Rutland: A brief tour

yo beat : Issue 8 : The Summer Spectacular

Rutland

by Brooke Geery

Photos: Tim Zimmerman

As the snowboard season is apparently over, the Killington social scene is done, and I must resort to alternate activities in the fine town of Rutland, or Rutvegas, as it has been so fondly nicknamed. I figured before the summer actually gets kicking I'd do some research and ready myself for the constant party that is this small VT town. Over the past week or so I have found many places that I didn't even know existed, as well as watched some major excitement go down, which I intend to explore in this very article.

Zero Gravity Skate Park

Zero Gravity went from being a really cool place to rollerblade with your brahs and blow your life savings to a really cool place to skate and blow your life savings. A few renovations, a new floor plan and some new ramps have turned this into to easily one of the best skate parks in New England. There are two mini ramps, the shitty one, and the good one, and a foam pit, which is pushing the limits of Rutland skateboarding to an all time high. With the exception of the cocky fruit booters who won't admit they all wear the same pants, and think that running into people is okay, this park is great fun for everyone. Make sure you bring full pads and a helmet, and be prepared to pay and you'll certainly enjoy yourself.

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Todd Currie enjoys everything Rutland has to offer.

The Notch
I've never been to the Notch and I never hope to go there, but I guess it's a cool place to hang out. It's probably been a party spot since Rutland became a "city" in the early 1900's, so basically, there's no hope of not having the cops come. Still all the kids sit there and drink until they get busted, when they do stupid things like push all the beer under the car, hop in the car, and drive away. Now what's more fun than that?

The Swinging Bridge
Kind of like the Notch, The Swinging Bridge is another outdoor party spot, only it is farther out in the middle of nowhere, so the cops come less often. It attracts the crowd of kids who used to hang out at the Notch until they realized how stupid it was, so instead they go to this much better place.

The Walmart Parking Lot
Now here's one I don't understand. A bunch of kids in JNCO's and Tommy Gear sit on top of their cars and smoke cigarettes, then talk about who's dealing and who got busted. I suppose this is an example of the 90's drug culture (or lack thereof) at work. I think the saddest part about this display however, is the fact that they choose to loiter in front of the trashiest, trailer park store in town, perhaps a vision into their futures, when they will all have crack babies and work at a gas station.

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Shawn Durst made lots of friends during his stay in Vegas.

The Porn Shop
To my surprise even a wholesome town like Rutland has it's very own smut shop. One step inside and you feel like you've left the small town streets and entered the big city. For only a dollar there are video rooms in the back, and there is a wide selection of videos and magazines for everyone. Of course, you have to be 18 to get inside, so I wouldn't know anything about it, but people talk. I think that the porn shop is worth a visit just for the experience and will check it out in about a year.

Center Street Alley
When I was in Junior High, this was the only place to be. Between the dirty hippies and the Kurt Cobain graffiti one can't go wrong. As the years went by, okay weeks, I become aware that maybe this wasn't the funnest place to be, so I don't go there anymore. One thing that can be extremely entertaining however, is the grommit skateboarders who think that the bricks are excellent skating and like to blow out their knees on the uneven surface.

The Bench
Until all hours of the night during the summer, one can enjoy crazy skateboard antics at the bench. No wait, that was last year, before the bench got removed because "it wasn't attracting the right audience." I'm so glad that they are encouraging kids to hang out in less open locations than the corner of two main streets, because they could really cause trouble where everyone can see them. This is prime example of the kind of excellent thinking goes into the running of Rutland.

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These unruly punks were in constant congregation at the bench, excellent reason to get rid of it, I'd say.

Bowlerama
Ask pretty much anyone who's ever been to Southern Vermont what they did at night and you'll probably hear bowling mentioned. Since the advent of automated bowling, the sport has become literally HUGE in Rutland. Even the 50% of the population that can not read, now can go bowling, and keep score. The Bowlerama had a true atmosphere that allows the bowler to truly feel at one with his surroundings. Between the toothless lady that gives you your shoes, the juke box that plays only country and 80's hair bands, and the rarely sober teenagers that work there, one can be entertained with out even paying for a game. If you come on any major contest weeks, be it the US Open or merely an AST, don't be surprised if the lane next to you is filled with pro snowboarders, because even they know the Rutland Bowlerama is the place to be.

The Sound Barrier
I wouldn't bother to put this on here, except that people seem to have a great fascination with the place. They are the only dealer of Volcom in the greater Rutland area, making it a destination for some. You also can get just about any record you want, and Freedom decks at inflated prices (at least until the $25 deck plan is done due to Failla's desertion). This is also another prime location for Hoochies, because of all the cute boys that work there. The best part though, is the owner Jeff"s dog. So if you happen to be a spoiled rich kid that cares only about what the labels on your clothes read, or you need something that you can only order in a skate catalog, the Sound Barrier is the place for you.

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Shawn Durst enjoys the Downtown Rutland nightlife.

Well that's about all I've found, I'm sure there is a crack house or two that could be fun too, but I didn't really look into it. Rutland also has the most bars per capita of any town, but since I'm not even old enough to go to the porn shop, that'll have to wait. Look for the Rutland Bar Tour and Bayne Family Skate Tour in upcoming issues.