RUMFORD — A Go Skateboarding Day competition/fundraiser in Rumford attracted throngs of passionate and talented River Valley skateboarders to Hosmer Athletic Complex Skate Park on a picture-perfect first day of summer Tuesday.
The event, sponsored by the recently created local youth empowerment organization “Eleven Circles,” was one of thousands of similar events held throughout the world every June 21 to celebrate the fun, exhilaration and creativity of skateboarding.
“Skateboarding has become one of the three fastest-growing sports among American youth today,” professional skateboarder Toebee Parkhurst, 32, of Augusta said at Tuesday’s celebration.
More kids today (9.3 million) consider themselves skateboarders than baseball players, yet there are far fewer skate parks, (roughly 3,000 worldwide) than baseball parks, Parkhurst said.
“What attracts young people to skateboarding is that it’s a helluva lot of fun, there are no rules and it’s completely free,” he said.
“This event not only gets River Valley kids outside in a healthy activity they love, it is also serves as a fundraiser to build a better skate park for these youths,” said Cindrie Cormier of Rumford, one of three event organizers and owners of Eleven Circles.
“We have an opportunity to receive a grant from the Tony Hawk Charitable Foundation to build a skate park just like the Tony Hawk-designed concrete park in Bethel,” said Erin Cox of Peru, another organizer of the event and owner of Eleven Circles.
Tony Hawk, the undisputed founder of modern skateboarding, in 2002 founded a national foundation that fosters youth recreational progress and empowerment through the creation of public skateboard parks in low-income neighborhoods.
“The Tony Hawk Foundation has built outstanding skate parks in Lewiston and in Bethel and donated $10,000 to the building of a park in Augusta,” Parkhurst said. Since 2002, the Tony Hawk Foundation has given out 387 grants totaling more than $35 million to build or improve existing skate parks.
“The catalyst of this event was my 14-year-old skateboarding son, Tucker,” Cormier said. “He approached me about a month ago about doing a fundraiser on June 21, which was Go Skateboarding Day. My other son, Fisher, who is 8 years old, is here and he’s big into skateboarding as well.”
“Since then we have put a lot of the organization and putting together of the event in the hands of these young people,” she said. “We want them to have a big part in getting a new skate park.”
Tuesday’s celebration included a live rock and roll band, Strathglass Park, composed of four Mountain Valley High School juniors, food concession stands run by the Mountain Valley and Dirigo High School Interact Club, a skateboard competition and a skateboard skills clinic.
The skateboard skills clinic was conducted by professional skateboarder Parkhurst and three other accomplished skateboarders from the local area, including Nolan Brann, Josh Gallant and Nate Jones.
Those four proficient skateboarders served as judges for the skateboarding competition.
The competitors were judged on style, difficulty and landing.
“If we could get a skate park like they have in Bethel,” said skateboarder Michael Everson, 15, of Rumford,” it would truly be awesome.”
“We want to get the kids 100 percent involved in making this possible,” said Becky Skibitsky, one of the event organizers and one of the three Eleven Circles owners. “When you treat a group of kids with respect and do what’s right, it is amazing what they can do.”
RUMFORD — Results from Tuesday’s skateboarding competition are:
Best Trick category, ages 10 and under.
1. Fisher Cormier
2. Noah Breton
Transition category, ages 10 and older
1. Kayne Harris, Rumford
2. Nate Howe, Dixfield
3. Cory Cochran, Mexico
Stair category, ages 10 and older
1. Trevor Newman, Dixfield
2. Nate Howe, Dixfield
3. Cory Cochran, Mexico
Prizes were awarded to all top finishers.
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