thinking about community

as I mentioned in class, the creation of a mind map made me realize just how distinct the two communities of park skaters and street skaters are. Joe (my first informant) posted this video on facebook recently and it got reconsidering my statement, though the video itself doesn't actually "state" anything relevant to what I said.

if you don't feel like watching it, it's essentially a montage of different guys skateboarding in cities and parks. even to a blind eye, all the boys in the video are at least acquaintances. since I know a little bit about Joe and his skateboarding (though not a lot, just peripheral knowledge I gather from bits of social networks) I know that all of them are friends and travel to specific places together to skate together. I enjoyed the video a lot both because I like skateboarding and it was impressive and because it made me a little envious of the closeness of the group. I've never really been a part of any small community like that and I can only imagine how much fun it'd be to do something like skate around a city together.

In my interview with Joe we mainly discussed the Owen Bell skatepark and his park skating, but clearly this video is fairly street/city skating based. I don't know any of the boys personally besides Joe but I want to say I've gleaned that they began park-skating (all at different parks, though exclusively at none), which makes me wonder: though they travel to street-skate, I wonder if their initial connection was founded upon their similar "park skating" communities. I'm not really sure how to phrase it and already my words feel sort of shrouded.

I guess what I'm thinking about now is just how distinct the social/what-have-you dichotomy between street-skating and park-skating is, whether or not they are two corresponding playing fields or if they are somewhat substitutable depending on the person -- or if the mindset of a park-skater permeates the atmosphere of street-skating when a (former?) park-skater is doing the street-skating. I know my friend Connor said that he preferred street-skating because it was less competitive, more relaxed, and less eyes were on him, but the video makes me think that it just depends on the group of people. I'm confusing myself here. Hahahah. Oh well.

A poem

I'm not a skateboarder
I just see myself as a person
rolling down the street

in the zone
you finally get it
and it's fun
and easy
and relaxing

I don't have to
impress anyone
you learn
you fail,
for fun

you know
you start to ride or have fun
to do a trick and
I skateboard
and you don't call me a skater
but it shaped me
the same

a poem I pieced together using bits of dialogue from my interview with Connor. it presented a much more poetic and artistic view of skateboarding than I had originally interpreted through his words. it makes me think a lot about self-perception vs. outward appearance  in regard to activities. perhaps what you consider yourself to be is the conclusive factor that makes you that thing.

interview #2!

I am actually pretty excited about how this went! it was with one of my friends, whose name is Connor. it was interesting to talk to him about something he's passionate about in a semi-academic way. he had a lot of good things to say, and it was a neat experience because we hadn't really had a conversation of such depth before. I think I improved my execution of follow-up questions this time around as well as balancing out open and closed questions. this second interview made me realize how impersonal my first interview was and how much I didn't ask Joe (I can justify that with it being my first interview or that I don't know Joe personally but I can also blame myself for not putting enough thought into the process).

Unlike Joe (though he implied that he was in the middle of a skateboard shift), Connor is exclusively a street-skater. he prefers to skate alone and, like Joe, sees skateboarding as a sport, but also utilizes and treats it as a performance art rather than a competitive activity (something I wish I had inquired about when I was interviewing Joe -- oh well). the conversation tied in very well with my literature review, which I tried to make about the relationship between skateboarding and "space" (internal space, i.e. "headspace," and external space, like location). Connor even referenced the [internal] skateboarding "zone" which one of my sources referred to and I further tried to elaborate on in the paper. the literature review helped me frame the space in which I posed my interview questions, I think. I also think I might have taken a few steps closer to a more specific "focus" for this project over the past week.

interview #1!

woohoo. so I had my first interview, with a skateboarder (and photographer) who goes to the Owen Bell skate park frequently. this also counts as my first interaction so I'm hoping that my next visit to the skate park will feel a little less awkward and I'll talk to a few more people. though Joe and I basically hadn't talked since middle school, it was pretty casual and not as uncomfortable as I anticipated. It made me happy that Joe seemed to be very accepting of all skaters (of all ages/gender) because I was half-expecting to hear about ageism (not necessarily from his perspective, but just in general at the skate park). I liked hearing about the community at the skate park and in the skateboarding world.
However I do feel that I could have had more of a structure or theme to my questions. It wasn't the interview itself that did it but just my uncertainty with my project so far. Joe provided me with some good information so I need to spend some time analyzing his answers as well as researching for the literature review to try and find a smaller focus! hmmmmdhfuimshdufami

Progress?

