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Every bike rider has been harrassed. Every bike rider has been taunted. Every bike rider has had to put up those angry skateboarders.
I hear horror stories about the "rock stars" of extreme sports, and how many of them believe that bike riders are the scum that build up in their bearings. I've also experienced it firsthand. There have been many times at skateparks, even in the early morn, that a little kid on a skateboarder said "no bikes." Last weekend I experienced this from someone that couldn't have been older than eleven. So I turned around, bent down, looked him in the eyes and asked "why?" I wasn't threatening him. I was finally fed up of being pushed around, but instead of making myself look like an ass, I just asked something that has been wondered.
The kid looked puzzled. He tried to make me look like the stupid one, for not knowing. But I could see that even he wasn't sure why he was trying to kick me out of this public place. The kid had simply learned from older skaters that this was the way you act towards bikes in skateparks, and even the older ones didn't know why they did it.
I have skaters for friends. We get along great, we even go riding together. We understand why the other one does what they do.
Why does anyone go to a skatepark? Why does anyone risk the chance of getting hurt, or being frustrated while trying to accomplish a stupid trick? The answer has been said so many times, and I hope we remind eachother in the present and future : for fun. Some skateboarders don't realize why bike riders ride bikes. They think we're trying to get the same image as them, just on something "easier." Sometimes it's vice versa, the bike riders think this about the skaters.
This goes for inliners, or the infamous "fruit booters" as well. I admit it, I actually enjoy watching them on ESPN at three in the morning. I even hang out with some wonderful inliners, who happen to also be wonderful people. I love to see anyone go out there and do what the want, and who have the desire to do things this way.
I hate to see someone try to cause something out of nothing. Besides, why are would we be at the skatparks? To have fun.

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