Thank you Huntington Beach teenager Douglas Young, for ruining things for the rest of us.
This was reported earlier this week in the Orange County Register - "A Huntington Beach teen got $30,000 from the city because he fell off his waveboard in a public alley, breaking two bones in his right forearm, officials said." A Waveboard, in case you don't know, is one of those skateboard-like toys where you twist it while standing on it to make it go.
Young's paperwork read, "That day, (Young) played on his waveboard in favor of his skateboard because the waveboard is more challenging, more fun, requires more skill and is therefore, less boring than is merely using a skateboard."
"(Young) readily admits that falling is an expected result of people who skateboard or waveboard; he further admits that he has 'fallen off a lot of times'," court documents said.
Does this kid have any idea how much he is making things worse for skaters?! Skateboarding in California is already a touchy subject, and we don't need people like this suing over getting hurt, when it's his OWN FAULT! He KNEW the risks of riding his silly Waveboard, and he KNEW he was skating in a place with a lot of construction going on. Does Young know how city officials react after they are forced to pay money for things like this? They make more laws, and restrict skateboarding even more. It's not free money! It's money paid for by tax payers, tax payers who don't need much of a push to put in bans against skateboarding when things like this happen.
I'm also disappointed in City Attorney Jennifer McGrath, who apparently didn't want to fight this. This SHOULD be an open-shut case. Skateboarding SHOULD be an at-your-own-risk activity in California, like it is in many other states. We skaters all know getting hurt is part of the bargain when we skate. There's a difference between the city doing something stupid that sets someone up for injury, and me breaking my arm because I can't skate well, but insisted on doing it anyway. Young even said that he thought the Waveboard was "more challenging", meaning that he wasn't as good at it, and also meaning that he wasn't a very good skater, either.
There's my rant. What do you think? Do you think skaters should sue cities more? What do you think about America's sue-happy culture? Post your comments below!
Comments
Ok,I’m mad about three things.First off,this guy made skating even harder to do for those who ACTUALLY SKATE.This brings us to my second complaint.Screwing skating over for a toy?What?He is not a TRUE skater.And my third problem.What the heck is he talking about,saying the wave board is harder than actually skating?So standing on a toy is harder than hardflipping 16-sets like some people do?This dude has serious problems and deserves than paine,minus the money.
Ok,I’m mad about three things.First off,this guy made skating even harder to do for those who ACTUALLY SKATE.This brings us to my second complaint.Screwing skating over for a toy?What?He is not a TRUE skater.And my third problem.What the heck is he talking about,saying the wave board is harder than actually skating?So standing on a toy is harder than hardflipping 16-sets like some people do?This dude has serious problems and deserves than pain,but not the money.
Ok,I’m mad about three things.First off,this guy made skating even harder to do for those who ACTUALLY SKATE.This brings us to my second complaint.Screwing skating over for a toy?What?He is not a TRUE skater.And my third problem.What the heck is he talking about,saying the wave board is harder than actually skating?So standing on a toy is harder than hardflipping 16-sets like some people do?This dude has serious problems and deserves the pain,but not the money.
This kid is so stupid!!! He should ride someplace safer!!! Californias probably gonna ban sk8boarding because the the loser.
Hey…just wanted to say sorry for posting that one so many times.My computer froze and I kept clicking the button cause I was mad,so sorry.
This action taken by him/his family is in no way a telegraph of how skateboarders or the skateboard community feel is appropriate. Taking part in an activity where you CHOOSE to do it, knowing the consequences before hand extinguishes your position in holding the city liable for your behavior. What is next, someone driving drunk and then suing the city to pay for their DUI? Come on now…
He made the wrong move anyway. I swear if I knew him, I’d make him regret it. And I’m not violent.
A question for Americans (since I’m Irish);
How the hell do cases like these even get to courts???? It was HIS fault
This is sad, I wonder if this settled out of court. Sometimes the lawyers out there tend to make choices based on the most economic sense rather than take the fight into court.
The City of Huntington Beach may have figured it would have cost more than $30k in attorney’s fees to fight it and with no guarantees that they would win. No matter who they think was at fault. I suspect that every alley in Huntington Beach will have signs posted that state no skateboarding or rip sticking and it will be at the cost of tax payers to buy and put up the signs.
Curious to know if the guy who sued is also suing the Rip Stick manufacturer. I bet he is and am sure that he’ll get a little from them too.
Lawsuits like this only make the Lawyers richer.
Do you think a bike rider that fell could sue the city if he broke his arm. Why is it someone riding a ripsick can do it? True skaters when they get hurt get up, take responsibility for their actions and thats what makes us true skaters not whimps that sue the city for cracks in the sidewalk.
I wish I knew where this kid lived. I’d break his other arm.
Beat the boy!!!!! Man!! I live in Africa where skating is already unaccepted cases like this ar gonna screw my chances!!
I ll walk across the ocean and beat the boy just give me his adress!
He should have broke his fn face. He’s a puss his parents are pusses and HB are pusses for even listening to this crap. F that dude
This kid should be banned from riding Any type of skateboards and should be jumped
i think the kid should have known better then to ride the stupid things, for instants im a skateboarder and i love wat i do its fun and them little wave things are crap that kid is dum for trying to waveboard skateboarding on a real board is way funner and a nother thing wat tricks can u do on that thing besides hurt your self
I beleive that that guy is a wimp like no other. What kind of IDIOT would even think that made sense. Seriously there is way to much wrong with this for me to even begin to talk about. That guy is and Idiot loser.
That kid should be ashamed of himself. Skateboarding Is Not A Crime, but Lawsuit Abuse should be!!!
THIS POSER!!!!! is the reason why so many things are being taken away from skateboarders i mean come on who the hell rides a toy over cracks and rocks. this crackhead needs to find another hobby because skateboarders over in ny are being charged with traspassing hearing this piss’s me off!!!!!!
It is likely that the kid alleged the city made the inherently dangerous sport more dangerous in an unreasonable way. Possible that he fell because of some construction activity.
Under the law, skateboarding is generally a “at your risk” activity. However, when someone creates a condition that unnecessarily increases the danger, and that increase causes harm, people can sue. It is the “i’m an idiot, but you made my idiocy more dangerous” claim.
The case likely settled out of court, like 99% of cases.
Ultimately, I imagine this kids parents pushed the case. It is very unfortunate. American’s need to take more responsibility for their own actions.
The parents might not have had health insurance for the kid, in which case they needed the money to cover the ungodly health care bills we suffer in America. Universal health care would likely remove some of these frivolous lawsuits, or at least some of the motivation for bringing them. I propose that universal health care would be the best thing for skateboarding yet.
..the f*** thats bullshet, if yu kno this guy slap his nuts 14 million times for the 14 million skaters he just pissed off!
Then take his 30 grand heheh.
omg getting hurt is a part of it >.<
even if i dont live in california this must really suck!
you shuld never try to do a trick you know you cant do you just end up hurting youreself!
waveboard is diffrent than skateboard i say theyre even the waveboard requires more balance than skateboard but the skateboard got more complicated tricks sooo
I’d beat both his parents for being anal retentive,
after i cut off the boy’s now useless nutsack..
that boy’s stupid.. enough said..