Teenagers Max Faulkner and Harley Hilverding love to skateboard.But while others youngsters who love martial arts have dojos on the Island, and footballers have fields, skateboarders have nowhere to legitimately practice their sport.Until recently, Max, 15, and Harley, 16, and their skateboarding friends, spent most of their time being booted from one place or the other with their skateboard under their arm. Well meaning adults worried that the skateboarders would hurt themselves and sue the building owner. Car park security guards worried that cars might be damaged.There are thought to be about 200 other young people in Bermuda who also love skateboarding. Now some adults are coming to their assistance.Store owner Darren Booth, has started offering regular skateboarding days for young people. One of his events is organised for this Sunday in the City of Hamilton.“Basically, I own a lot of mobile skate ramps that we place somewhere for a day in order to give the kids a place to skate,” he said. “I would estimate there are at least 200 kids that like to skateboard and a few trick BMX bike riders that also use the ramps. We normally get between 40 to 60 children on a given day. We have been lucky enough to get a lot of help from the Corporation of Hamilton.”Max’s mother, Sundee Faulkner recently started the Bermuda Urban Park Association (BUPA) to promote awareness of the benefits of skateboarding. She and other members of the association are also raising funds for Bermuda’s first skateboard park.“We had the use of the Sandys 360 gymnasium for several months while they waited for their new flooring, and it was wonderful,” said Mrs Faulkner. “A safe and indoor facility that they could use on Friday nights and all day Saturday. Darren has done so much to get the skatepark going and already has planning approval and a lease from the Corporation. So now it is nitty gritty time to raise funds and get this place built.“The irony is that last time we had a Front Street demo day in the Number One car park on a Sunday before Christmas I was told that someone called to complain because he couldn’t park in his normal spot and had to park someone else and walk.“These kids are not sitting on walls drinking. They are not bothering anyone. They are not stuck indoors in front of a television. They are participating in a social event that encourages keeping active. A lot of kids, like my son, don’t enjoy the aggressive competitiveness of team sports like football, but they thrive on the challenges they set for themselves and work together to learn new tricks.”Max, a Berkeley Institute student, wants to be a shipwright when he grows up.“I have a plan,” he said. I want to go into an apprentice programme and learn how to build boats and ships. I have designed and made three of my own skateboards. The first two didn’t come out well, but the third one came out really well.”Harley, who currently attends boarding school abroad, hopes to one day be a marine biologist, and is already a certified diver.“Sure we get injured by skateboarding sometimes,” said Max. “I always have road rash on some part of my body. That’s just part of the sport.”“I don’t even know when I started skateboarding,” said Harley. “It was probably when I was seven and my parents got me a skateboard. I never could use a skateboard. I got a long board and picked it up like that. A long board is longer than a regular skateboard and very good for down hill speed. The smaller skate boards are better for tricks and are more popular. More people would get involved if there was somewhere to skateboard.”Mr Booth’s skateboarding event will be held this Sunday on Front Street from 11am to 4pm. For more information, check out the BUPA’s Facebook page or contact Mr Booth at The Booth in the Washington Mall in Hamilton.