Scooter riders were typically a younger crowd found at the CV Skate Park on Saturday during the first Jam event.
By Julian MITCHELL, intern
Skateboarders and scooter riders came together this past Saturday for the first joint event held at Crescenta Valley Park.
Despite the 90-degree heat, friends, family and athletes came out in large numbers to the all-day skate-scooter event that will hopefully be the first of many to come.
“The community really came together nicely,” said Scott Wilson, a local police officer and skate park father.
The event was the product of a last minute joint effort by skateboarders and scooter riders. Crown Roots, a local skate shop, was the de facto host of the event but, thanks to Wilson, the day was extended to also include scooter riders.
When the event was first announced, the scooter portion was not on the docket. Wilson took issue with this and made efforts to get a scooter event scheduled.
After going to Parks and Recreation hearings, the department overseeing the Skate Jam, Wilson was able to convince the department to set aside time for scooter riders.
Wilson then became one of the main organizers of the event, and was able to pull in additional sponsors within only three weeks.
While the event went off smoothly, attendees were aware of the tense history between scooter riders and skateboarders. Some skateboarders feel that scooter riders make it more difficult to use the park.
“It’s not weird at all [to have skateboarders and scooter riders together],” countered Nathan, a 10 year-old scooter rider.
One skateboarder, Graham Spaim, felt that splitting the event into separate days might have been better.
“I think that a lot of [the scooter riders] are just too young,” said Spaim.
Because scooter riders are typically younger, they need to learn the rules of the park in order for everyone to enjoy their time, according to Spaim.
Both skateboarders and scooter riders had pre-arranged times for competition but, during the down time the park was open to all. Winners of the various competitions throughout the day were eligible to win prizes, including one of six scooters from The Vault Pro Scooters.
Many scooter riders looked forward to sharing the park with skateboarders, such as pro rider Myles Johnson.
“We’re all out here just trying to ride,” said Johnson, sharing a similar sentiment among skateboarders and scooter riders.
Another scooter and skateboard event is planned for Dec. 8. Wilson hopes for the event to be bigger and better now that he has much more time to prepare.
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