FYI

[Curt Chapman]

Not necessarily slalom related, but I don't like the way this looks:

This is extracted from Deseret News from 7/26

PROVO — Utah County longboarders, your worst nightmare is about to come true.
Stuart Johnson, Deseret Morning NewsKirtley Sorensen, front, and Colby Manscill coast down the Provo River Parkway Trail in Provo Canyon Wednesday. The Provo River Parkway in Provo Canyon — and all other Utah County-run trails, for that matter — is about to become off-limits to skateboarding, longboarding and other similar sports.
Skate- and longboarders will no longer be allowed to ride on the county's trail system because of safety issues, according to an ordinance unanimously approved Wednesday by the Utah County Commission. Bicycles and roller skates are still permitted, but a 15 mph speed limit will be imposed and enforced on those devices.
"The main issue I see here is we're talking about those things that don't have any brakes, because there have been problems with bicycles on the trail as well, but we're not eliminating those," said Commissioner Larry Ellertson. "I hate to take away more and more freedom of people, yet safety is premier, and we need to be safe with these things."
The ordinance, which will become effective as soon as Aug. 10, was inspired by an accident that happened on the asphalt trail by the Provo River — a mecca for those who love to longboard — in the beginning of July.
According to Paul Hawker, associate Utah County engineer and county traffic investigator, on July 1 an accident occurred between a group of longboarders who were coming down the trail and a group of sightseers who were walking up the trail. The longboarders were not able to avoid the group of people, and subsequently a child was injured and taken to the hospital.
On that day, the officer who handled the accident warned the group of longboarders — about 70 of them, Hawker says — that they could lose their right to ride in the canyon. Since then, rumors in the longboarding community have circulated on blogs and other Web sites that the ordinance was imminent.
"The safety concern is, now we know that there have been problems, and we can't just ignore it," Ellertson said.
Hawker said at least four written complaints about longboarders on the trail have been received by the county in the past three months. The complaints have added to the county's desire to avoid future accidents, because of the thousands of people who use the trail on a daily basis, longboarders are in the minority, Hawker says.
"You go up there in the midmorning and there are women with strollers that are using (the trail)," Hawker said. "You'll see the joggers, the bicycler and the runners. In the late afternoon, you'll see a lot of walkers and people who just want to get out of the heat. We have thousands of people up there, and I don't see longboarders in the majority."
The county ordinance applies to all of the county's trails, including other popular skateboarding areas in Hobble Creek Canyon and along the Jordan River.
To Colby Manscill, who rode his longboard down Provo Canyon Wednesday, closing the popular route to skaters would be more dangerous to people who are interested in the sport. Instead of coasting up and down the mountain trail with people who are walking and biking, the skateboarders would be pushed to ride on city streets, alongside much more dangerous vehicles.
"For how many kids that (skateboard on the trail), I don't see why they would ban it," Manscill said. "It's a huge social thing and an easy way to get to know people. ... It's just as safe as anything else."
Stuart Johnson, Deseret Morning NewsManscill, left, and Sorensen ride their longboards. Kirtley Sorensen, who, with a helmet and a water container, also rode her longboard in Provo Canyon on Wednesday, agreed with Manscill. Instead of banning the sport outright, the county should consider choosing restrictive hours, Sorensen said.
That kind of input is exactly what the county wants to hear, Ellertson says. Though it is not required, the County Commission has opted to hold a public meeting to follow up on the ordinance and gather feedback from anyone in the community who has an interest in the county's trails.
"I'm uncomfortable (enacting the ordinance) without forcing us to include the user groups (skateboarders, hikers, bikers)," Ellertson said. "If (skateboarders) can come in and demonstrate to us that (skateboards and longboards) can be controlled in a responsible way as it pertains to speed, then we'll look at some of the wording and we can change (the ordinance)."
The meeting will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 29 in the Utah County Commission chambers, located in Room 1400 in the Utah County Administration Building,100 E. Center Street in Provo.

[Jonathan Harms]

Get on it, Utah people! Don't let this happen without trying to stop it. Good luck!

If it hasn't already been posted, try posting the story on Silverfish as well. You may find even more support there.

[Cat Young]

I know where I live--- in Northern California, there are way more accidents caused by bikes & dog owners than skateboards.

Also, the people who push baby strollers need to be schooled on the proper etiquette when walking a trail. Some of them think they own the damn trail----along with the dog walkers who have the thin cable leashes that go to 20 or more feet.

As an avid runner, I have had quite a few close calls with dogs & their owners. The owner will be on one side of the trail & their dog on the other side with the cable leash across the WHOLE trail.

Utah needs to get some rules & regulations going--- like other states. Banning is NOT the thing to do.

I bet if the Mormons owned a skateboard company, this would not be an issue, right Trish??

Peace out!

[Curt Chapman]

I bet if the Mormons owned a skateboard company, this would not be an issue, right Trish??

Latter Day Skates?

Oh ya, they went out of business....

[Cat Young]

Good one Curt!

[trish erickson]

I finally sat down long enough to read the article. I have skated that trail many times and I aslo have walked it many times with my kids. And almost hit by longboarders. I like to think that I am a responsible boarder because I have taken the time to learn how to stop and control my board. I can't say that about the longboarders I have encountered during my walks. I don't agree that they should close the trail to boarders but something does need to be done about the kids who jump on these longboards and just take off. They have no requard to people or traffic. I drive an ambulance in SLC and almost on a nightly basis, I come real close to running the longboarders over because they simply do not obey the rules of the road, blowing through stop sighns, riding down the middle of the road. As a driver, what are we suppose to do? I am a HUGE skater and I do not want to see a bunch of closers to us but if the "bad" boarders don't get it soon, that is going to happen.

Ok, just my 2 cents worth!


Mormons....They would probably dedicate a whole street just for us if we all agreed to attend Sunday school and pay tithing! LOL.