Cal Gleeson, left, is frustrated by the lack of facilities for Guernsey’s skaters. (Picture by Lucy Hill, 0564249)

SKATEBOARDING is fast becoming one of the most popular sports in the island. With the success of another LibJam proudly showcasing the local talent, it’s time people start realising that skateboarding is a sport and not a mindless act of vandalism.

The sport itself is still relatively new – it wasn’t until 1980 that the skateboard as we know it came into being.

While it wasn’t until recently that the sport became popular in the island, local skater Cal Gleeson said it is now growing fast.

‘Every time you go out for a skate, there is always someone new and younger getting involved,’ he said.

‘It’s a good sport. On a social level you’re always going to have fun, but it’s a great individual sport – everyone has their own style and technique, which they develop over the years.’

Cal has been skating for four-and-a-half years and took up the sport after watching his older brother, Liam. As the opportunities for letting loose in Guernsey are somewhat limited, the brothers often go off-island to skate, hitting places such as world-renowned spots Paris and Barcelona.

‘There is nowhere to skate in Guernsey and when you do skate somewhere like Charles Frossard House, 90% of the time you’re told off by the police,’ said Cal.

‘Skating is frowned upon and is often seen as vandalism rather than a sport and I guess in some senses it can be, but if we had a permanent skatepark that was the right size with the right equipment, then I’m sure the vandalism  from skating would be far less.’

Last week, Jon Bisson of the Xtreme Sports Association stressed that £60,000-worth of equipment, which was purpose-built locally for a high-quality skatepark, needed a home. Culture and Leisure minister Mike O’Hara responded, saying that the department had been granted permission by Environment to put a facility in place for the next six months adjacent to the Island Bowl. But Jon said that the location was not suitable for a skatepark.

‘As much as I am grateful and admire Jon for what he has done, I can’t help but feel he is being a bit too picky,’ said Cal.

‘Don’t get me wrong: if it wasn’t for people like him, we wouldn’t have had what we have already. Yet I feel that we should take all the opportunities we can at the moment, as the chances are we’ll be

waiting another year before another one comes around. I agree that we do need to have a right location for a permanent spot, but for temporary purposes, I don’t think people should be complaining about the Bowl.’

‘We have ramps that we built just rotting at the KGV,’ added Liam.

‘They have been rotting for a year, so I agree with Cal. Yeah, the Bowl isn’t ideal, but it is better than nothing and it’s better than the ramps rotting for another year. People need to see the positive in it – there is talk of it maybe becoming a permanent location and if that’s the case, then we can spend the money on leveling out the area and making it an ideal location for a skate park.’

‘It’s frustrating for a skater in Guernsey – there seems to be so much faffing about, lots said but nothing done,’ said Cal.

‘It’s not as if no one would use a skatepark – the Grammar School was a temporary spot in the summer and that was packed from like 10 in the morning to 9 at night every day.’