Alright, alright, so this is all very old news, but it’s worth showing again and making a point.

Back in January NYC parks department workers wrongfully booted a group of guys snowboarding in a Brooklyn park. It all started jovially with BK snowboarder Brian “Deka” Paupaw showing inner city kids how to ride. It was a great winter for snowfall in NY and what better way to expand people’s perspectives than to introduce this sport all of us in the shredder community love or at the very least respect.

Well, suffice it to say, a couple of power-tripping parks workers come down, breakup the party and destroy the little makeshift ramp. Stating that “snowboarding is illegal in NYC parks” you could already tell they were talkin’ out they asses by how insecure they were speaking and how Paupaw got them to backtrack by pointing out that sledding is not illegal.

The New York Daily News later reported: “Parks officials were later forced to admit they had goofed, although they pointed out that the snowboarders were misusing a garbage can as a ramp to launch themselves airborne.”

Not only that, but the city later played nice and put on a good PR face by inviting Paupaw and his friends to the Winter Jam NYC snowboarding event on Feb. 6 in Central Park which Shaun White attended.

There’s something important to take away here: when authority confronts you, be respectful, but hold your ground. Yes, rules are rules, but verify whether they even are on the books or whether someone is trying to strong arm you. If it is on the books, fight the system and appeal it. Find out what it takes to call a law in to question, garner community support and bring it to the right “official’s” attention.

Shred on…

BLKOPS-122009-Snowboarding in Brooklyn from jsjcreative on Vimeo.

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