Utah County Seeks to Ban Long Boards

[asdf]

Utah County Seeks to Ban Skateboards on County-Run Trails
July 26th, 2007 @ 7:11am

(KSL News) Soon Utah County longboarders and skateboarders won't be allowed to ride on any Utah County-run trails.

County officials say the sports are too unsafe on trails because most boards don't have brakes.

Some skaters say the ban will force them onto city streets next to vehicles. They believe the county should instead impose restrictive hours on the trails.

The ban could take effect as soon as August 10.

[Sombeech]

Don't have brakes? Neither do snowboards. jeez. It's called carving.

I'm sure the city will be surprised when this forces them onto the streets.

[ericchile]

let me be the first to say WTF?

[Jaxx]

thats messed up. We used to ride the trail to Bridal veil all the time. I hope this doesn't go through.

[CarpeyBiggs]

That's horse-sh*t. The most dangerous thing on the Provo river trail is damn road bikers who think the thing is a downhill luge for their little toys. I don't understand why bikers who want to ride fast can't go in the road, instead of buzzing pedestrians at 25 miles an hour. The pedestrians on the trail are usually too ignorant to realize they are in the bike lane, and when bikers and peds collide, it ain't pretty...

At least on a long board you can EASILY bail to avoid crashing, at least when you are going less than 12 miles an hour. No way you go fast enough on that trail to be dangerous. I rode it about twice on a longboard, and never went back because it rides at around 10 miles an hour, which is just too slow to really have a nice ride and be able to carve. Also too slow to be dangerous, IMO.

[opskmallory]

I don't longboard, but I agree that the ban is not a smart move. Any inexperienced person has the potential to be a hazard on the trail, whether they are longboarding, rollerblading, cycling or even walking.

Hate the playa, not the game....or is it the otherway around?????

[asdf]

I support this ban 100%.

The Provo Canyon river trail has become an obstacle course of long boarders who do not obey the rules of the trail. They carve, weave, ride on their backs, sitting down, and even on their stomachs. I ride my mtn. bike on the trail quite often and its NOT uncommon to ride around a bend in the trail and be forced to take evasive action to avoid 6 kids riding side by side at 10+ mph. Last week I tried to take my 3 year old on this trail but the long boarders made it far to dangerous for him to be able to ride with me... he is 3... he likes to wave in a out of his lane... not that it matters be cause I have NEVER seen a long boarder in the correct lane.

I have heard other stories of far worse behavior of long boarders on this trail. Long boarders have burned their own bridge on this one...

[JP]

And you guys say the Eastcoaster's have screwed up laws

[Kent K25]

I support this ban 100%.

The Provo Canyon river trail has become an obstacle course of long boarders who do not obey the rules of the trail. They carve, weave, ride on their backs, sitting down, and even on their stomachs. I ride my mtn. bike on the trail quite often and its NOT uncommon to ride around a bend in the trail and be forced to take evasive action to avoid 6 kids riding side by side at 10+ mph. Last week I tried to take my 3 year old on this trail but the long boarders made it far to dangerous for him to be able to ride with me... he is 3... he likes to wave in a out of his lane... not that it matters be cause I have NEVER seen a long boarder in the correct lane.

I have heard other stories of far worse behavior of long boarders on this trail. Long boarders have burned their own bridge on this one...

Agreed. I've only been there 3 times, my wife likes the paved trails and everytime there were moronic longboarders there. There were plenty of them who were well behaved and standing on their boards, or on their back/stomach paying attention to other riders, but the morons (about 1/2 of the riders every time I've gone) ruin it for the safe riders.

There are plenty of sections on that trail that get well over 10mph. I had to ride 19+ once to pass a guy who was in front of me and kept almost clipping my front wheel. No matter how many times I yelled "on your left" or "passing on your left" he kept weaving back and forth every time I tried to pass him.

Follow the rules of the trail and I don't care what you're on, but as soon as you endanger other riders or cause them to not bring their kids for fear of your actions...you've gotta go.

[Jaxx]

why not just ban riding on your stomach/back, and in the other lane? We should also ban 3 year olds on bikes because they weave in and out of the lane as well.

[asdf]

why not just ban riding on your stomach/back, and in the other lane? We should also ban 3 year olds on bikes because they weave in and out of the lane as well.

