety issue that had gone unnoticed.
The next step is to figure out who is supposed to be responsible for skatepark maintenance and what is the best way to contact them. In my case I knew that skateparks are the responsibility of a local government organisation called TAMS (Territory and Municipal Services). Canberra is a bit different than most places when it comes to local government. In other towns a good place to start is your local council.
Our first method of contact is to fill out a form on an ACT Gov website called a "fix my street" request. For the benefit of my fellow Canberrans the form link is below:
https://www.canberraconnect.act.gov.au/app/forms/fixmystreet
On the occasions that my requests were not followed up, I emailed some people at TAMS directly. The drawback of sending website requests and emails is that they're easily ignored or disappear into the ether. Surprisingly the best way I could ensure some kind of response was to use social media, particularly Twitter. Raising issues in a public forum means that the people responsible can actually be held accountable for ignoring your request. I eventually discovered that following up my requests with a tweet to the TAMS Minister would ensure that they were not ignored.
But there's a crucial thing to remember when you're contacting people like this...
It should go without saying. Don't be a jerk! You're likely going to be dealing with people that don't appear to know or care much about skateboarding. It's important that you keep your correspondence clear, concise and very polite. If you have a bad attitude or come off as arrogant then you'll be ignored. You should aim to work up a good rapport with your council.
This might not work well in every situation but it's done the trick in Canberra. Get some other locals on the same page and have them contact the council too. If they're hearing more than one complaint then they'll see that there's actually demand to get your problem fixed. Also, emphasize the positive aspects and/or history of your skatepark to build a case and let them know that it's worthwhile fixing. The history and heritage of Erindale and Kambah's facilities have been used in the past to build a case for fixing. See the examples below.
Sometimes you've just got to do it yourself. After all, some of the best skateparks in the world are 100% DIY efforts. Do some research on concrete or cement and then get a crew together to come up with a plan. I saw a perfect example of this is when I was on holiday in Canada. I skated a park called Beasley in Hamilton, ON. The park was was frequently being added to and repaired by the locals. My understanding is that they've got an agreement with the city. Their scene appeared to be thriving because of the camaraderie and pride that the locals have in the place. Sometimes you just need to get the ball rolling for councils to be willing to work with you. When Lanyon Skatepark was relocated I went to the effort of drawing up an amended plan and sending it to a minister. She noticed the effort and arranged a meeting between us and the project managers to have them consider the changes. Another DIY effort in Canberra skatepark maintenance is Belco Bowl. The surface has been completely refurbished and repainted by locals in their spare time.
The things I've written about are just some of my personal experiences and they're not all that much in the grand scheme of Canberra skateboarding. I suggest checking out the Canberra Skateboarding Association website and having a dig through the old posts. We have the amazing skateparks that we have in Canberra thanks to the past lobbying efforts of that organisation. You can also find a link below to read more about the history of Beasley skatepark in Hamilton, ON.
http://canberraskateboarding.org/
https://skatebeasley.wordpress.com/
Thankfully we're reaching a point in Canberra where we don't have to jump through as many hoops just to be heard. In this post I'd like to share some of the tools and strategies used by myself and others in the past to get local government to fix skatepark issues. Most of this is just common sense stuff but maybe it'll be of use to someone wanting to get things done in their town.
Take photos and notes.
Who to contact about it?
How to reach out to them?
https://www.canberraconnect.act.gov.au/app/forms/fixmystreet
On the occasions that my requests were not followed up, I emailed some people at TAMS directly. The drawback of sending website requests and emails is that they're easily ignored or disappear into the ether. Surprisingly the best way I could ensure some kind of response was to use social media, particularly Twitter. Raising issues in a public forum means that the people responsible can actually be held accountable for ignoring your request. I eventually discovered that following up my requests with a tweet to the TAMS Minister would ensure that they were not ignored.
But there's a crucial thing to remember when you're contacting people like this...
Be polite and diplomatic.
Leverage your scene.
If all else fails, DIY
The things I've written about are just some of my personal experiences and they're not all that much in the grand scheme of Canberra skateboarding. I suggest checking out the Canberra Skateboarding Association website and having a dig through the old posts. We have the amazing skateparks that we have in Canberra thanks to the past lobbying efforts of that organisation. You can also find a link below to read more about the history of Beasley skatepark in Hamilton, ON.
http://canberraskateboarding.org/
https://skatebeasley.wordpress.com/
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