Board Meeting
North State Skate Series
Story: Todd McBain
Photo: Nicole Kirby
Pam Lewis smiled as the second installment of the North State Skate Series neared its end on a brisk, windy Saturday in October. The Anderson Parks and Recreation supervisor looked out at the skate park she helped bring to life.
It was a vibrant scene at Volonte Park – music blared while skaters of all ages shared the concrete under the lights. Seven years of hard work had led to this moment. “These kids need a place to play,” she says. “Just like any of the other athletes … football … baseball …these kids needed a place, and we gave them a place to play.” And that night, they played.
It was the last of three stops in the NS3. Six Saturdays earlier, it began with skaters cooking on the 114.6-degree concrete at Redding Skate Park. It ended a week later than scheduled, due to rain, but the conditions were still rough that night at the Anderson Skate Park – skaters shivered and fought off windburn on that 58-degree evening. The weather for the series was as diverse as the venues – the Redding, Anderson and Red bluff parks challenged riders differently with their unique characteristics.
Six divisions made up this year’s NS3. Skaters accumulated points during jam sessions - where a group of five ride simultaneously – and each stop awarded first through third place. Prizes were no joke – medals, decks, wheels, trucks, t-shirts, stickers and more were handed out. Trophies for the series champions were hand-painted skateboard decks from Juan “big Casino” Ortega of Sacred Art Tattoo in Chico. “They are not to be ridden,” says NS3 coordinator, Brian Harris. “I will buy it from you before you ride it.”
Lewis and Harris spearheaded the NS3 last year and have seen a dream grow into reality. “It brought out so many people who had such a good time,” Harris says.
Lewis agrees, “I think it’s been awesome – absolutely awesome. We’ve got more kids competing, more spectators coming out. I think the kids are improving, talent-wise. I can’t say enough.“
Talent came from all over the North State and as far south as Modesto. The overall winner in the age 12-14 division, Zack “Ducky” Kovacs, made it to all three stops despite living three hours away. earlier in the day, Ducky had an obligation to ride a demo for 209 boardshop in Modesto, one of his sponsors, but he made it up I-5 in time to edge out Redding’s Sou Saephon by 15 points for the title.
Having watched her son skate in competitions in the bay Area, Southern California and Las Vegas, Ducky’s mother says she was impressed by the NS3. “It’s really run well,” she says. “That’s why we kept coming back. There’s good people and everybody has good personalities. And they just appreciate good skating. There’s no drama. There’s just a good core of people.”
The series is more than a competition - it’s a community event fueled by heart. Sure, some boards broke and some bones ached, but the experience of the series was enjoyable, says Anthony Novach, who competed on that chilly night in Anderson. The Red bluff natives had just been given the overall first- and third-place awards, respectively, in the 18-29 division. “That’s the best part about it,” he says. “you can’t take (the competition) too seriously, like: I just want to win! There’s no point in that, because you can win and still be miserable. you just got to have fun with it.”
And fun, they had.
