The Salt Spring Skatepark Society: Skate Day
Photographs from the free Community Skate Day hosted by The Salt Spring Skatepark Society on July 31: over 24 boards given away, 50-plus kids in free lessons, and a whole island gathered round the ramps.
The Salt Spring Skatepark Society is a volunteer group that advocates for safe, welcoming, and accessible skateboarding on Salt Spring Island. On July 31 it hosted a free Community Skate Day at the Kanaka Road Skatepark, giving away boards, running lessons, and gathering the community around a BBQ.
The Salt Spring Skatepark Society hosted a free Community Skate Day on July 31 at the Kanaka Road Skatepark, and these photographs are what a good day looks like: more than 24 complete skateboards given away, over 50 kids in free lessons, and a whole community gathered around a BBQ under the summer light. The society was formed to advocate for safe, welcoming, and accessible skateboarding on Salt Spring Island, and this event showed exactly why that work matters.
A community day built on years of quiet work
Some things take years before they show. The Salt Spring Skatepark Society has been advocating for safe, welcoming, and accessible skateboarding spaces for families and youth on the island, and on July 31 that patient work turned into a park full of noise and wheels and grins. The immediate goal is simple: foster the local skateboarding community by hosting free events that encourage participation, skill development, and connection. Judging by the day I spent behind the camera, it is working. I photographed it the way I photograph most things at the Folklore Creative studio, slowly, and with an eye for the small honest moments between the big ones.
Who made the Community Skate Day on Salt Spring happen?
The Community Skate Day was held in collaboration with Gulf Islands Secondary School and The Natural Stance, a Vancouver-based organization that promotes positive mental health and addiction recovery outcomes for youth through community engagement and skateboarding. The society welcomed professional skateboarder Chris Haslam and Dr. Pouya Azar, MD, FRCPC, DABAM, the founders of The Natural Stance, to Salt Spring Island for the free event. Their team led the workshops, handed out boards, and kept the energy generous all afternoon.
What actually happened on July 31?
More than 24 complete skateboards were given away free of charge to local youth. Over 50 young people took part in the free skateboarding workshops and lessons led by The Natural Stance team, and countless community members of all ages came out to spectate, enjoy the free BBQ, and join in the festivities. You can feel it in the frames: the first wobbly push down a ramp, the parents leaning on the fence, the older kids showing the younger ones how to fall and get back up. It had the same easy, gathered feeling I found at the Ruckle Farm Farm Days, another island day where everyone simply turned up for one another.
My kid had the BIGGEST smile on his face when I picked him up and he was excited to share all that he did and all the positive vibes that flowed his way. Much appreciated and please know that you guys helped make a core memory today.
— Breann
Another parent, Kelly, put it plainly: "Thanks so much for today. My kids had a blast and came home and spent another couple of hours on their skateboards. They are pumped to skate again tomorrow." That is the kind of feedback that tells you a free event landed where it was meant to.
The people behind the Salt Spring Skatepark Society
The current board members of the Salt Spring Skatepark Society are Mike Rogers, Red Oakes, Angelo Scaia, Will Snowball, and Rohan Erck. The society also extends sincere thanks to Alex Greenall, Neighthin Buchinger, Gord Faulkner, George Faulkner, Maya, Bruno, Luis Araujo, and the entire Natural Stance team, along with the many local volunteers and community supporters who made the day a success. Additional sponsorship was generously provided by Country Grocer Salt Spring Island and Foxes Board Game Shop.
What is the Salt Spring Skatepark Society working toward next?
The society is actively working with existing stakeholders to keep the facility maintained to a standard that reflects the respect and appreciation the community has for it. The longer-term vision is to revitalize, refurbish, and expand the 23-year-old Kanaka Road Skatepark, which is in serious need of repairs and lacks features that are accessible and welcoming to beginner skateboarders. Days like this build momentum toward a safer, more inclusive, and more modern skatepark for future generations on Salt Spring Island.
Photographing the day
I came as a neighbour with a camera, and left with a set of pictures I am proud of. Community events like this show the positive impact skateboarding can have on youth, and they deserve to be documented with care. If you run an event or a project on the island that could use the same kind of attention, you can see more of my event and portrait photography, browse other island stories in the Folklore Creative journal, or read a little about the studio and how I work.
What was the Salt Spring Skatepark Society's Community Skate Day? +
A free event held on July 31 at the Kanaka Road Skatepark in collaboration with Gulf Islands Secondary School and The Natural Stance. More than 24 complete skateboards were given away and over 50 young people took part in free workshops and lessons, alongside a free BBQ.
Who runs the Salt Spring Skatepark Society? +
The current board members are Mike Rogers, Red Oakes, Angelo Scaia, Will Snowball, and Rohan Erck. The society advocates for safe, welcoming, and accessible skateboarding spaces for families and youth on Salt Spring Island.
What is the society's long-term goal for the Kanaka Road Skatepark? +
To revitalize, refurbish, and expand the 23-year-old skatepark, which is in serious need of repairs and lacks features that are accessible and welcoming to beginner skateboarders, creating a safer and more inclusive space for future generations.
Who sponsored and supported the event? +
The Natural Stance led the workshops, with founders Chris Haslam and Dr. Pouya Azar in attendance. Additional sponsorship came from Country Grocer Salt Spring Island and Foxes Board Game Shop, along with many local volunteers and community supporters.
