// WHY MODES EXIST
Skateboarding is for everyone. The default app surface is built for an adult skater navigating an active map. That's not the right starting point for a kid logging their first kickflip, a parent watching with them, or a skater whose access needs are different from the default.
Modes live in /me/privacy. They're switches, not gates — turning them on doesn't lock anything away, it changes the defaults so the surface matches what you need.
// FAMILY MODE
Designed for accounts shared with or used by kids.
- Stricter content filters on the feed.
- Marketplace and DTS are hidden by default.
- Comments require manual review before they post on your own content.
- Messages are off unless explicitly enabled.
Family mode does not turn the rest of the app into a kid product. It just makes the defaults sane for a household account.
// BEGINNER MODE
Designed for skaters who are still picking up the language and the etiquette.
- Spot skill levels are surfaced more prominently.
- A short legend explains tricks and slang when they appear.
- The map biases toward beginner-friendly spots in the default view.
You can turn it off any time. Nothing follows you to a public profile that says "beginner" — it's a presentation layer, not a label.
// ADAPTIVE MODE
Designed for skaters with access needs the default UI doesn't accommodate well.
- Larger touch targets across the app.
- Reduced motion (animations cut to fades and instant transitions).
- Higher-contrast variant of the editorial palette.
- Spot pages prioritize accessibility metadata (entry ramps, flat ground, parking, no-stair access).
Adaptive mode plays nicely with the operating system's own accessibility settings — if you have iOS or Android reduced-motion on at the OS level, the app honors that automatically. Adaptive mode goes further on top.
// ALL OF THESE STACK
You can run family and adaptive together. You can run beginner alone. The modes are independent.