The profile of skateboarding received a boost Saturday as a ‘Skate Park Jam’ was held at the Brodie Avenue Skate Park.
Yorkton Mayor Aaron Kienle said the idea for the day came up in a conversation with Recreation Services Manager Jessica Resler, where he floated the idea.
Kienle said it was his thought that it would “be pretty cool to do a skateboard event” given his personal interest and participation in the sport through the years.
While the skateboard park has remained active, Kienle said he does have the sense it could use a boost to keep it in the minds of young people as a rec option. He said having a day focused on the sport is not new but has not been held for about a decade.
The Mayor also noted there is a Go Skateboarding Day which was created in 2003 by the International Association of Skateboard Companies to help make skateboarding more accessible through events held in major cities around the world. The day is generally marked June 21.
Locally, however June 21 is very focused on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, an observance which honours the heritage, culture, and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. In Canada, it too is celebrated annually on June 21, coinciding with the summer solstice.
So as the Yorkton event plan began to take shape – with some city dollars to help get it off the ground — it was decided simply to move it ahead a week to June 13.
The event, which ran from 1 to 4 p.m. was very much focused on the sport, said Kienle, adding a key element was having demos from the team at Ninetimes Skate Shop in Saskatoon.
Dovetailing with the demos and having veteran riders on hand to help teach the sport, Kienle said they were about to work with Parlour Barber Shop, which is now handling boards, to get eight as giveaways.
The day also featured a free BBQ from Harvest Meats.
