Glenview Skate Culture Thrives

Traditionally, skateboarders and inline skaters have had a friendly rivalry.

"Some skaters call boarders 'wood pusher,' and the boarders call skaters 'fruit boots,' " said Ray Christie, owner of Grind Gear Skate Shop in downtown Glenview.

Even so, the athletes unite on the Grind Gear skate team, which has eight inline skaters and five skateboarders.

"Our inline team really rocks," Christie said. "The boarders do all right, too. They're pretty young."

Team members, ages 15 to mid-20s, are almost local heroes among the subset of users in Glenview's two skate parks.

"The little kids come in and talk about them," said Christie, who opened his shop in 2001 at 1820 Glenview Road.

His teams participate in several local tournaments. On July 31, Grind Gear sponsored the Windy City Riot street competition in which participants traveled to skate spots in the Chicago area. At the end of the day, spectators and competing skaters vote on special recognitions, such as Biggest Chest, Way Cool  and Best Trick, and a purse of at least $1,000 is distributed.

"One of our team members, Sean Darst, was voted 'Best Style,'" Christie said. "Our other guys placed in the top 10."

Matt Strobot, 24, of Cary, was voted "Worst Fall" in the inline skating match. His tumble at the last skate spot resulted in a nasty cut and a handful of stitches.

Strobot, who has skated in The Windy City Riot nine times, has been on Grind Gear's aggressive inline team for four years.

"Grind Gear treats us well," he said about the store's support of skateboarders and aggressive inline skaters. "They're good people. Anything you need, they'll help you out."

Strobot said he started skating at age 12 and would like to skate as long as his body cooperates.  "I'd love to be able to do it as long as I possibly can, and spread the love of my sport," he said.

Anthony Bova, 34, of Glenview, says he has been skateboarding for 21 years and goes about five times a week to the Community Park West's skate park at 1001 Zenith Dr.

"They're doing something to keep it good," Bova said of the 15,000-square-foot facility's ramps that include quarter pipes and a half pipe.

"Skateboarding has crossed into the mainstream," Christie said.

Consequently, skate parks need to be functional for a range of skating skills. The separate beginner and advanced areas are a testament to park officials addressing safety concerns, Bova said.

The arrangement prevents clashes since it enables newer skaters to safely test their wheels while experienced skaters can do such tricks as grinds, ollies and kickflips.

Mikel Galati, 20, of Chicago, also thinks the separation is a good design feature and says the skate area is well-built to handle enthusiasts of all ages.

Chris Spencer, 20, of Harwood Heights, says he likes the fact that the facility isn't cramped or overcrowded.

Glenview's second skate park is a 7,000-square-foot beginner-level facility at Swenson Park, 901 Shermer Rd. Adjacent to the park is a well-maintained concrete inline hockey rink that has two benches and bleachers.

Though skaters may use the rink, it is designated during the evenings and weekends for hockey and open skating uses. The times are posted on the fence.

However, bicycles aren't permitted on the ramps since both facilities are reserved exclusively for skating.

Strobot says the skate parks provide him with places to go to hone his skills.

"Skating keeps me out of trouble," he said. "It's all about self-expression and doing what you want to do."