More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
A skating event in a Kent park saw 150 kids and adults attend from all over the county and Sussex, showcasing dare devil tricks and some for the less adventurous.
Deal Skatepark in Victoria Park was buzzing on Saturday at the first Real Deal SkateJam.
Organised by a group of local skateboarding parents, the event started with an enormous sticker throw and free skateboard tuition was provided by Dan Wall from Canterbury Skate Project.
Despite some short interruptions from rain showers, the skaters were not deterred and dazzled onlookers with some breath-taking displays as well as taking part in several fun challenges.
Stars of the show included five-year-old Bruno from Brighton and eleven-year-old Rhys from Margate, while silver-haired shredder Sue Chapman showed everybody that you are never too old to carve the bowl with extreme skill.
Organisers say the inaugural event was such a success it could lead to a skate school being set up in Deal.
It was funded by local charity Supporting Youth in Deal District (SYDD) and supported by businesses including Jewsons and the Co-op; which provided healthy fruit snacks as part of their community programme.
David Norris, leader of the organising team said, “We are grateful to all the businesses that contributed to our prize pool.
"It was so good to be able to reward the kids for displaying a great attitude, not just doing the best trick. Giving somebody a t-shirt because they supported another skater or tried something new, then seeing the smile on their face was fantastic.”
Prizes were generously donated by Revolution Skatepark, Folkestone 51, Skate Pharm, Happy Skate, Far Skate foundation, Canterbury Skate Project and Landau store.
District councillor Trevor Bond came to meet the organisers and was impressed by the community spirit on display.
Ex mayor of Deal Cllr Eileen Rowbotham, also chairwoman of SYDD, said: "It was lovely to see so many young people and families taking part.
"Everybody was enjoying the fruit from the Co-op stand. It was an incredible example of a supportive community initiative.”
The Real Deal team is now planning the next event and hope to build on the success by starting a skate school in Deal.
