Earlier this month, on the 17th of August, the Skaters Coalition for Concrete (a.k.a. SCC) held their 3rd annual summer skateboard competition at the South Park skate park in Pagosa Springs. There were 25 competitors in 3 separate events, 6 categories. This year’s competition was unique, with not only the street skate competition, but also the added mini-ramp competition for both beginner & advanced skaters, as well as a game of S.K.A.T.E. (similar to basketball’s game of P.I.G.) for the advanced. The competition started at 10:am on Sunday, with the rain clouds holding out until after the prizes were awarded at 1:pm. Continued...
Charlie Hoch, frontside 50-50
Bradly, Derek, the D.J., Lamereaux's son, practicing for when he's big enough to compete
E.J. Romero, frontside 50-50 |
For the past two summers the SCC, a group of skateboarding supporters working with the Town of Pagosa Springs to facilitate the construction of a concrete skateboard park, has arranged three fundraising outdoor skateboarding competitions along with an indoor skateboard event this past winter at the Community Center. With a recent commitment to match all funds raised by the community, as well as designating a place for the park to be built, the Town of Pagosa Springs has become proactive in the process of having a skate park built in the very near future. The SCC’s current goal is to raise $30,000 in fundraising, donations, and grants, and the latest count has brought us up close to $20,000.
This year the competition had new criteria to follow. Because every sporting event in Pagosa with over 100 spectators requires the event the hold an insurance policy, the Town required the SCC to buy a $489 one-day insurance plan to cover the crowd, which was never required of us before. Without this expense, the SCC would have raised $789 from the summer competition’s entry fees, and food and raffle ticket sales, but unfortunately we only raised $300 to donate toward the anticipated new skate park. Continued...
Daniel Roeder, ramp gap
The Judges, not too serious
Mickey Smith came to bring a little old-school back |
When we first found out about this new requirement, the SCC was lenient toward only having a game of S.K.A.T.E, because we knew we wouldn’t be able to raise a sufficient profit from another competition. No skate competition had been planned planned.
 When I heard about this I called up Charlie Hoch, a key member in the Skaters Coalition and an avid skateboarder, and he was just as disappointed as I was. School would soon be starting, with many of the town’s best skaters going off to college... so, within a two-week period we’d put up flyers, gathered up prizes from local and big-name businesses, and rounded up volunteers to have just as successful of a competition as the past two.
The skate competitions aren’t just about raising money, but also for the youth of Pagosa. The growing population of skateboarders in town don’t have organized “games” or “practice” to look forward to, and the sporatic events the SCC has put on in the past three years have been some of the only community milestone events for skateboarding in the Pagosa Springs community. Continued...
Andy "Toes" Abresch, tail stall
Jon King, 5-0 across the mini-ramp coping
Phillip Maddox gets air |
Recently the Town of Pagosa Springs had surveyors come to inspect if the South Park Skate Park was safe, and it failed miserably. This is a huge indication that the Skaters Coalition for Concrete needs to meet its goal as soon as possible.
To learn more about the Skaters Coalition for Concrete, or to find out more about our donor appreciation plaque, tile program, and/or element sponsorship, please visit the SCC website. Continued...
COMPETITION WINNERS
Street Skate – Beginner
1st place: Chandlor Humphrey
2nd place: Marcus West
3rd place: David Weber
Street Skate – Intermediate
1st place: Chris Rivas
2nd place: Andy “Toes” Abresch
3rd place: Bryan Schoonover
Street Skate – Advanced
1st place: Charlie Hoch
2nd place: Daniel Roeder
3rd place: Zach Maun
Mini-Ramp – Beginner
1st place: Chandlor Humphrey
2nd place: Marcus West
3rd place: Andy “Toes” Abresch
Mini-Ramp – Advanced
1st place: John King
2nd place: Heath Rivas
3rd place: Charlie Hoch
Game of S.K.A.T.E. Winner: Joe Weber
SPONSORS
- Shortys
- Globe
- The Outfitter
- The Skateboard Hut
- The Click
- Inferno
- Concrete Sk8 Shop
- Boarding Haus
- Ski & Bow Rack
- Pagosa Outside
- Treasure of the Rockies
- Smith
- Carhartt
- Town of Pagosa Springs
- The Summit
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
The Judges:
- Allan Guimond
- John King
- Joe Weber
- Bruce Hoch
- Jeremy Gallegos
And the folks who helped out…
- Charlie Hoch
- Derek Lamereaux
- Matt Degalman
- Jim Miller
- Karen Hoch
- Ivy Isberg-King
- all of our generous volunteers!
- all the parents who support their kids skateboarding!
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