I have yet to make an on-site interaction but I have scheduled two interviews, one with my friend Connor, a skateboarder and longboarder (who does not frequent the Owen Bell skatepark but skates a lot around town), and one with my acquaintance Joe, who goes to the skatepark frequently and is also a photographer like me. Having established a connection of some sort makes me feel a bit better about not having had any "interactions" yet but soon that won't matter because I will interact with someone the next time I go, no matter what. During my last visit, right as I was going to approach a skater, the skater in question entered the skate park and since I'm definitely not going to just walk in he wasn't accessible at that time anymore. As a back-up plan I was going to approach an acquaintance who was skating but he didn't stop riding back-and-forth long enough for me to get his attention. I guess the worst they can say is "whatever" so I should just yell their name or something and get over myself/my fears. I remain motivated!

Snapshots

circa 10/27/13

The Skatepark, Digitalized

What a useful tool the internet is. it's fairly frightening how easily one can find information about any given topic but quite beneficial when doing a research project such as my own. I came across this nifty WikiHow article entitled "How to Go to a Skatepark" which is somewhat inapplicable to me on paper, but helpful and somewhat humorous when viewed in the right light. Note step five which recommends that one does not stand in the middle of the skatepark. I found it amusing. Essentially, the list directs a skatepark-newcomer to take baby steps and to avoid nosediving. Advice that is relevant in basically any new and unfamiliar scenario. Though clearly the tips about learning new tricks and falling don't apply to me, I appreciate the ones that are more communication-based, as they do apply to me in my research, especially,"Ask one of the more experienced skaters to tell you about the park, you'll need to know what moves are prized in that particular park, the skaters you want to avoid, and the skate lingo that is used." I'm a little disturbed by the section describing warnings ("
Watch yourself.") but I have never heard of any violence whatsoever occurring at the Dayville Skatepark so I won't get overly nervous!

In my searches, I came across a video montage of the Dayville Skatepark itself, which can be viewed here. Fair warning, someone flips off the camera in the first shot of the video. Oh well. Duly noting the punky grunge stereotype's exhibition in the flesh. If you google "Dayville, CT Skatepark" there are quite a few videos from Youtube and Vimeo that pop up. I'm not surprised as I know that many skaters in town are also photographers, which is kinda cool to think about. I guess skaters are essentially performers, entertaining their audience as well as satisfying themselves with their success, no matter how small. It only makes sense that there are photographers around to document the "show."

I also came across Skatepark.org, a site designed by skaters who advocate/support the opening and preservation of public skateparks throughout the world. The site provides a step-by-step process explaining how one would go about acquiring a skatepark in their town, which is pretty neat. There are also interviews with skateboards (including a female skater) as well as skatepark testimonials and many articles which represent skateparks as optimistic communities, though a news article about the fatalies of skateboarding makes me think that though the writers are happy skaters, they aren't ignoring potential "dangers" of their lifestyles.

A very intriguing webpage I came across is a site dedicated to the Ann Arbor Skatepark in Michigan. It's a list of "30 Reasons Why" the town needs a skatepark. Most of which I've never really considered. My favorite one, the most provocative and captivating to me, is #30, which states, "If the city doesn't have a skatepark, it is a skatepark." This very much molds a new perspective for me. I'm now looking at skateparks as if they are somewhat equivalent to playgrounds -- if there is no playground, kids will have no designated area to play, and thusly will play in the streets, yards, etc, vulnerable to the dangers of town. I don't exactly think skaters would be "vulnerable," per sé, to any dangers within a city but I guess they would be threatened by the city itself, roads and steps not made to be skated or ollie-d upon. Nearly every town has an accessible gym or track or set of athletic fields, so why should skateboarders be any different, as they are also physical artists/"performers." I had never thought of it that way at all. It is a very thoughtful way to peer into the space of skateparks, and since it comes from skaters themselves, I now feel that they are more conscious and artful than given credit for, or at least than what I had personally previously thought.

