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Skateboarding event fosters community and positivity in Sylvan Lake

Mi Casa Su Casa was held at the Sylvan Lake Skate Park Sept. 29
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Skateboarders worked on different tricks and stunts at the skate park the afternoon of Sept. 29 during Mi Casa Su Casa. Photo by Megan Roth/Sylvan Lake News

Around 20 skateboarders of various ages came out to Central Alberta Skateboard Association’s (CASA) first event held in Sylvan Lake over the weekend.

Mi Casa Su Casa is a new event for the association which is supposed to foster a sense of community and positivity, according to CASA Board Member and owner of the Red Deer skateboarding company Industry Tim Nelson.

CASA has held a couple Mi Casa Su Casa events in Red Deer, and Nelson says they have been a great success and shown boarder and community members about the life and culture of skateboarding.

“Mi casa, su casa is my house is your house. It kind of means that anyone is welcome here [at the skate park],” Nelson said.

Cody Ducharme, an insurance broker with Lakestone Insurance, was one of the organizers for the event.

After attending a couple of CASA’s events in Red Deer, Ducharme saw how the Mi Casa Su Casa event could benefit Sylvan Lake and its skate park.

He called the Mi Casa Su Casa events “freaking awesome.”

“Knowing there are issues and concerns with our skate park at the moment, I thought this would be the best way to show we aren’t all bad people,” said Ducharme. “We are just people riding around and having a good time.”

“This event helps to bring us all closer together as a community, the skateboards and those who don’t.”

Nelson said the event goes beyond encouraging skateboarders and community members to get along. The event also brings them closer together by sharing each other’s cultures and way of life.

“Skateboarding goes far beyond the activity,” said Nelson. “It is a culture and a way of life. That is something a lot of people don’t really realize.”

Luke Bradley, a skateboarder present at the afternoon-long event Saturday, said skateboarding culture is shown through language, clothing and behaviour.

Skateboarding culture, according to Bradley, is more than what people see.

“It’s all overarching. It’s riding a board with some wheels on it and it’s crazy. It includes the clothes people wear, the music they listen too even artists,” said Bradley.

The skateboarding culture according to Bradley and Nelson is generally a positive atmosphere.

“I think if people can see events like this or those who work to get skate parks built, those people are done for the community,” said Bradley.

“They want to help out and create community within another subculture.”

The Mi Casa Su Casa event also helped to grow the skateboarding world within Sylvan Lake by encouraging boarders of all experiences to come out.

Nelson said one of the goals of the event was to help younger skateboarders continue with the sport rather than giving it up.

“We are seeing a lot of younger kids switch to scooters because it is easier. However there is an age where that tops out and kids just don’t come back,” Nelson said, adding most kids who scooter stop around the age of 12 at the oldest.

“Skateboarding is fun and relatively inexpensive. And those who come out to the parks and to events like this, they are down to help and give advise.

“We welcome everyone,” Nelson said.

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The event also encouraged the skateboarders to help each other learn and grow. One skateboarder watches on as a younger participant at Mi Casa Su Casa tries out skateboarding. Photo by Megan Roth/Sylvan Lake News