Board Room

“Dude!”

That’s the universal greeting among skateboarders based on my undercover assignment to infiltrate one of the fastest-growing segments of the teenage population.

Skateboarders are rebels with a cause. They want to avoid boredom at any cost. Going airborne and doing an “ollie” on a park bench might be annoying to an adult, but it’s the coolest trick in skateboarding.

Skateboarders are multiplying like ants at a picnic. Increasing television exposure on ESPN and Fox Sports Net has teenagers showing up with their video cameras to record their latest stunts.

Add the scooter craze to the equation and you have a need for facilities where teens can hang out without causing headaches for adults.

Pleas for skateboard parks have been made for years, but they are finally being heard. The first skateboard park designed by the Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department is scheduled to open in March near Birmingham High in Van Nuys.

Another skateboard park is under construction at Borchard Park in Newbury Park, with a grand opening in February.

Bumper stickers are flourishing.

“My kid is a better skateboarder than your honor student,” reads one.

In a sign of the times, one boy was doing flips on his board while wearing an “Austin 3:14” T-shirt, combining extreme sports with pro wrestling fanaticism.

Not everyone is enamored with skateboarders. In San Diego, a high school honor student was shot allegedly by a neighbor furious over skateboarding in front of his home.

Merchants have threatened to call police to scare away skateboarders loitering in their parking lots.

But count me among those willing to have an open mind about skateboarders.

At a deserted park in West Hills, after school lets out around 3 p.m., they start to arrive. Some arrive in cars, others on skateboards propelled by the polyurethane wheels that have revolutionized the sport.

Dressed in T-shirts and jeans or baggy pants, they search for any elevated cement ledge or railing that would serve as a challenge.

Their most prized possession, other than a skateboard and cell phone is wax--not ear wax or surfboard wax. Try Dope Wax. That’s the name of the most popular brand of skateboard wax.

“It’s nothing bad,” a local skateboard salesman said.

If you get caught with Dope Wax, you won’t be put in jail. It’s not for smoking or inhaling. It helps smooth out the surface of the board where skateboarders perform their tricks.

For 15 minutes, these skateboarders rode over cement ledges without hurting anyone. They talked about how much they hated their high school P.E. teachers.

“He wants to fail me,” one complained.

If only high school coaches would stop paying so much attention to the negative stereotypes associated with skateboarders and start recruiting them, their teams might be better.

“They’re incredible athletes,” said Mark Richards, who owns Val’s Surf Shop in North Hollywood, which started selling skateboards in 1962.

Of course, skateboarding has changed. Gone are the slow metal wheels, long ago replaced by fast, smooth polyurethane contraptions that give an adrenaline rush as you pick up speed.

Skateboards used to be primarily for transportation. Now it’s about style and showmanship. And that’s fine because the skateboard parks are perfect for those wanting to enjoy the sport.

The park under construction on Victory Boulevard in Van Nuys costs $230,508 in the first phase. It has pits, ramps, railings and parking for 12 cars. The next phase will include more parking, a restroom, concession stand and more landscaping. It will be open from dawn to dusk, with free admission.

“We really want to get teens in our recreation programs,” said Jams Ward of the L.A. Recreation and Parks Department.

Skateboarders are so excited about the new park they’ve been jumping over a fence on weekends and trying out the ramps that haven’t been finished.

Another skateboard park is being considered in the North Valley, either at Hansen Dam or Sunland Park. And a roller-hockey rink is planned for Mar Vista.

At Borchard Park, adjacent to Newbury Park High, there will be an 8,500-square foot, $183,000 facility, attracting Conejo Valley skateboarders en masse.

It might be difficult, but try to be tolerant of skateboarders. They don’t go out of their way to create havoc. They’re like surfers searching for the perfect wave, except there’s no nearby beach, so they have to make do with what’s available. As long as they don’t run anyone over, give them a break.

And how can you get angry at people who express themselves with such a profound greeting as, “Dude!”

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Eric Sondheimer’s column appears Wednesday and Sunday. He can be reached at (818) 772-3422 or eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.