Intervju med Nick Buskens

Nick Buskens är en skateboardåkare från Melbourne Australien. Förtillfället bor han i Köpenhamn och jobbar på Royal Copenhagen skatepark.

What is your job in Australia and how do you like it?
My job in Australia was Youth Service Officer/Skate Park Manager.I liked it a lot because people came to the Skate Park to enjoy them selves and relax, so it created a good environment to work in.

1. What are you doing in Copenhagen and how long are you going to stay?
I am in Copenhagen mainly for the experience to live and work over seas. You can only get a working visa till you are 30 years of age and I am 27 my girl friend lives here as well, so Copenhagen was the obvious choice

2. What is your impression of the Swedish/Danish skateboard scene?
The scene is a lot smaller here than in Melbourne but I moved here in winter so most people are probably still staying in doors playing computer games. But people are way friendly everywhere I see the skate scene more as an international crew. But local cats are ripen it up every were I go.
Coming from Australia it’s hard for me to think that Sweden and Denmark are different countries being only half an hours drive away from each other.
I have only travelled in Skåne when I have been in Sweden, and I see it more as apart of Denmark, I compare them more in similarities than comparisons.

3. In Australia you have concrete skateparks in almost every city. What is the best thing about building in concrete instead of wood?
Were do I start concrete is a million times better as a surface
-It lasts longer, less maintenance
-If it gets wet it dries up faster than wood
-Its better to skate because you can get more pop the harder surface is the best
-It’s safer because less chance of cutting yourself on any obstructions, like sharp steal edges, screws sticking up, splinters from the wood surface. Also if you bail
properly you can slide it out all the way to the flat
-Its worth more as capital infrastructure than wood
-All the joins from ramp to ramp are smooth and clean
-The list goes on and on

4. Do you have any experiences of skateparks that are built by regular
Construction workers instead of skaters, and what is your opinion about that?
I have many experiences with this issue, bad ones. I have seen a lot of money wasted on skate parks that are built by concrete’s with no experience in skate park construction. Skaters need to follow the process all the way through to the end, from design and layout to the cementing of the transition I like how every park is built differently but when you go some where and every transition is bad, it becomes hard to skate and dangerous. The people who construct the park need to be a good mix of skaters and concrete’s. In Australia there is over 300 concrete skate parks the best ones are built by skater owned and operated companies. Ideally, they should make it.

5. Malmö is planning a new park right now. Do you have any good advice for them?
Yes I do. Build everything so there’s a flow to it all, that’s what park skating is all about (like Chris Senn). Be as diverse and unique as possible make it a world-class facility, this will put Malmö on the tour map and create more exposure for everyone.
If you were to ask me, the optimal goal would be to create a family environment with the focus on youth recreation.

6. Good, thats sounds like this project. Why do you think that is important?
All the studies into recreation point towards the youth end holding the majority of the interest, in other words young people are physically more active than old, this is a fact. To create an ideal environment for both you need to accommodate the needs and wants of both, young and old. To accommodate the older patrons of the skate park you need to offer more than just a slab of concrete to roll on. Make it a pleasant place to be, lots of trees and a GOOD cafe were they can read the paper in the sun or walk the dog while little Jimmy has a skate.

7. What is the different roles of a skatepark?
There is no doubt that young people want to go to a place that’s cool (a skate park) they can skateboard, rollerblade, scooter hang with there friends in the sun, there for its not just a skate park but a multipurpose facility. It can operate as a Drop in centre. For instance if a school child is ditching school, “which is a reality”, they need to be somewhere. If you had a choice of Mc Donald’s or a supervised youth centre where you can have a skate or seek advise and much more, the choice is obvious!
This place yet to be built has amazing possibilities, coming from Melbourne Australia I have worked at a world class skate park that accommodates a wide range of people and offers a wide range of services, not just for skaters but everybody.
Malmö has the opportunity to advance even more and lead the world in youth recreation development and social standards, this would be the perfect outcome.

Skate hard! Nick B