BCSA hosts successful Local Go Skateboarding Day Celebration

BONNERS FERRY — The Boundary County Skatepark Alliance saw some gnarly success at its second Go Skateboarding Day Skate Jam.

June 21 is National Go Skateboarding Day, and for two years running the local skatepark advocacy group has hosted a family friendly barbecue, complete with skating and live music.

Come rain or shine the event was to take place, earlier in the afternoon rain splattered downtown, but the clouds parted right before the festivities.

“Providence would have it, the rain ended right on schedule,” Jeffery Phillips, marketing volunteer with BCSA, told the Herald. “My pop-up canopy served as rain protection during set-up, but it stopped sprinkling about 4 p.m. and soon after that it was a shade shelter for myself and spectators.”

“As an advocacy group, our Skate Day Jams are the sort of event BCSA promotes for the skaters and the community that will keep going long after the new park is built,” Phillips said.

Events such as this one, are focused on skaters, young and old, and kindling the love of the sport, Phillips said. Last year BCSA had assistance hosting the Go Skateboarding Day Skate Jam with Kootenai County skateboarding business and brand, Yousta. This year, BCSA hosted the event on its own, and saw a larger turnout of younger kids with parent spectators.

Phillips noted that kids and families were learning how to share the currently limited park space with athletes riding on all types of wheels.

With the larger family turnout than last year, Phillips said this tells him and other BCSA volunteers that more parents are becoming aware of the park and families are getting involved.

“It proves the utility of a larger skatepark for the future, and shows our efforts are paying off for the community,” he said.

In May, BCSA hosted a rummage sale and skate, where skatepark etiquette was taught. This courtesy carried over at the June event with skaters being kind to the “groms,” or younger skaters, said Phillips, adding that in his experience courtesy to young skaters has not been an issue at the park.

That etiquette and respect is another one of the reasons he fell in love with the skater community, Phillips said.

“There is a sense of inclusion for anyone who simply enjoys skating, regardless of age, or any other labels. Skaters help skaters and learn from each other, that seems to be universal,” he said.

BCSA officials and volunteers thanked the vendor Huckleberry Hollow for “sweetening” the deal and donating back 10% of their sales to the alliance. Special thanks to local skater Shane Helsper, with the support of his wife, Magnolia, who volunteered and did a great job running the jam and awarding cool gear to skaters. The skater gear was donated mostly by volunteers.

John Aguilar, was the winner of a skateboard deck, which was donated by American Ramp Company. John is a skate dad who got back into the sport a couple years ago with his son, officials said.

Officials also thanked Jason Ball, founder of the private Facebook page “Skate Dads” and his enthusiastic online support of BCSA and their service to the skating community.

Officials said the community support for the event and the mission of BCSA recharged their batteries. More volunteers were gained after another successful skate jam.

BCSA is still adamant on their goal of building a nearly 10,000-square-foot skatepark, but knows that it won’t happen overnight, Phillips said. According to The Skatepark Project, formerly the Tony Hawks Foundation, the process can take up to five years.

A year after the group’s founding, BCSA officials said they feel on the right schedule.

For the latest BCSA news, updates and reminders of events, follow them on Facebook at “Boundary County Skatepark Alliance.” For more information on the process of building the skatepark, visit boundarycountyskateparkalliance.org.

BCSA is an advocacy group in Boundary County with the mission to provide a safe skatepark for the community and are in the process of fundraising for a new skatepark.