Bloomington skate park attracts Hoosiers

On a typical warm Sunday afternoon, you can likely find between 20 and 30 young boys at the Bloomington Skate Park watching other skaters, socializing with friends and challenging each other to try new stunts. \nBoys as young as five, to men as old as 45 meet every day to hang out and skate. \nWhile skaters share the passion behind the sport, many skaters and parents offer differing views on whether a state law should be passed requiring skaters and riders to wear helmets.\nThe death of a 14-year-old boy in early June sparked debate about whether such a law should be passed.\n"I think it should be up to the skater whether they wear a helmet or not," Shake said. "I make my son wear his and he thanks me for it because he falls and knows if he didn't have it on, he could have been badly hurt."\nNancy Hughes, another mom who brings her kids to the park, says she asks her son, 12, to wear his helmet because it is a good safety tool. \nA blue sign is posted at the front of the park with 11 park regulations. \nAlthough it says "safety equipment is highly recommended because extreme sports are high risk activities," the skaters are not forced to wear helmets or any type of protection. \n"Some kids don't need to wear a helmet because they have been skating a lot longer than my son," Hughes said. "When he tries to do stunts, I make him wear it because he's not as experienced as some of the other skaters."\nThough skaters are not forced to wear helmets when they ride, some feel it's a good idea. Four boys were wearing helmets while they practiced stunts on the concrete slops. \n"It kind-of messes you up when you wear a helmet because it's hard to see, but I think it should be their choice," ninth grader at Bloomington High School South Ethan Harden said. "I think if the law is going to make you wear a helmet, they should make you wear other padding too because your whole body can get hurt."\nA regular-attending skater at the park broke his arm Friday evening while attempting a stunt on his board. His friends called an ambulance to take him to the hospital.\n"It took the ambulance 20 minutes to get here," Shake said. "I saw A.J. back the day after he broke his arm."\nThe skaters and parents agree more security could be enforced to make the park a safer place to skate. \n"The park security should come around like every hour so what happened to A.J. won't happen to anyone else," said 12-year-old Mathew Sainz. \nHughes said the park should have volunteers to watch the skaters more often than they do. \n"The park isn't unsafe, but it could be safer with people watching more," Hughes said. "The park gets over-crowded and that's the only time it becomes unsafe for the kids riding."\nSainz said everyone at the skate park watches out for each other.\n"I know almost everybody who comes here now," Sainz said. "It's like the older kids here are my friends, but they're kind-of like baby-sitters too because they look out for me and help do tricks and stuff." \nThe skaters not only watch out for each other, but feel it is their responsibility to look out for the park as well. They respect the park by abiding by the rules set by the Bloomington Parks and Recreation. \n"I don't ever do anything bad at the park even though I could because my parents aren't here, but there are other adults around most of the time," Sainz said. "I pick up my trash and try not to cuss or anything when I skate." \nDebbie Shake says she feels completely comfortable allowing her eight-year-old son to skate because the kids watch out for one another.\n"All of the kids really help each other out when they skate and look out for the other skaters," Shake said. "The older kids take care of the younger ones, so I feel fine letting my son skate with the kids that come here."\n-- Contact staff writer Nellie Summerfield at nsummerf@indiana.edu .