Zach Munro’s father, sister and brother had a long list of places to visit on their trip here from San Diego, typical tourist sites such as the Statue of Liberty, Times Square and Ground Zero.
Zach, meanwhile, had just one spot in mind: the Brooklyn Banks, the curved brick park and famed skateboarding hot spot under the Brooklyn Bridge.
“This is really cool,” the 16-year-old said one recent afternoon during a break from skateboarding at the Banks. “I really had to see this place.
“It feels more authentic to me here than anywhere else.”
He is not alone.
Steve Rodriguez, at 38, is old enough to be Zach’s dad and has been skateboarding at the Banks since 1983. He calls the spot “iconic.”
He should know.
Rodriguez, through his dealings with city officials, is what some people call the mayor of skateboarding in the city. Several years ago he convinced city officials to allow skateboarders to continue using the Banks, and he considers it sacred ground because it was there when skateboarding was far from the popular sport it is today.
At the same time, however, there is concern that planned renovation work on the bridge, particularly on the Manhattan side, where the Banks are located, could shut the spot down for anywhere from a few months to a few years.
It was not clear from the city Department of Transportation what effect, if any, the renovation work would have on the Banks.
But the city earlier this decade did shut down what was the original Banks, near Rose Street, using it so officers at nearby One Police Plaza could park, then turning it into a more ordinary park for local elderly residents more interested in shuffleboarding than skateboarding.
“I’m very concerned about it,’’ Rodriguez said. “I know that if they close the Banks it might not reopen. I know once something’s gone you have a hard time getting it back.”
In the meantime, however, the Banks. with—what else—banks of various sizes, ledges, rails and pillars, remains what it has always been—a spot that skateboarders discovered, as opposed to, say, the newly expanded skate park under the Manhattan Bridge, which combines the features of well-known skate spots from around the world.
“Other parks are good, but this has the history and bricks are so smooth so it’s easy to ride,’’ says Eddie Soto, a 15-year-old who takes the subway from Far Rockaway every chance he gets. “I know this place wasn’t built for skating but skaters have a way of finding places like this. And what I like about this place is, the only rule is don’t steal someone else’s skateboard. And it doesn’t matter if you’re only ok, like me, or if you’ve been skating a long time.
“Anyone can skate here.”
Indeed, the Banks on any given day draws from a cross-section of New Yorkers who have helped turn skateboarding from a niche fad with a reputation for appealing to long-haired slackers to a growing sport that could soon be part of the Olympics.
“I don’t think the stereotype is really there any more,’’ says Francisco Diaz, 17, of Cranford, N.J.
“All the guys I skate with are on the honor roll.’’Francisco, who on this day was practicing his ollies – jumping in the air with his skateboard “stuck” to his feet—and other teens like him say much of what they’ve learned about skateboarding and its culture has come via word of mouth on the Internet: whether it’s watching videos of Rooftop Rampage, the skateboard showdown held June 13 atop New Design High School or visiting the myriad sktateboarding web sites.
At the same time, skateboarding is being recognized for the role it can play in giving kids an alternative to hanging out and finding trouble.
Billy Rohan, a professional skateboarder and head of skate park development for Open Road, a non-profit group, works each day with a group of eager East Village students from East Side Community High School who take skateboarding for gym class.
“When I was in school you’d get suspended if you brought a skateboard in,’’ says Rohan, who is 28 and moved here from Gainsville, Fla. “But now, with so many kids doing this people realize that if kids didn’t have this chance maybe they’d just be hanging out or committing crime.”
Rohan also said kids are drawn to skateboarding because its stars are much more accessible than other athletes, taking time at major gatherings to show fans their tricks.
“It’s like you’re shooting baskets with Kobe Bryant,” he said.
Anthony Olan, 17, might have had just that feeling, as he took on Rohan in a game of skate, matching—or at least trying to match— Rohan’s nollie, kick-flip and other moves.
“Two of my friends have skateboards,” Olan said later.
“I was trying different things – bikes, rollerblades, scooters. I like the skateboard the best.
“When I’m on my skateboard I feel free, and I feel like nothing can hold me back.”
