Skatestopper

Skatestoppers are skate-deterrent or anti-skate devices placed on urban terrain features, such as benches and handrails, to discourage skateboarders from grinding on the surfaces where they have been installed.^[1] They are a form of hostile architecture.^[1]

Curb with skatestoppers installed

The name Skatestopper is a registered trademark of Intellicept of El Cajon, California,^[2] but in some skateboarding circles it has become a genericized term referring to any anti-skate device.^[3]

Skatestoppers on the large bench at the China Banks skate spot in Chinatown, San Francisco

Design

The most basic skatestopper design is an L-shaped bracket affixed at intervals along a grind-able structure. Early designs were made from nylon^[1] while more recent designs have been made from aluminum.^[4] More ornamental versions have also been produced. Because the devices have been targeted for removal by skateboarders, there have been attempts to make skatestoppers tamper resistant.^[4]

Criticism

Some view skatestoppers as an obstacle to be overcome. The presence of skatestoppers can actually encourage skateboarders to stay in a location longer.^[5]