Skateboarding in Barbados

             Skateboarding in Barbados is not just a sport that people play across the island, but much more than that. Skateboarding is a lifestyle and a passion. We skaters look out for each other, we were all one big family, and I don’t consider that the slightest bit untrue. However, Despite our close bond and love for skateboarding, it is still not recognized as a true sport in Barbados such as cricket or football. The first thing Barbados needs is a skateboard park, where skaters can go to skate without having to worry about the dangers and troubles of skating public or private property. It is a sport that requires a lot of skill and hard work, as a former footballer and athlete, I can definitely say skating takes the most concentration and effort. In the future, with a few helping hands, I would like to see skateboarding reach its full potential as a sport in Barbados, putting Barbados on an international level.
               Barbadian skating is an up and coming sport that is now growing, as it is fairly new to the island. Friends call each other and meet up for sessions, when or if they can find somewhere to skate. There are a few teams, consisting of the more advanced skaters, such as irie one skate team, and the team I ride for, movement skate team. These teams hold contests and events throughout the year, such as the one movement annual summer invitational, in which skaters from around the world from places like Trinidad and Tobago and Canada fly down to attend and watch. There is trouble with the growing scene however due to lack of places to skate safely or legally. We skaters are often called trespassers, but its simply because we have no where to go. Despite many attempts to reach out to the government for assistance, via petitions and direct appeals, amongst other things, we still have no place to call home. This forces us to go to places, where we are attacked or screamed at, threatened, police are called, the list goes on. In fact, at the Barbados Community College, some team mates and I were filming for a video, and a security guard said he wished that one of us would “break ya f*cking neck”.

              Skating has come quite a way in Barbados, but it still has much more to go. It would really take off if a skate park could be built.These parks are too expensive for the "average" person to build, and it is costly to maintain as well, if made of wood. This will allow skaters to practise and progress to higher, more competitive levels, in a safe friendly environment. In an interview with regional action sports online magazine “adrenaline sun” Paul “Irie” Wilson said “The West Indies (Cricket Team) ain’t doing nothing, give us one of their cricket fields.” There are plenty of unused government properties that are abandoned are completely unused and could easily be converted into a park. Skate parks support and encourage vibrant, healthy and active communities in the same way as many other athletic facilities, and will help displace or replace other undesirable activities. It is a good investment, and needs to be looked at seriously.
In the future, I would like to see Barbadian skating compete with the international skate scene in terms of skill, numbers or skaters, and income. These can be achieved by taking steps such as getting a skate park, establishing bonds with international skate associations, and promoting it more in the island. Skating is a multi million dollar industries, with contests away giving away as much as half of a million dollars as prize money to podium placers, as well as products like skate videos, clothing, shoes, and skateboards sold around the world. This can improve the Barbadian economy substantially, with tourism as our number one source of income. There are already persons who fly down here to skate, such as professional skaters Mike Vallely and Carlos Leon, skateboarding could attract many people if developed in the island.

            Skating affects people worldwide, whether it be a group of friends just having some fun, or a sold out contest with thousands of people spectating to see their favourite pro skaters. It is currently new to Barbados, but is growing rapidly and is having a positive outcome. If financial aid could be given to the local skaters, and a skate park could be built, the community could thrive to great heights competing with that of major skate countries around the world. Not only would it benefit the skaters, but the overall economy and people of the island.