Very optimistic and positive vibes and I like that. Even when viewing pros and cons (fatalities, injuries, financial impacts, skateparks being a supposed "haven for crime,") I feel that the idea of them equating to a playground overrules that in my head... Crime happens everywhere. Potential isn't always reason for the punishment that is absence, I don't think. I really believe that I have a newfound appreciation for skaters now, and am grateful to have done this research before conducting any interviews.

Comments: Day One in the Field

My first day as an official fieldworker was Sunday, October 12th. It was a quick thirty minutes that seemed to pass quite slowly, and it was also fairly quiet and unremarkable, but there were a few things that prompted some scribbling. During my stay I sat on a bench thirty or so feet away from the park, so these observations are direct but somewhat detached at the same time.

I was not "taken aback" by any of my observations but I did note and smile at the fact that all the guys (though there were not many) who were at the skate park that day seemed to have arrived together, or at least planned to meet each other there. There was a noteworthy sense of camaraderie -- no one seemed "left out" from what I could sense. I think that's pretty cool/gives off good vibes, and makes me a little less nervous about approaching them.

I also appreciated the clean, unsullied appearance of the skate park. Autumn leaves and small pieces of wrappers or trash often litter the grounds of Owen Bell but there were close to none within the skate park, which obviously indicates that someone takes care of it. I wonder if its patrons are to thank, or if the town/parks department is required to do that.

Even though I was expecting it, it was still surprising to experience being an outsider in this unfamiliar situation. As I sat and observed it really washed over me that I am very much unfamiliar with everything: the people, the terminology, the atmosphere. It left me feeling much more grateful for my familiar places and friends. I felt very awkward throughout my stay and it made me consider bringing a friend along next time.

Positioning

Questions: Which of my "fixed positions" will affect what I see in my field site? What "subjective positions" do I carry into my field site?

The first fixed position that arises as potentially ostracizing is my gender: female. Generally (and seemingly exclusively in the Owen Bell skate park), most skaters and bikers are male. My age is the same as many who hang out there so I do not feel too young or too old. But I suppose my biggest concern relates to my inherent, "subjective," shyness, and since being female already puts me down a notch that much more far away from being an insider, I know it will take a few visits to overcome "feeling awkward." I don't feel as if my gender, nationality, age, etc will affect what I see but it will most likely affect if I see it, if that makes sense. I think I just have to get over myself and take the plunge, and focus my "research lens" closer than I think I can so I can gather all the data I need.

My unfamiliarity with skateboarding, which will be obvious as I have never frequented the skate park before, automatically positions me far away. Even if I don't know any of the skaters there, I know they know that I don't skate and they know I know that they know (hahaha). Even on the internet I see that all the skater "groups" interact in some way, even if impersonally. Though I am acquainted with several of the boys that do go there I wouldn't venture to call us friends so I still feel a bit uncomfortable approaching them in person. I know for a fact that I have many things in common with many of the skaters (music, movies, style, etc) but I'm not sure how to bridge the pre-existing gap.

An Introduction

hello. I am Clara and I pen this post to introduce my work's purpose and point: an in-depth look at a specific location and its culture. As part of a project for my First Year Writing class at Rhode Island College, I will be making weekly visits to the Owen Bell Park Skatepark in Dayville, CT to conduct observations and note-taking.

The Skatepark has been open since April 30, 2009 (as reported by the Norwich Bulletin here), and I find its location, Owen Bell Park, to be a place both close in geography and sentiment, as I played on several soccer teams there as a child. I recall watching the skateboarders and BMX bikers alike ride in the skatepark, and being intimidated by their blasé air and seemingly tacit royalty in the park. Having been piqued, my curiosity led me to respect them just as much as the small clusters of fans huddled around the chain-link fence seemed to. I aim to learn more about the subculture inspiring these fans as well as the story behind the formulation of the skateboarder's interest in their hobby. I am curious about the journey into the subculture and if admission is granted by the mere shared interest or by some more serious type of initiation. Though I am not a skateboarder or biker myself, I went through a perhaps expected phase (shared by any other girl who once identified as a tomboy) in middle school in which I taught myself to skateboard and internally cultivated the goal of being a skateboard[er] photographer (my only real ambition at age thirteen).

From here on, my posts will exhibit any interviews or conversations had with people who are familiar with "skatepark culture," any photographs that may pique one's interest or express something words cannot, and any other remarks or observations that will aid my fieldwork.