Anti-skate board mod for stair rails

[ptree]

A local church has asked me to modify the top rail of the rails on their steps. Skate boarders are grinding on the top rail and the church is wanting to not atrack them, and to stop damage to the rails.

Ideas?

[Dale Russell]

Jeff , Razor wire ?????


Dale Russell

[JosephPrivott]

I feel traitorous for helping you with this....

skaters choose rails that are very smooth on top, so that they may have a longer grind per attempt. Disrupt the flow and discourage the riders. "Nubbins" perhaps? make them gentle, for hands though. Perhaps a finial type design would suit the application

[ptree]

Found some ideas on line called SkateStoppers. They are indeed gentle nubbins that allow use of the rail, but stop the grinding.

[nett]

Skateboard stopping nibs are just too plain easy. You can incorporate a design or theme into your gentle skate grinding inhibitors, but I think whimsical would be cool, too. Perhaps a snakes wrapped around the top rail. A frog would be cool, and maybe some birds. Momma and a covey of quail. Iron mug of coffee. Psalm book. The ideas could be limitless, and could come from the parishioners. Heck, a 'Plastic Jesus' standing on a transistor radio would raise some smiles among the elite hip church goers.

YouTube - Plastic Jesus Cool Hand Luke

[blafen]

Or your church could start inviting the skaters over, and help them build a mini skatepark, the kids could provide the funds and labor all they need is a place to put it, and it keeps everyone happy, the church wont have damaged rails and the kids wont show up find the skatestoppers and then redirect their anger at the church, instead they will have a safe drug free zone to skate.

[keykeeper]

Blafen:

So, basically, the church is to succumb to the trespass of the skateboarders?

And excuse any vandalism the skaters might do, if the church does install 'stoppers', as they (the church) "took away" the skaters place to skate?

Where's these kids parents? Maybe they should build them a skate park. My mother would have made me repair the rails, apologize to the congregation, and gave me what-for when I got home.

And we wonder why our society has gone down the tubes.

[Trollhammer]

I've skated for close on to 18 years, and always found a way and a place to skate if I really wanted to. I also respected other folks property. I asked before I skated on private property, and would leave with no hard feelings when asked to stop skating on sidewalks and curbs in front of businesses. I'm probably not the norm when it comes to skaters, but there are others like me out there. I don't really see it as succumbing to the trespass of skaters. The church wants something and the skaters want something. The inability of all groups to work together for a better solution or compromise is why our society is going down the tubes, not a single group on either side of the table. There are some really shady folks in the skating community; I'll be the first to admit that, but that goes to both sides as well.

Anyways, as to the original question...nubs work really well to stop skaters. Another option would be to take some round stock and make a coil the length of the rail. Space the coils out about the width of the deck and the edges of the board will hit this when they try to grind, effectively stopping the board, skater and all.
Mickey

[keykeeper]

Trollhammer, I agree. But the earlier post was pretty lopsided towards skaters and not property owners. Skating is a sport, and like all sports should be sanctioned and proper facilities provided. I have nothing against skaters, however I do have a problem with ANY criminal behavior blamed on a law abiding property owners refusal to cater to said parties demands and trespass.

I for one think a skate park in every town there is interest would solve a lot of problems. Sidewalks are for walking off the street, in a safe area, not to get run over by a skater that thinks he/she owns the sidewalk. (yeah, it's happened to me. No excuse me, no sorry, just a smirk with attitude. A few years ago, a well planted shoulder took one "thrasher" right off his board after he challenged my right to walk on a sidewalk big enough for both of us, but that was in my youth before I learned patience.)

Really, if people would just be courteous to one another, we would not even have to have these discussions. Everyone would get along, nobody's property or landscaping would get trashed, and the world would be a better place. However, my observations over the last 15 years or so tell me that won't happen anytime soon.

And to stay on topic, maybe alternating shapes and profiles could lend beauty and bumps to avoid the "grinding".

[Trollhammer]

Keykeeper, I didn't intend to try calling you out. I 'm in total agreement with you on the courtesy aspect. I'll drop a skater behaving badly in a second and not feel bad about it in the slightest. I was too quick to rise up in defense. In my area, skating is pretty much criminalized, no matter where you skate.

I do like the idea of changing shapes and profiles. That was kind of where I was going with a loosely wrapped coil around the hand rail...it would provide more grip, look good, be low profile, and keep skaters from even attempting to use it.
Mickey