How to Help Your Small Skate Scene Grow
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| Participants of a Spokane Path Race. Little races = big fun. |
Growing up in Spokane, Washington, I watched my skate scene fluctuate a lot. When I first got into downhill Dean Ozuna (Organizer of the Maryhill Freerides), Jordan Hautori (owner of RipCity Skate), and local legend David Uhlenkott (KillBillies team member) were all living in Spokane. We even had Louis Pilloni around for a bit while he attended Gonzaga University. This made for a stint of awesome grass roots events and sessions planned by these guys. Outlaw races, slalom nights, and parking garage sessions were happening frequently.
But, as life goes, most of these people moved on and away.
It was time for someone new to help cary the scene and plan events, and for a couple years there were none. Then, after not being able to travel to any out of town races because I was 14 years old and could not drive, I said "Whatever, I'll throw a race on that stupid trail in People's Park".
From there on, my friends and I became the new organizers of Spokane's downhill scene. Not really on purpose mind you, we just started throwing the events we wanted to happen in our town.
Then I moved away to college. When I would come back for break all my old skate buddies had either moved, stopped skating, or told me about how "the scene was dead". I didn't really get it. We had put in so much work. Where did the scene go?
I didn't find the answer to that question until I moved back to Spokane from college, moved away again, and came back to Spokane recently for an event that was thrown by a 12 year old grom. Then I realized how and why our little scene was finally able to grow.
Here is the basic outline of what I have learned about making your little scene grow:
I didn't find the answer to that question until I moved back to Spokane from college, moved away again, and came back to Spokane recently for an event that was thrown by a 12 year old grom. Then I realized how and why our little scene was finally able to grow.
Here is the basic outline of what I have learned about making your little scene grow:
1. Find The Skaters
First off you need to find who to skate with. It helps if you have a couple buddies that you already skate with to form a crew. Whether or not you do, a great way to find people to skate with these days is the internet.
Internet
Find your town's Facebook page and post up. See if anyone wants to meet up for a session. Skating is great way to make new friends. That being said, don't go meeting random strangers on the internet. While the skate community is generally the most friendly bunch ever, remember what your parents taught you: Stranger Danger! Bring a friend or two with you. If you are a grom, bring your parents along.
Events
Going to events is arguably the best way to meet skaters in your community. That's where you will find all of the people that are stoked enough on skating to actually go out and do something about it. Pretty straight forward, right?
Skate Shops
You know where skaters like to hang out? Skate shops! Or at least they should... If your town has a local shop, go see if anyone ever goes down there that likes the type of skating you do. Ask the shop owner about who comes in. They are probably the most knowledgeable source on your local scene.
But Dude, My Town Sucks! We Have None of That Stuff!
Your right, that does suck. But, it is actually easily fixable! Here is how:
Make a (your town's name here) Facebook Page
Even if you just throw up a Facebook page with no sponsors, no entree fee, no prizes it is something for you and the other skaters in town to get stoked on! Take a little bit of time to make a page with the time, date, and place and then show up. If you plan it they will come.
Always be patient and encouraging with new skaters. Help them get better! Take them to hills that are fun and safe for them to skate and give advice on how to slide, footbreak, tuck, etc when asked. Before you know it they won't be a noob anymore and you will be charging pack runs with them! Seriously, an encouraging influence goes a long ways.
Keep that in mind when planning events. If your town has a small scene, don't pick the gnarliest hill in town to throw an event. Try to find something all skill levels can have fun on and skate safely.
The bottom line is that if your scene is small, you can't afford to have your crew or events be exclusive.
The most prominent problem with small town scenes is simply that they are small. Often times people need to leave them for at least some part of life for work, school, or something else. That is okay! It is just how things go.
So, make sure to pass the torch in some way if you are the person that leaves. Make a skate team that plans events, let your buddies take over your events while you are gone, or make sure your local shop has the money and resources to keep the scene going.
So this brings me back to the event I recently attended in Spokane that was planned by a 12 year old. Young Luke Cronin hit me up on Facebook asking if Blackdog Longboards could sponsor a slide jam he was organizing in Spokane. He was planning on doing so with the help of his parents and KillBillies' own David Uhlenkott. Naturally I said yes. Not only was I happy to see someone new planning an event in spokane, but I was super stoked to see someone that young stoked enough on skating to plan his own event. Luke had attended a number of KillBillies organized races over the summer and I guess caught the event bug.
