Tony Hawk Loose at the White House

President Obama and the White House hosted a special early Father's Day gathering on Friday, June 19th. Dads, athletes, and celebrities were invited to the White House for celebration and charity giving. Tony Hawk, a dad/athlete/celebrity, was amongst the group and took every chance he could get to skateboard within the gates of the prez's crib.

Along with his formal attire, he didn't hide his skater steeze by keeping his skate shoes on. He was also, somehow, allowed to bring his skateboard inside and took full advantage of the smooth marble floors as he rolled through the hallways - probably the first and only. I wonder if he stopped by Pulaski too..?

Congrats on the once-in-a-million-lifetimes experience, way to make the world jealous even more. I want pictures of Obama trying to skateboard, I bet he would do it too!

Change IS happening afterall.

Ashburn's Promotion-raising Skate Event

Today, Friday 29th, there will be a SKATE SESSION at Trailside Park (20375 Claiborne Parkway) in Ashburn from 6:30pm to dark - *weather permitting.

Ramps, rails, and other obstacles will be set up in the parking lot for you and your friends to skate. There will be food and a photographer so make sure to show off your favorite move in front of the camera!

This is an initiative hosted by a group of Ashburn residents and yours truly to help provide a safe environment for skateboarder's in Ashburn.

Warren County Skatepark proposed

Pillar Design Studios has announced that they will be designing and constructing a skatepark in Warren County, Virginia.

The project is approximately 15,000 sq.ft. It will feature concrete street(flow course) along with a bowl. They plan to begin construction this summer.

Skate with Caution

As most of you might have heard, last Sunday, March 22nd, two joggers were attacked along a path in Landsdowne just after 5:00am. A man was pronounced dead at the scene while his wife had been left critically injured in a ditch. This attack and several others that have occurred recently, including one in Sterling this past summer, were said to have been random acts of violence that struck innocent people.

I certainly would not have expected to see this situation arising in my high school years when I used to 'night skate' through that very shopping center. Almost every Friday and Saturday night, warm or cold, my buddies and I used to roam to skate spots on our boards without a worry in our minds. The police officers and security were usually obsolete in this part of the city and the shopping centers and schools were closed for 'our skating convenience'. The street lights gleamed on the irresistible stairs and ledges at an angle that was just perfect for a long fun skate session. The roaring of our voices and the popping of our boards were the only sounds to be heard from hundreds of feet away. This was our freedom.

About 5 years later, it is unbelievable to see that our very own hometown is slowly disintegrating from these malicious attacks as we sleep. While driving to the Safeway in Sterling earlier tonight I couldn't help but look in every direction before stepping out of my car and watching my back in the corner of my eye. Luckily a police car drove past as I was walking in which shook off my nerves, but this behavior is the complete opposite of what I had experienced in my younger years. It's hard to believe that certain things change for a reason, but its even harder when they change for the worst.

Our prayers go out to the victims and families affected by the attacks as well as to the County. We hope that stronger efforts and power will be enforced to help ensure that these incidents won't happen again.

LCSP's advice to local skaters and other skaters possibly experiencing the same stuff in their town: be cautious, be alert, and be safe. Before you skate to a friends house late at night or travel to a skate spot on your way home from school, consider these tips: choose a safe and open route, skating in a group is safer than by yourself, and it's safer to skate near a public area than at a spot miles away from public contact.

With spring weather just around the corner and the summer heat not too far either, desires to skate 24/7 are bound to come. We hope you take our tips into perspective in your daily routine. Happy and safe shredding!

NEW Skatepark Project proposal!

Loudoun Times Mirror article starts...

"Plans are under way to open an indoor roller rink and skateboarding park in eastern Loudoun. According to a letter sent to county zoning officials, inquiries have been made about the possibility of building such a facility either in Ashburn's Beaumeade Corporate Park off the Loudoun County Parkway or in the Sterling Park Business Center off Sterling Boulevard."

I'm not positive on the details of this indoor park project quite yet, but by assumption I think the editor got mixed up with the whole roller rink situation. I believe the letter meant a facility for skateboarders and roller bladers (skatepark). But who knows, maybe the person in-charge is bringing a brilliant new idea to the table. We will keep you all posted on this project.

