TimesLeader.com

July 26, 2007

At skate parks, safety a hot topic

As W-B looks into building facility, helmetless boarder’s injuries, liability issues noted.

BILL O ’ BOYLE boboyle@timesleader.com

When it comes to skateboarding, Joyce Wasko knows all too well the importance of safety – especially regarding helmets.

Wasko’s son, Michael, was 21 when he rode his skateboard down his driveway in Lake Harmony. He fell, striking his unprotected head on the concrete. He incurred severe head trauma injuries, and his mom said Michael is unable to work to this day. He’s 28 now and he and his mom are very concerned about kids who skateboard and where they skate.

“Whenever Michael is with me in the car, if he sees kids skateboarding without helmets on, he makes me stop the car,” Wasko said Monday. “He gets out and lectures the kids on how important it is for them to wear helmets. He shows them his scars and tells them how his accident changed his life.”

Wasko said the kids usually listen with their mouths wide open and she knows her son’s story leaves them thinking. She isn’t opposed to building a skateboard park, but she does want to make sure that safety will be practiced if one is built. And in the meantime, she and her son will continue to do their part in convincing kids to be safe.

“When I saw the picture of those five kids in your paper last week, I shuddered,” Wasko said. “None of them were wearing helmets, but there they were trying all sorts of dangerous tricks. It really hit home with me.”

Wasko said her son’s life and hers were changed forever in 2001. Michael still suffers short-term memory loss and he remains on several medications.

“I’m sure these kids feel it could never happen to them,” Wasko said. “But it can. It happened to my son and he never thought it could happen to him.”

Safety is a concern of everyone looking to build an authentic skateboard park in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Three young men addressed Wilkes-Barre City Council last week asking the council and the mayor to consider building a park. Several concerns were raised, including the cost of such a project and the liability.

Kirsten Bradford, chief executive officer for Spohn Ranch Inc., a California-based company that designs and builds skateboard parks all over the country, said safety is always at the forefront when parks are built. She said skateboarding sees fewer accidents per year than traditional sports such as football, basketball and baseball.

“Actually, statistics show that there are fewer injuries from skateboarding than those traditional sports,” Bradford said. “And insurance costs are not that high.”

Bradford said municipalities might have to purchase a separate policy for “at-risk” sports such as skateboarding or BMX bike riding, but she said they are usually low in cost.

“It may require a separate policy, but it’s not that costly,” Bradford said. “In fact, there are policies that would even assist underinsured people where the municipality’s insurance would pick up where the person’s policy left off. There might be a deductible built in there, but the fact is the cost is low and the coverage is high.”

Bradford also said municipalities can mandate helmets be worn at the park, thereby increasing safety significantly and, in many cases, lowering insurance costs. She also said some towns offer supervision at the parks and others don’t.

In all cases, however, she said rules are posted clearly and in several areas signs outline what is mandatory and allowed at each park.

“It varies state to state,” Bradford said. “In California, for example, the law states that by participating, skateboarders and BMXers agree to adhere to the rules for at-risk sports.”

Bradford has been with Spohn since the company started 15 years ago. She said that for the first few years most questions asked at trade shows and conferences dealt with why they should build a skate park.

“For the last several years the questions deal more with what type of park should we build,” Bradford said. “And, in most cases, once a skate park opens it immediately becomes the most popular park in the town by far. Then we get the calls saying we should have built it bigger and we begin discussions on Phase II or we talk about extending the park.”

Bradford said depending on size and space, parks can cost between $300,000 and $1 million or more. She said construction costs usually range between $30 and $40 per square foot.

“I have to tell you I am impressed that the skateboarders in your city are organized and actually spoke before council,” Bradford said. “That tells me there is a lot of interest in skateboarding back there. I wish them luck.”

Pennsylvania has legislation pending on skateboarding. Senate Bill No. 514, which would amend Title 42 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, would provide for immunity from civil liability for owners and operators of extreme sports parks or recreation areas.

The legislation currently is in the Judiciary Committee of the state Senate, and Sen. Jane Clare Orie has been trying to get the bill passed for years. Orie, R-40th District, is the current majority whip in the state Senate.

The legislation, if passed, would remove liability for civil damages caused by the operation of skateboard parks and would include roller skating, inline skating, freestyle bicycling, mountain biking and other activities.

The law would require the following: that the extreme sports park or recreation area be designed and maintained for the purpose of extreme sports use; that a set of rules governing use of the facility be clearly posted at each entrance; that warnings be posted concerning the hazards and dangers associated with the use of the facility; that the owner/operator would not be liable for injuries occurred when the park is closed.

At the Wyoming Valley Sports Dome in Plains Township, participants must sign a waiver. The customer must acknowledge the risks inherent in aggressive skating and the voluntary participation. The participant must sign the waiver as well as parents of minors.