The point is that if you make something that is self sustaining and proliferates stoke, over time your scene will grow, even if the people in the scene change.
(This is by no means a completely comprehensive list of ways to grow your scene. It is merely what I have scene work in my experience. All scenes are unique and may require different forms of nurturing)
2. Do It Yourself
Make a (your town's name here) Facebook Page
If you don't have a Facebook page, forum, or whatever on the interwebs just make one! It only takes about 5 minutes and will greatly increase your chance of finding skaters. It will also serve as a key point of communication for your scene in the future if well taken care of. Seriously, go for it.
PLAN YOUR OWN EVENTS!
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| CLICK THAT CREATE BUTTON AND SEND IT! |
Even if you just throw up a Facebook page with no sponsors, no entree fee, no prizes it is something for you and the other skaters in town to get stoked on! Take a little bit of time to make a page with the time, date, and place and then show up. If you plan it they will come.
This being said there are good ways and bad ways to plan events depending on the type. Don't plan events in residential neighborhoods. Bike paths or low traffic roads in the middle of nowhere are best if you don't get a permit. If you can, always get a permit. (Keep an eye out on KillBillies for a new article on event planning)
3. SUPPORT YOUR SHOP
If you want to have a local shop to meet other skaters at, SPEND SOME MONEY! Skaters are notoriously broke. I know this. I'm broke too. But making the little purchases can go a long way. If you actually spend some money every once and a while at your shop, they will at least be able to keep the doors open. Then you can have a place for you and your new skate buddies to meet up and pile into one car for a session. You know, the ones you met talking on that new Facebook page, or at that event you planned?
Bottom line is you are going to go through sets of wheels, bearings, pucks, sheets of grip, and shoes all the time. Might as well get that stuff somewhere that is close to home and actually gives a damn about your little scene. If the owner is smart then they do give a damn, because your little scene is the only reason they are open. See how that works?
Bottom line is you are going to go through sets of wheels, bearings, pucks, sheets of grip, and shoes all the time. Might as well get that stuff somewhere that is close to home and actually gives a damn about your little scene. If the owner is smart then they do give a damn, because your little scene is the only reason they are open. See how that works?
Oh and if that shop is doing well enough, because you spent some money, they may even be able to sponsor your little local event. All of a sudden there are prizes for podium. BAM! Your little town's event just got more awesome.
4. Be Beginner Friendly
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| KillBillies' Jake McNamara [left] Getting pitted in a pack |
Keep that in mind when planning events. If your town has a small scene, don't pick the gnarliest hill in town to throw an event. Try to find something all skill levels can have fun on and skate safely.
The bottom line is that if your scene is small, you can't afford to have your crew or events be exclusive.
5. Pass The Torch
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| Luke Cronin and I STOKED on how his slide jam turned out! |
In my experience this could be the most important part of helping a small scene grow. When it is time for people to move on from their small town scene, they need to make sure something is in place to keep it around.
The most prominent problem with small town scenes is simply that they are small. Often times people need to leave them for at least some part of life for work, school, or something else. That is okay! It is just how things go.
So, make sure to pass the torch in some way if you are the person that leaves. Make a skate team that plans events, let your buddies take over your events while you are gone, or make sure your local shop has the money and resources to keep the scene going.
So this brings me back to the event I recently attended in Spokane that was planned by a 12 year old. Young Luke Cronin hit me up on Facebook asking if Blackdog Longboards could sponsor a slide jam he was organizing in Spokane. He was planning on doing so with the help of his parents and KillBillies' own David Uhlenkott. Naturally I said yes. Not only was I happy to see someone new planning an event in spokane, but I was super stoked to see someone that young stoked enough on skating to plan his own event. Luke had attended a number of KillBillies organized races over the summer and I guess caught the event bug.
The point is that if you make something that is self sustaining and proliferates stoke, over time your scene will grow, even if the people in the scene change.
(This is by no means a completely comprehensive list of ways to grow your scene. It is merely what I have scene work in my experience. All scenes are unique and may require different forms of nurturing)