I just don’t know what happened to this coalition. Maybe they shifted to another domain or they got liquidated altogether. What I know about them is that the work that they were doing to promote board skating and BMXing was one of the most awesome tasks that any organization could do. To cap it all, all they were doing was for free.
This photo taken sometime in early 2005…
Below is some of the information about them that I recovered form the wayback machine on January 18th, 2006.
Accomplishments up to 2003…
The Vancouver SkatePark Coalition is run by a committed volunteer coalition of Vancouver skateboarders and BMXers. We’re a provincially registered not for profit society, and have been so since 1996. 2002-2003 was been another exciting year, with so many things on the go. We’re encouraged by the unanimous decision delivered by both the Vancouver Board of Parks & Recreation and Vancouver City Council for the new Downtown Park.
With some local volition, the park at Quebec & Union will be done this year. We had the one-year trial legalization of skating on Vancouver streets in 2002, and now, as of March 22nd, 2003, it’s permanent. Vancouver City Council has also recently decided that skateboards can no longer be confiscated by the Vancouver Police Department. The VPD is working overtime on serious issues, so let’s skate between the lines, which means do not hurt or endanger anyone other than yourself while on your skateboard legally on the streets of Vancouver. Failure to understand the flow results in fines starting at $75CDN.
The Strathcona Park was completed this year. It’s a mini-park, and is an example of where skateboarding should be: in the heart of the poorest postal code in Canada, next to new soccer fields, basketball hoops, a track oval, and right next to a resilient neighborhood that will make it work.
The Victory Square spot got us out to meet Senators and Soldiers this year. Skateboarding or not, the reclamation and restoration of Victory Square, a monument to Canadians lost defending their values in war, will proceed and become a new focal point of civic pride.
Andy Livingstone Park (Hotspot) has become a found-object of skateboarding, with help from the VSPC and people with crowbars. The caps are never coming back. Coopers Park is under construction. The Leeside project is up on the immediate horizon, with so much work soon to achieve fruition. Estimates on the Westside Park point to the summer of 2004.
The VSPC is proud to have a hand in all of the improvements Vancouver is making.
Our strength is Vancouver spirit. That’s the citizens, writers, reporters, politicians, civic managers, photographers, printers, couriers, skaters, friends, BMXers, producers, web designers, police, teachers, drivers, architects, editors, community centre officials, donors and the many more who make a strictly volunteer organization like the VSPC viable, and delivering hard results.
As if that was not enough, the coalition championed for the improvement of skate-boarding and BMXing in Vancouver, which saw several parks and lanes erected as well as they enabled the sponsoring of various skating events. For instance, the coalition fund-raised and helped in the struggle to build Leeside Park, one of the best skating parks in Vancouver in memory of Lee Matasi, an avid skateboarder who was shot dead.
I was thrilled by the community which used to own this domain. Now, this website has some content in respect of the community of both skaters and BMXers. You can access them by clicking on the links below…
I visited my grandmother in Vancouver, Canada 2 years ago when she was sick. When I was there, I liked everything about the place. There were lovely neighborhoods, fun activities, good foods and a lot of play with my cousins. What impressed me most was kids with skateboards and I wished that I knew how to ride one. I knew I would be back soon and this time round I would not be in haste to leave. When I got back home at Los Angeles, I drafted a letter to my grandmother and uncle telling them that I will be back once I’m done with high school. I have since then returned to Vancouver and I have already settled for my college education.
It has been 6 months now and I feel like I have always belonged here. One thing which has made me love this life here is the fun activities that we have all the year round. Since my first day, I have taken keen interest in BMXing and skateboarding. At first it was not easy to learn the ropes but I have now become a pro. My cousins and new friends no longer beat me. They have instead begun to admire my skills and find it justifying that I just came here recently and everyone looks upon me to learn new skateboarding skills.
It was a lot easier to learn skateboarding than BMXing
I learned skateboarding a lot easier and faster than the BMX thing. With skateboarding, you do not need as much of skills to master it. It is slower in pace and a novice can find it easy to learn, for some people like me that is. On the other hand, BMXing need lots of skills and the fast pace makes it quite hard to master it quickly. But with time I became proficient in both of them but I honestly love BMXing more than board skating.
Getting into professional skating
My skills at these skating activities did not go unnoticed. I was a champion both in college and the neighborhood. It happened that in Vancouver there is are annual skating competitions that are meant to raise awareness on breast cancer. My cousins brought me the news of the next event and I immediately started to practice. After school, I would rush straight into the skating park with a few of my friends who were also registered to take part in the competition. We did it for hours and would get home when it was already dark.
I did not get any scolding from my grandmother who seemed to be very supportive. At home I ensured that I adhered to a vegetarian diet which my grandmother had recommended for my weight loss program. Each day I would stand on the scale and I would be happy with my progress.
When the day came, I took my gear and went to the public park where the event would be held. Even before the competition started most of my friends were shouting my name as they expected me to beat all the other competitors. I did not want to fail their expectation so I ensured that I started well. I used all the tricks I had learned and pulled a few stunts which ensured I stay on top of the pack. By the time I reached the finish line, the second competitor was 5 minutes away and I knew that I had smashed a record.
Why I love both BMXing and skateboarding
Before I moved to Canada, I never knew anything about skating but it has now become my favorite sporting and leisure activity. Told to choose between the two, I would not drop any of them since they bring different experiences. I love both skateboarding and BMXing for the sheer fun of pace and feeling free as you ride. They also help me keep a healthy lifestyle.
Since I came from the U.S., I have been able to shed 30 pounds in 6 months and I aim to drop even more. I also have my grandmother to thank for making sure that I do not eat junk food. She ensures that everyone eats homemade food. This low-carb diet has been so helpful to my fitness and I always feel grateful that she allowed me to come here.