I am super stoked on all of the efforts that have been popping up in Loudoun lately, I've literally lost count in the past month. Props to all of the people who are getting involved with enhancing the Loudoun County skate scene, this determination is greatly needed and supported.

Rest of article: http://www.loudountimes.com/news/2009/mar/17/skating-facility-proposed/

Obama for Skateboarding

Obama is like cheese, he goes good on almost everything, even skateboards.

Here's a shot from Art Whino gallery's exhibit not too long ago of a display of Obama inspired skateboards. I apologize for not knowing the artist at the moment, but props to him/her!

Get more info about the Art Whino gallery and other galleries in the DC metro area at www.artwhino.com

Herndon Decides on Concrete Skatepark

I haven't been informed with the Herndon skatepark effort until recently, so I apologize for the late news.

As printed in the Fairfax Times newspaper, Herndon has decided on a 4,000 sq.ft. poured-concrete skatepark to be located at the intersection of Crestview St. and Herndon Parkway. The town recently contributed $175,000 towards this project that has been in effect for four years. They plan to have design and construction completed around 2011.

Read more: http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/news/2009/feb/25/herndon-skate-park-rolls-toward-becoming-concrete/

Skateboarding Empowerment Group

I checked out the Skateboarding Empowerment Group session today at the Green Skate Lab. We started out shoveling the snow and ice out of the bowl then carved some corners with the kids.

The Youth Empowerment Resource Center's 'Skateboarding Empowerment Group' is hosts events on the first Sunday of every month for teens and young adults with disabilities. The events are from 12pm to 2pm at the Green Skate Lab, 2901 20th St. NE, DC 20018.

The mission of the Youth Empowerment Resource Center is to provide District of Columbia teens and young adults with leadership training and information about services and supports that affect their lives.

RSVP: Stephanie Murdock, YERC Project Manager
Phone: 202 338-7158, ext. 213
E-mail: smurdock@inclusionresearch.org

http://www.inclusionresearch.org/

Skateboarding in Afghanistan

This blog post pertains to the article titled “Skateboarding in Afghanistan Provides a Diversion From Desolation” from The New York Times.

First of all, let’s dedicate this blog to all the people who oppose skateboarding areas in their community.

After a car bombing in Kabul, a large group of kids were not startled enough to let the board leave their feet. They kept skating in an empty fountain that was just 20 yards away from the bombing. The fact that these skaters feel safer skating no matter how close they are to possible fatality rather than in an enclose home shelter is very surprising. If such a bombing occurred here in LoCo, schools would be closed, roads would be blocked off, and people would be forced to stay inside their homes. Skateboarding has given them a sense of protection and strength.

It is truly remarkable how the situation is in Afghanistan. For several years, possibly their whole lives, their homeland has been under attack. Until now, youth have been limited to activities in the Kabul community by playing pick-up soccer and other sports. Skateboarding, however, has recently been introduced to kids and is making a remarkable difference in their self-esteem compared to any other activity has given them.

“It gives me courage, and once I start skating, I completely forget about my fears,” said 9-year-old Maro. With youth living in such extreme conditions, opportunities for them to feel freedom and gain confidence in themselves have been very limited until the first skateboard dropped on a dusty abandoned fountain.

This story can easily be compared to youth life here in America, however maybe not as extreme. People of all ages engage in skateboarding recreation for its high level of enjoyment. But some of these people may have first jumped into skateboarding with an expectation to get away from negative situations with family or friends. They soon noticed that skateboarding puts them in a totally different atmosphere where confidence and courage thrive in every direction.

Oliver Percovich, a 34-year-old from Australia, is working towards building the country’s very first skateboarding school called Skateistan. Skateistan would be similar to a youth recreation center dedicated to helping residents through personal issues by putting a skateboard under their feet. This effort is quite outstanding considering the current warfare conditions in the nearby area.

Let’s pray for skateboarding success in Kabul and a new life of happiness to it’s residents. You can read more about Oliver’s project by clicking the link posted below.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/26/sports/othersports/26skate.html?_r=3&hp