The Lower East Side Skatepark ("L.E.S.") set a precedent for skatepark construction across the boroughs of New York City after it opened on Go Skateboarding Day 2012. Describing it as the "civic centre" of NYC's skate scene, journalist Ian Browning explored how it came to be and where skateparks sit within the ecosystem of New York's municipality, in a Quartersnacks story that coincided with the tenth anniversary of L.E.S. published in 2022. On our first Skate Bylines podcast, Ian shared how the story came together and we explored how New York's significance to skate culture grew exponentially over the past decade.
Hosted and edited by Farran Golding
Photography by Christian Kerr
Timestamps and show notes:
00:00 Welcome to Skate Bylines
00:46 Introduction to the episode
2:20 First visits to L.E.S. Skatepark
3:56 The opening and significance of L.E.S. Skatepark
5:24 The original incarnation of the L.E.S. Skatepark
6:45 What makes a good skatepark?
7:55 Interlude: Gangs of New York
8:24 History of the L.E.S. neighbourhood
9:40 Ian’s story and the differences between parks and spots
11:58 Learning etiquette through environment
12:55 The geography of New York’s historic skateboarding hubs
15:00 New York’s increased significance
17:54 Park space in New York City
19:42 Communicating with the Parks Department
21:45 "A series of Hail Mary's"
22:11 Ian and Quartersnacks
23:26 Pitching the story
24:28 J. Jonah Jameson, pt. i
24:47 The editorial process
25:30 J. Jonah Jameson, pt. ii
25:43 Journalism school and skateboarding journalism
26:39 Finding the through line
29:57 Outro
