The Brooklyn Banks, a public park located in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, played a significant role in the skateboarding culture of the 1990s.
In the early 1990s, the Brooklyn Banks became a popular destination for skateboarders due to its unique architectural features and smooth surfaces. The banks, which were originally built in the 1960s to support the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, consisted of a series of brick and concrete embankments that created a natural skate park.
As word of the Banks' potential as a skateboarding spot spread, skateboarders from across the country began to make pilgrimages to New York to skate there. Skateboarding videos and magazines also helped to popularize the Banks and showcase the skills of the skaters who rode there.
In the mid-1990s, the Banks faced a threat of closure due to proposed renovations to the nearby Brooklyn Bridge. However, the skateboarding community rallied to save the Banks, and a petition to keep it open garnered over 30,000 signatures. Ultimately, the Banks were spared, and the city even added some modifications to make them more skateable.
The Brooklyn Banks remained a popular destination for skaters throughout the 1990s, attracting top pros such as Eric Koston, Keith Hufnagel, and Harold Hunter. The Banks also played a prominent role in several iconic skateboarding videos of the era, including "Eastern Exposure 3: Underachievers" and "Zoo York Mixtape Vol. 1."
Today, the Brooklyn Banks remain a beloved spot for skateboarders, despite periodic closures for repairs and renovations. While the Banks are no longer the epicenter of the skateboarding world as they were in the 1990s, they continue to inspire new generations of skaters and remain an important part of skateboarding history.
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