Skateboarding is not a crime is a slogan advocating for the right of anyone to enjoy skateboarding.[1]
Many civilians will criticise and even mock skateboarders when it is in actuality a respectable sport that is proven to help kids and adults struggling with mental health as it is a creative escape. Using skateboards on UK roads, pavements, and public areas is also perfectly legal and it is a common misconception for civilians to believe otherwise.
In 1987 skateboard company Powell Peralta initiated an advertising campaign using "skateboarding is not a crime" as their slogan.[2] Their 1988 advertising video, Public Domain, showed skateboarders in various locations which displayed stickers showing the slogan.[1]
In 1997 skateboard company NHS, Inc. began formal use of the slogan for their brand.[1]
Various commentators in the skateboarding community have discussed what the phrase means to them.[3][4][5]
Skateboarding at the 2020 Summer Olympics raised the profile of the sport, leading commentators to reflect on how skateboarding has been called a crime but now people take it more seriously.[6]
The phrase has been used to advertise skateparks in locations where skateboarding is encouraged.[7] It has also been used for the opposite to explain where skateboarding is discouraged.[8]