Elijah Andrews on Lake Front

I met Elijah Andrews back when I started skateboarding in Town Center. In those days he wore a Cat-In-The-Hat styled red and white hat which made him instantly recognizable. I used to see Andrews skating at the bridge between The Columbia Mall and the Lake Front and at the double block by the docks.

After my recent visit to Lake Front, I asked Andrews, a seasoned veteran of the Columbia skateboarding scene about the surge in security and the risks involved in skating at Lake Front.

Do you think it's fair that CA prosecutes and bans skateboarders at the lakefront, even though the property is rarely used by others, except during summer evenings?

"I can understand why they don't want us there when they're playing a movie or something. The skateboards can make enough noise to distract the viewers. But otherwise, I'd say just let us use the place when there's no actual events going on."

When were you first banned, who were you with, what happened and do you think banning skateboarders is an effective deterrent?

"When I was first banned, I was alone. It was more or less an official slap on the wrist - where if I got caught after that, there'd be legal consequences. And no, its not an effective deterrent. Most skateboarders are used to that shit by now anyway."

Have you personally, or have you heard of pedestrians having problems with the skateboarders at the lake front? complaints about the noise or disruption? Or do you feel as though the other tenants of the property coexist with skaters?

"Personally no, but I do know the security got more intense after some kid accidentally ran into some older guy. I heard he broke a bone or something. Ever since then they've been super anal about security."

Its common knowledge that the lake front is under used, except during the summer CA season. Even then, events only occur during the evening. In your opinion, should CA allow skateboarders to use the property much like they would a skate park during designated hours? Do you feel that if they did allow skateboarding, it would act to draw more people to the lake front?

"Yes, it definitely would. A good example of sparked interest is in Louisville Kentucky. They invested millions into a skate park and it paid off well for them. People from all over the country go there to skate it and the locals hang around there to do all sorts of things."

Do you think its fair that CA prosecutes anyone who so much as carries a skateboard across the lake front property? And from your experiences, what are the ramifications of being banned from the property? Have you been arrested or fined? Does the ban effectively keep you from returning to the lake front?

"No its not fair. Its not like carrying a gun. No permits are needed to carry one. People always forget its a mode of transportation as well. I have no idea what they do now when they catch you for skating. I've heard everything frmo getting fined and board taken away to arrested for trespassing. I guess it depends on the situation. Bans definitely don't keep from the lake front either, it just makes them more careful to not be caught. I've known dozens of people who were banned and still came back."