I think you missed the point here.... When riding the trail solo you always have to keep and extra eye out for long boarders because they DONT stay in lanes. So regardless if I have kids with me or not it can still get pretty crazy.

When my son was with me I just had to pay even more attention to the on coming and unyielding long boarders.

btw- I skate and I have skated for a Looong time.

[CarpeyBiggs]

why not just ban riding on your stomach/back, and in the other lane? We should also ban 3 year olds on bikes because they weave in and out of the lane as well.

Seriously, I still think bikes and pedestrians getting out of their lanes are the most dangerous, but I haven't been on a longboard on that trail in a few years. Maybe it's worse now. Ah well, the longboarders can have the streets, which are much faster and dangerous...

[snake_rider]

I'm not sure if they'll fix anything by banning longboards from the trails, but I do agree with the fact that I've seen some pretty unsafe, just plain dumb behavior from a large portion of the longboarders I've seen on the Parkway trail. And yes, I've seen dumb bikers and pedestrians too, but not on nearly as high a percentage as with longboarders.

But if governments are so concerned with safety that they want to pass a law, a mandatory helmet law would save a lot more lives than kicking boarders off the trail. You can get pulled over and given a ticket for not wearing a seat belt. Why? Safety? I'd like to think so, but if that's the case, what about motorcycles, bikes, and boards and wearing a helmet? If you get in an accident in a car and aren't wearing a seatbelt, you may be seriously injured or die. If you get in that very same kind of accident on a bike, motorcycle, or board and you're not wearing a helmet, you will probably be seriously injured or die.

So I say, if they're so antsy to pass a new law in the wake of this longboarding death, why not pass one that might, just maybe, do some good?

[Kent K25]

why not just ban riding on your stomach/back, and in the other lane? We should also ban 3 year olds on bikes because they weave in and out of the lane as well.

I'm down with that...the first part that is.

As for comparing the boarders at 15+mph to kids at 5mph...there is no comparison. I see kids coming from a long ways away and can avoid them if necessary (never been an issue) whereas the boarders have frequently come flying around a corner in my lane.

[JP]

They carve, weave, ride on their backs, sitting down, and even on their stomachs.

Sounds like a job for Rev

[LOAH]

Living in Orem (up the road from this trail) and using that trail for my own recreation for the past many many years, I've seen it grow into a serious traffic jam of every kind. When longboards first hit this area (I dunno...95?), the only people that had longboards were the burnout kids that evolved from the "skaters" back in Junior High. That was when the canyon was safe. In fact, it was a mecca for anyone who had a longboard to bomb the Provo Canyon Bike Trail (now called the Provo/Jordan River Parkway Trail). They rarely had to compete for space; there weren't even lanes then. Usually a jogger here, a rollerblader there, maybe a couple with a stroller.

Now that it's a trend for everyone to have a longboard, and the trail has become a major draw to the canyon, problems are developing. The answer is not to pass more laws, however. There are already rules that are clearly posted at the mouth of the canyon and they state the proper way to overtake another trail user. If the rules are not being followed, where's the enforcement?

I used to see bike cops on the trail all the time. I rarely see them, now. Pass out a few citations here and there, the word will spread over time and the public will become more conscious. Maybe I'm just blowin' smoke, but making a very popular activity illegal will only piss a bunch of people off. I already have a hard enough time sharing the road with oblivious cyclists (note: OBLIVIOUS cyclists...not the coherent ones).

Heaven forbid widening the trail, though.

[Jaxx]

My point was that not just long boarders weave. If I come around the turn on my bike and there is a 3 year old in the way someone will get hurt.
I say we have a cop ride the trail and hand out tickets, or take up a willow and when you see a long boarder being stupid hit them in the eye.

[offpiste]

Most times no matter what activity you participate in, there are those who are their own worst enemies.

[oldno7]

when longboards are outlawed.........................

only platinum level will have longboards..........

[Sombeech]

Skating are of many types like simple, electronic etc all types of the skating boards and their detail you can have it on HyperOutdoor. There are learning links given on HyperOutdoor for your training. Competition are also held on HyperOutdoor.

I'm sorry that your spam link didn't work, wish I could do something about that