It was a beautiful day at Midland Beach in Staten Island, the boardwalk was busy with walkers, the playgrounds had children and parents enjoying the unseasonable warm weather, and the skate park was bursting with...bikers?!? Yes, the skate park was dominated by bikers. At this particular skate park there were very few boarders. I had to wonder if it was because most of the kids had to get to the park first, therefor they had to ride their bikes to the park and it just made more sense to ride them in the park?
The park consists of several quarter pipes set up at opposing angles to get the best ride. They were surrounded by their own fencing with a sign of rules clearly visible right at the door. The crowd was male, varying in ages from early teens to maybe late twenties. They all had BMX style bikes. The older, more skilled boys claimed their domain over the largest set up of ramps, leaving the younger boys to the smaller ramps. They let each other go one at a time, respectfully or maybe competitively observing each other while waiting their turn. It almost seemed like an unspoken contest for which there was no score, no timers, only the admiration of your fellow bikers. None of them had on helmets, and although it was an unseasonably warm day, most of them had on t-shirts. Surprisingly the atmosphere was not loud or rowdy, but almost one of intense concentration. It was the atmosphere which drew other little boys from the playground closer to see what was going on. The young boys hung outside the fence, hoping to catch a glimpse of a daring jump or wheelie of heroic proportions.
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