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Newsom shows off his skateboarding skills at Rochambeau Playground


Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom skateboards at Rochambeau Playground

Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom was at Rochambeau Playground this morning on 25th Avenue. He was on hand to accept a $250,000 donation check from Coca-Cola on behalf of the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department.

The money will be put towards a new trail in Golden Gate Park, as well as the SF Rec & Park Gear Up Fund which helps provide supplemental equipment to recreation center programs across the city. Part of Coca-Cola’s donation will provide a mobile van with biking, kayaking, and skateboarding gear.

Other parts of the donation will be set aside for Rec & Park summer programs, as well as “the launch of a new organization to support parks”. Cub reporter David H. was at the ceremony this morning and says no one had any details on what this new organization would be however.

After the check presentation, Newsom told our reporter that an important aspect of Coca-Cola’s donation today was to inspire other corporations to “do their part as well”. On his Twitter, Newsom wrote “Thank u Coca-Cola 4 commitment & generous contribution 2 SF.”

Coca-Cola is currently running their America is Your Park campaign, where anyone can cast their vote, upload a video or check in on Facebook in support of their favorite park. Rec & Park officials at this morning’s event asked people to log on and vote for Golden Gate Park.

After the ceremony, Newsom checked out the various activities that were set up at Rochambeau for the event, including a rock climbing wall and a skateboarding course. Skateboarding in wingtips = impressive.

Special thanks to David H. for snapping the pics and getting the story.

Sarah B.

22 Comments

  1. I am disturbed that he didn’t wear a helmet. Not a good image to project, especially for kids. Head injuries are very common among skateboarders who don’t wear helmets.

  2. Not to worry Ellen, all that product in his hair would’ve ignited on impact.

    Plus there is nothing in there to protect anyway.

  3. @ Ellen. All the kids on skateboards are required to have helmets. Everyone signs releases as well. The skateboard stations have their own pads. There were some that called out to him about a helmet and I heard some response hair something something. Could not make it out from all the noise hihi

  4. Gee, remember when he was mayor and he *banned* all soda machines from school grounds? Now he’s schilling for Coke.

  5. Can someone explain to me why Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom accepted a gift from Coca-Cola that was given to SF Parks Trust? He’s no longer Mayor, so what am I missing???

  6. @Susan – my guess is that no one from the city wanted to be seen getting a check from Coke! Also, if P&R was pushing GG Park at this event… WHY NOT do the event AT GG Park?!!!!

  7. come on everyone…let’s all complain and nitpick at once. ready, set go!

  8. This is really OT. That deep red link color really hurts the eyes to the point where slight dizziness happens.

  9. @Ellen Eason. Wow Ellen, you just proved that you don’t know ANYTHING about skateboarding. I am a skater and you almost never land on your head when you bail. I have only done that once since I started skateboarding, which has been a long time. And I don’t just ride around on the flats, i go big or go home. I do stairs, hubbas, rails, you name it and I’ll try it. But throughout all of this I have hit my head once. I hit my head more playing basketball, basketball players should be the ones wearing pads! I hate people who just assume skateboarders are stupid for not wearing a helmet and that they are going to kill themselves, because very few people(if any) have died skateboarding. So think about this Ellen, and don’t act smart and official about something you obviously know nothing about.

  10. @Ellen. You’re right, i mean what with him not being an adult or anything….As for projecting a good image how about you wearing one every time you cross the road because head injuries are very common among pedestrians who don’t wear helmets who then get hit by adults driving vehicles. Of which there are…..thousands every year.

  11. From the website of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00273

    “You can suffer permanent impairment or even death if you fall off the skateboard and strike your head without a helmet. Most brain injuries happen when your head hits pavement. You are most at risk if you skateboard near traffic and collide with motor vehicles, bikes, pedestrians or other obstacles.”

  12. if he had a helmet on, folks would be making helmet hair jokes. newsom just can’t do anything right as far as some are concerned.

  13. Actually, I am a Newsom supporter. However, I have known a number of people who experienced severe brain injury.

  14. Interesting that none of the funding goes toward skateparks…and 99% of all publicly funded parks in San Francisco expressly prohibit skateboarding. So much for “liberal” and “accepting.”

    As far as helmets…this is a myth. You are more prone to hitting your head playing basketball/baseball etc:
    1. Cycling: 64,993
    2. Football: 36,412
    3. Baseball and Softball: 25,079
    4. Basketball: 24,701
    5. Powered Recreational Vehicles (ATVs, Dune Buggies, Go-Carts, Mini bikes, Off-road): 24,090
    6. Skateboards/Scooters (Powered): 18,542
    7. Soccer: 17,108
    8. Skateboards/Scooters: 16,477
    http://www.brainandspinalcord.org/brain-injury/statistics.html

  15. I acknowledge that other sports are more dangerous. But 16,477 is not a trivial number. I am sure the families of those injured wish that helmets were worn!

  16. @joel- According to the Rec & Park folks kids did have a say on what they wanted, Much of the equipment in the mobile van will be skateboard related. Since the programs serves little to big kids its my understanding their will be staff/coaches on hand when the equipment is used.Yes they all had helmets the other day and helmets will be part of the equipment (just in case).

    Most of the kids at this event had no idea of who Gavin was except he was a tall funny guy in a suit pretending he was a roller. Role model, ahhh no.

  17. skateboarding is pretty much illegal in the city any way. It is a $75 ticket (i have received more than one of these) if you are caught skateboarding in SF.

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