The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

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U Campus Continues to Attract Skateboarders, Both Professionals and Amateurs

Sam+Wood%2C+a+senior+in+architecture%2C+skates+after+studying+for+finals.+Photo+credit%3A+Peter+Creveling
Sam Wood, a senior in architecture, skates after studying for finals. Photo credit: Peter Creveling

Every June 21 at the U, the air is filled with rhythmic raps of wheels hitting cracks in the sidewalk as processions of skateboarders file off of the train and carve, grind and ollie from upper to lower campus on Go Skateboarding Day.

As this illustrates, the U is a popular site for skateboarders because it is filled with features that give opportunities for tricks. Justin Phanbandith, a skateboarder who regularly skates at the U, said, “There are a lot of spots to skate and a big hill which makes it fun for riding down.”

Utah skate crews, like Sk801, use the U as a location for filming their skate videos, like some of the clips in this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eqo5SIhlLF8.

Skating at the U isn’t only a favorite of students and locals but also of professional skateboarders. The U frequently appears in videos distributed by skate companies. One video that includes clips from the U is “Emerica MADE.” This excerpt from Chapter One of the video shows Leo Romero skating outside the Art and Architecture Building: https://youtu.be/vAxL_oWk6Fk.

Many videos that are filmed at the U feature Utah native Mike Plumb, better known as “Lizard King.” Among those is “The Deathwish Video,” which also features other prominent boarders, such as Erik Ellington, Jon Dickson and Brian “Slash” Hansen.

Some of the videos in the Deathwish “Kill Tapes” series also feature the U. One of the most popular “Kill Tapes” videos, published on Thrasher Magazine’s website, was filmed outside the Marriott Library. It is titled “Lizard King’s Ollie,” and shows Plumb riding and ollying down one of the walls on the side of the stairs to the north of the library: http://www.thrashermagazine.com/articles/videos/kill-tapes-lizard-kings-ollie/.

The top comment on the video is from the U’s official Facebook page. It says, “We see you, Lizard King. THAT KIND OF DEBAUCHERY IS NOT ALLOWED ON CAMPUS. But, wow, nice work. Hope your head is okay after that last one.”

In 2013, the U considered banning skateboarding on campus after several accidents where skateboarders collided with pedestrians. They abandoned the plan and instead made rules to regulate skateboarding. Some of the regulations include partitioning skateboarders to designated paths and forbidding them from riding on any stairway, wall, bench, fountain or other structure or facility. Not complying with these rules can result in a fine and impoundment of the skateboard.

Most monitoring by U Police is limited to parking lots, so skaters generally shred uninterrupted for now.

[email protected]

@emilyinorgandy

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