In The News
You’ve certainly brought up a great point, and it’s one that should be debated and is debated in skateboarding circles. There are some who believe that pads and helmets should not be required at public parks. Their reasoning is that skateboarding in a skatepark (and even street skating) has a much lower injury rate than basketball, for instance, but pads and helmets aren’t required of other recreational sports participants. Also, most injuries are to the wrist as the skater breaks his or her fall, which pads or helmets can’t prevent (statistics are based primarily on studies by the Consumer Product Safety Commission — see Parks & Rec Business, October 2003, page 8).
Others argue that, whether or not a facility is supervised, pads and helmets should be required to mitigate any risk as much as possible. They argue that wearing a helmet and pads is really not too onerous, plus you’re protecting them from collisions with other skaters and bikes.
Thanks to your letters, we plan to address both sides of this issue in 2004 as we continue The Skatepark Decision as a monthly column.
Thanks again for your help, and for reading. Please let us know how we’re doing in other areas of interest to you, and if there are subjects you’d like to see covered.
Thanks,
Regan D. Dickinson, Editor
Parks & Rec Business magazine
News Briefs
DENVER — KoalaPlay Group, the commercial play design and development division of Koala Corporation, has completed installations of custom wet and dry play attractions in England, Mexico and Russia. The installations include Splash Landings Hotel, Alton Towers, England; Carl’s Jr., Tijuana, Mexico; and Gorky Park, Moscow. Pictured here is the Alton Tower’s New Splash Landings Hotel and Cariba Creek Waterpark where Koala’s theming department designed the “Wacky Waterworks Treehouse” and “Tipping Bucket” water-play attractions.
TEMPE, Ariz. — Surface Industries Inc., distributor of Ramp Armor, Sub-Str8 and other ramp surfacing and skatepark materials, will be managed by Site Action Sports LLC. New sales manager Mark DiOrio will manage sales and operations for Surface Industries.
MINNEAPOLIS — Landscape Structures (LSI) has been awarded the Park and Playground Equipment contract with U.S. Communities, a national non-profit organization that helps local government agencies leverage their collective buying power to purchase a broad range of goods and services and streamline the purchasing process, says LSI.
BROOMFIELD, Colo. — GreenPlay LLC celebrates its fifth anniversary this month, and has added two consultants as pricipals for the parks, recreation and open space consultant — Pat O’ Toole and John Overstreet. O’Toole has consulting, planning and agency directorial experience. Overstreet also has consulting experience, as well as government agency senior management and university teaching experience.
CHATANOOGA, Tenn. — PlayCore Holdings Inc. announces the sale of its Heartland Industries Inc. subsidiary to a group led by Heartland management and Dubin Clark & Company. PlayCore says its sold Heartland in order focus on its commercial and residential playground products. Heartland, which produces backyard storage options for the residential market, joins a portfolio of Dubin Clark companies that includes Classic Party Rentals, Exciss Trailers, Haulmark Trailers and Southland Log Homes.
Calendar
2004
February
7-11
Ohio Parks & Recreation Association Conference, Columbus, Ohio
(614) 895-2222
www.opraonline.org
24-27
American Camping Association National Conference, San Francisco
(765) 342-8456
www.acacamps.org
2/26 – 3/2
NRPA Aquatics Conference, North Charleston, S.C.
(847) 843-7529
www.aquaticsnrpa.org
March
10-12
Texas Recreational & Park Society Conference, Wichita Falls, Texas
(512) 267-5550
www.traps.org
10-13
California Park & Recreation Society Conference, Anaheim, Calif.
(916) 665-2777
www.cprs.org
15-17
New Jersey Recreation & Park Association Conference & Exhibition, Atlantic City, N.J.
(732) 568-1270
http://community.nj.com/cc/parksandrecreation
April
25-28
New York State Recreation & Park Society Annual Conference, Tarrytown, N.Y.
(518) 584-0321
www.nysrps.org
September
17-19
National Alliance for Youth Sports International Youth Sports Congress, Indianapolis
(800) 688-KIDS
www.nays.org
24-27
Colorado Parks & Recreation Association Conference, Breckenridge, Colo.
(303) 231-0943
www.cpra-web.org
October
First week of October
World Water Park Association Annual Symposium & Trade Show, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
(913) 599-0300
www.waterparks.org
12-16
NRPA Congress, Reno, Nev./Tahoe, Calif.
(703) 858-0784
www.nrpa.org
10/29 – 11/2
2004 American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Annual Meeting & Expo, Salt Lake City
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