When I was in junior high and high school, I always envied my friends who rode skateboards. See, I’m a total scared-y cat when it comes to things like that. For instance, I live 22 miles from a ski resort, and the most I’ve ever done there is eat Mexican food, have a few drinks, and go tubing. Activities that require moving fast and defying gravity aren’t really my bag, personally. That being said, I love watching other people do them. For me, it’s like watching an action movie, with all the oooos and ahhhhhs to go with it.

Lucky for me, an opportunity to do just that presents itself at the 3rd Annual Skatepark Fundraiser, Contest, and Demo on Saturday, April 6th at Stillwell Park in Marlinton, WV. Skateboarders from Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced/Sponsored, 35+, Female, and Highest Ollie classes will be competing for first, second, and third place prizes in each category. The event is to help raise money for getting a skateboard park built in the town of Marlinton. In doing so, John Slice, Owner and Operator of Slice Skateboards and one of the organizers of this event, hopes to “put as many smiles on faces, raise as much money as possible, and give skaters somewhere safe and legal to skate and excel at the sport they have come to love.”

With a Sponsors list* of 15 local and nationwide organizations, the community is evidently supportive. According to Slice, “This has been a year and a half journey so far trying to get Marlinton, WV a skateboard park, and we are really hoping to get the concrete poured by this summer. The spot we are using now for skateboarding is the covered pavilion at Stillwell Park which is also used by the community. Therefore, whenever someone needs to use it for reunions or something else, we have to move all the ramps out of the way for other events. Our goal is to finally get our own spot for skateboarding. We got the approval for the skatepark to be built a year and a half ago and the spot has been picked out and approved. At this point, it’s just the challenge of raising enough money to get the concrete work done.”

The entry fee for competing is $10.00 and includes entry into your class as well as the Highest Ollie contest. The event starts at noon, and registration is at 11:30 a.m.

To show your support, compete, spectate, become a sponsor, or just get more information, contact John Slice via email at sliceskatepark@frontier.com. You may also RSVP to the event here. There will be food, drinks, prizes, raffles, venders, sponsors, trophies, and lots of sweet, sweet skateboarding going on.

So grab your family and friends, and come out!

*Sponsors: Pocahontas County Parks and Recreation, Slice Skateboards, Skaters for Public Skateparks, Mountain Quest Inn, Flock Skateboards, Cyres Skateboards, Heavenboundseven Skate Shop, 9Bone, Skatepark of Tampa, Monster Energy, Glades Building Supply, OddEleven Design Co., HSK Skateboards, Jessup Grip Tape, and SirReal Skateshop.

– Michelle Evans, LBSPY 29 (March 25-April 8)