Innoskate, Go Skateboarding Day, SkateFest, and Skateinstan!!! What a skateful weekend we had in DC. – by Tatiana Kolina
June 21-23 weekend started with the Smithsonian launching Innoskate exhibit to celebrate skateboarding culture, history, innovation and creativity. Innoskate brought all of the skateboarding legends to DC including Tony Hawk, Rodney Mullen, Patti McGee, and many others. It was a typical hot and humid DC summer day though it was totally worth it to hear legends talking about past, present, and future of skateboarding outside of The Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
Meeting Tony Hawk and Rodney Mullen in person was amazing!
On Friday June 21st, approximately 500 skaters gathered at Palace 5. Skate Girls Tribe joined with the crowd for the first time.
Minute by minute, the crowd waited anxiously for the five-o to arrive. It was part of the plan. Once police and skaters were set, it was impossible to stay calm. Crowd was ready to explode with excitement and off they went to Pulaski.
SkateFest in Fairfax VA was full of skating festivities, giveaways, skateboard vendor tents, the Sk8 For A Cause, Skate Competition, all to benefit Children’s National Medical Center. Skate Girls Tribe’s skaters, London Bridges and Daniele Chiapello, participated at the event. It was exciting to see more girls participating at skating competitions. We hope to see even more girls next year.
On Sunday, to wrap up the Go Skateboarding Day weekend, Old City Farm hosted, first time ever publicly screened in DC, Skateistan The Movie. The event was sponsored by sPACYcLOUd with support of Albus Cavus and Dj Mate Masie Russell Campbell. It was a chill evening with kids painting on the walls, skating, dancing and socializing.
It was supposed to be a very calm evening but it came to a halt when several skateboarding legends appeared at the gate! Yes, it was Patti McGee, the first female professional skateboarder and the first female to ever be inducted into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame. Another important guest was Di Dootson Rose, former professional slalom skateboarder and now on the National Skateboard Review. Everyone enjoyed Patti and Di Dootson beautiful energy.
It was such an honor to see Bryan Ridgeway, Skateistan’s Global Skateboarding Adviser, at the event. Bryan enjoyed interacting with the local community and everyone had many questions for him. Darren Harper, DC’S most recognized skateboarder was there as well. It was an unforgettable, once in a life time, experience to watch Skateistan the Movie under the starts downtown DC with skateboarding legends and friends. After the film, Bryan personally presented me with a signed copy of the Skateistan book.
Wow…what a weekend!!!
Upcomming events:
July 8 – team sPACYcLOUd is joining Longboarding for Peace and Concrete Wave booth at Vans Warped Tour 2013 in Virginia Beach
July 9 – team sPACYcLOUd is joining Longboarding for Peace and Concrete Wave booth at Vans Warped Tour 2013 in DC
July 13 – team sPACYcLOUd is joining Longboarding for Peace and Concrete Wave booth at Vans Warped Tour 2013 in NY
July 14 – Skateistan Awareness screening at Roll Skate Shop in Olney MD
July 17 – team sPACYcLOUd is joining Longboarding for Peace and Concrete Wave booth at Vans Warped Tour 2013 in PA
July 28 – Skateistan Awareness Part III screening at Tropicalia in Washington DC
