Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05
May 8, 2008 issue
Watauga County Schools Skate Off to Pay Off at Appalachian Skatepark May 24
Organizational Meeting for Parents at Park May 12
Story by Sam Calhoun
In an effort to pay off a $38,000 construction debt, form a local skateboard team and create school pride, the Appalachian Skatepark Council is presenting the inaugural Watauga County Schools Skate Off to Pay Off skateboard and roller-blading competition at the Appalachian Skatepark, located off Hunting Hills Drive in Boone in the Watauga County Parks and Recreation Complex, on Saturday, May 24, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Students from all nine Watauga County Schools, as well as students from Two Rivers Community School, are welcome to attend. Participation in the event costs $15 per skateboarder or roller-blader and includes a t-shirt.
The Appalachian Skatepark Council is working with art teachers at all ten schools to create team jerseys for the students in each school. At the competition, students will compete separately, but their points will be added to a team total. In addition to individual prizes, a winning school will also be chosen and will receive a trophy.
“It’s going to be neat to see the kids skating with jerseys on representing their school, having fun and raising money to pay for something they love,” said Brian “Cosmo” Mueller, member of the Appalachian Skatepark Council and coordinator of the event. “They’re going to help relieve our $38,000 debt.”
Skaters will compete in four divisions—starter, beginner, intermediate and expert. The best overall roller-blader will receive a pair of tennis shoes, and the best overall skateboarder will receive a new skateboard.
Students are fundraising for the event and Board Paradise is giving a free pair of tennis shoes every other month for one year to the student who raises the most money. Anyone who would like to donate money to the skatepark without going through a student can pick up donation forms at the Appalachian Skatepark in a plastic box at the front of the park.
Mueller asks that parents of skateboarders and roller-bladers call to tell him how many students will be participating from each school.
The next meeting of the Appalachian Skatepark Council is open to the public and is planned for Monday, May 12, at 5:30 p.m. at the Appalachian Skatepark. Mueller hopes parents will come to the meeting to help with organization of the event.
Mueller said that this competition is the first step in forming a local skateboard team that will travel off the mountain to compete, so he hopes students from all schools will take part.
“But first, we need to pay off this park,” said Mueller, who, with three other people, signed a loan that originally paid for the park more than two years ago. “[Watauga County] pledged $20,000 to pay for a new concrete park, so we need to get this one paid off before we do that.”
In addition to the competition, the Appalachian Skatepark Council features other ways to support the park. For $100, businesses or families can place their name on advertising at the park for one year, or buy a brick that will become a permanent part of the park. For $1,000, a business can adopt a skatepark ramp and put its name and logo on it for one year. The park also offers three sizes of advertising signs for “reasonable prices,” said Mueller.
For more information, call 828-264-7111 or click to www.appskatepark.com.
Want To Go?
Date: Saturday, May 24
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Location: Appalachian Skatepark
Cost: $15