4 Boards, Bros, and Brodettes: Skateboarding and the Collegiate Ideal

Asa Grekin, Chelsea Ha, and Saiyang Gui

All across America, on college campuses and in central gathering locations, there can often be seen people riding skateboards. The prevalence of skateboarding on college campuses is no secret and has become a part of collegiate traditions in many places. The accessibility and prevalence of skateboarding on college campuses and skateboarding’s subsequent role in student traditions make it a shining example of the collegiate ideal.

Skateboarding is a relatively accessible sport in comparison to traditional campus or club sports since it does not require membership to a team or access to a place such as a gym, court, or field. The sport requires a relatively low upfront cost in terms of necessary equipment, and the skateboarding community itself is extremely inviting and inclusive. In an interview with Av, a university student who skateboards as a hobby, she said that “the skate community is really open to helping new people learn… I know people who have gotten skateboards for free just because it’s like they’re coming to hang out at the skatepark… people are trying to get them into it type [of] situation.” Another college student, said “I love [skateboarding] because it is cheap to begin with, and you will meet fun people, and most importantly, you can go really really fast and it feels amazing.” This accessibility allows for large skateboarding communities in and around college campuses.

A skateboarding community requires not only people, but a physical place as well, so providing common areas that can be skated is a good way to create a community of skateboarders. As a third college student put it: “The skaters will follow the locations.” College campuses, which are large and offer many obstacles, fit the bill perfectly. College students can be easily enticed to pick skating up by the increased ease-of-access that living on a college campus provides. And, since it is already an easily accessible sport, people seeking new hobbies and experiences are further enticed to pick it up after seeing the number of people around them doing it.

The prevalence of skateboarding on college campuses impacts life for college students: For many skaters and non-skaters alike, skating creates an out-of-class ritual that binds them to their college. For people who skate, it becomes a hobby that connects them with the physical location of their school. For people who don’t skate the lively atmosphere that it provides around campus, like the sounds that it creates and the motion that it involves and the number of people it brings onto campus, is enough to make everyone feel like a part of a community. For all people who inhabit a college campus, skateboarding is a part of life, and it leads to a sense of community outside of class.

The ‘Collegiate Ideal’ has been described as  an environment where “academic endeavors coexist with the pursuit of campus community through customs and rituals, events and activities, and residence life and recreational facilities” (Toma, 1999, p. 82 in Football U). Skateboarding, with its inclusive community and inherent tie to college campuses, is a perfect example of this environment. As a community that actively encourages people to join in on its activities and rituals, making unique use of the facilities provided on college campuses and contributing to campus community, skateboarders uphold the ‘Collegiate Ideal’ in many ways.

References

Toma, J. Douglas. Football U.: Spectator Sports in the Life of the American University. University of Michigan Press, 2003.