Introduction – The National Skate Patrol
The National Skate Patrol (abbreviated to NSP) was a volunteer organization that was founded in 2002 to promote skateboarding safety and education. The organization provided free skateboarding lessons, safety tips, and other resources to encourage safe skateboarding practices. The organization also offered various skateboarding competitions, demonstrations, and events throughout the United States and Canada.
The organization was put together by another organization called The New York Road Skaters Association (NYRSA), which is a nonprofit organization founded in 2000 to promote the safe and responsible use of skateboarding in the greater New York City area. The organization has been actively involved in organizing skateboarding competitions and events, as well as advocating for skateboarding safety and education. NYRSA has also worked with the National Skate Patrol to help promote safe skateboarding practices.
NSP Mission
The mission of the National Skate Patrol was to promote skateboarding safety and education while fostering a positive skateboarding culture. The organization provided free skateboarding lessons, safety tips, and other resources to encourage safe skateboarding practices. The organization also offered various skateboarding competitions, demonstrations, and events throughout the United States and Canada.
Present Day (after 2008-)
The National Skate Patrol ceased operations in 2008. However, many of the local chapters of the organization continue to operate independently. In addition to the New York Road Skaters Association (NYRSA), other chapters such as the San Francisco Skate Patrol, the Los Angeles Skate Patrol, and the Boston Skate Patrol continue to promote skateboarding safety and education in their respective cities. The Central Park Skate Patrol continues to maintain a list of links.
Local Chapters That Continue To Exist
Central Park Skate Patrol
The Central Park Skate Patrol is a volunteer organization based in New York City that promotes safe skateboarding practices in Central Park. The organization provides free skateboarding lessons and safety tips, as well as organizes various skateboarding events, demonstrations, and competitions in the park.
C.O.R.A – San Francisco Skate Patrol
The CORA Skate Patrol is a volunteer organization based in the San Francisco Bay Area that promotes safe skateboarding practices. The organization provides skateboarders with free skateboarding lessons and safety tips. Additionally, CORA Skate Patrol organizes various skateboarding events, demonstrations, and competitions in the Bay Area.
Boston Skate Patrol
The Boston Skate Patrol ceased operations in 2011. The organization provided skateboarders with free skateboarding lessons and safety tips, as well as organized various skateboarding events, demonstrations, and competitions in the Boston area. However, the organization’s website is still active and provides information on skateboarding safety and events. Even though the Boston Skate Patrol is no longer in operation, their website redirects to the SkateBoston webpage.
Summary
In the early 2000s communication technology was nascent and the inline skating community was just getting started. At that time it made sense to have a “central” sort of organization to coordinate learnings and share practices. Although the organization is no longer in operation, modern social networking platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook have provided skateboarders with an easy and accessible way to share skateboarding tips and find out about skateboarding events in their local area. Additionally, many skateboarding organizations, such as SkateBoston, still provide skateboarding lessons, safety tips, and events to promote skateboarding safety and education.
Anson
My name is Anson Nakamura and I have been inline skating for fun for 18 years. My friends and I skate at our local skate park and we just love to skate. I have been a big fan of the sport since I was a little kid. I started with a pair of Rollerblades that I got from a garage sale. I was terrible at first, but I kept at it and eventually I got pretty good. Now, I can do all sorts of tricks and I love skating more than ever. There's nothing quite like the feeling of cruising around on your skates, wind in your hair. f you've never tried skating, I urge you to give it a go. It's an incredible feeling and you might just get hooked like I did.