Ontario Skateboarding: Support, Growth and Collaborations

Ontario Skateboarding: Support, Growth and Collaborations

In recent weeks, I’ve been given the opportunity to collaborate with and be supported by Ontario Skateboarding (OS). Honestly, when they first reached out, I was just stoked for the exposure they’d give Bluebird and happy to be seen on such a positive, well-known, and local platform.

But when we spoke on the phone about the Bluebird Brand Feature and possible future collaborations, my mindset shifted. I was able to have some really meaningful and candid conversations - ones that genuinely sparked a deeper interest in what skate means to them and what it could branch into in the future.

When you have your own platform, sometimes these ideas and goals can get lost because you’re not interviewing yourself. OS does a wonderful job of keeping the spotlight on the community, not necessarily on themselves. So I wanted to interview OS and give them the opportunity to share their goals, ideas, and what the future of skate looks like to them.

These were conversations I was excited to be a part of - and ones I think you should hear too.

 

For those who may not know, what is Ontario Skateboarding and why does it exist?

Ontario Skateboarding is a registered non-profit organization (currently seeking charitable status) based in South Central Ontario. Skateboarding has never been truly organized, and because of that, it never really had a support network to advocate, educate, invest, develop, and promote businesses, brands, shops, and skaters from Ontario.

In 2018, the foundations of what would eventually become Ontario Skateboarding Inc. were created. Now we do all of that, and we’re preparing to go much further in how we support our community and the culture at large.

The objective is to equally represent the regions of Ontario without bias and assist in any way to better each community.

How has skateboarding in Ontario evolved over the past few years - not just competitively, but culturally?

I think the talent level of skateboarding in Ontario is on par with anywhere in the world. I think that we have a core that genuinely wants to have a thriving scene and is willing to work to build it. I think we have greater representation at the local and regional level now more so than ever before. The majority of medium-sized cities and regional districts almost all have some degree of organized association that advocates for that community. That's an achievement all in itself.

Competitively, I think we need to keep creating opportunities for mentorship and instruction on the street level and push to get our skaters access to all the high-stakes events in and outside Canada. That experience will be huge for the rippers coming up and for those in their prime now.

 

There's such a deep well of abilities that skateboarding culture taps into, and that a skateboarder can do anything, be anything, and come from anywhere and be completely accepted in a community

What do people outside of skateboarding still misunderstand about skate culture?

Mostly, I think there is a tendency to underestimate what a skateboarder is or what a skateboarder can do. There's such a deep well of abilities that skateboarding culture taps into, and that a skateboarder can do anything, be anything, and come from anywhere and be completely accepted in a community because you skate and like skateboarding. Not many recreational sports can say that and be straight-faced.

For someone who didn’t grow up skateboarding or doesn’t see themselves reflected in skate culture yet, what’s the best way to start? What would you want them to know?

Picking up a board and being totally ok with sucking at it. That's step one. It's going to take a lot of work to get comfortable with a board, but it's worth it because it's awesome and the people are awesome. It'll teach you true feelings of progression with each level you achieve. Eventually, if you really put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into it, you'll be able to ollie.


Half of the community doesn't give a shit about sport or competition. They just want to crush spots and get the footage to make that part that's going to break out.

Skateboarding is often described as a community more than a sport. Why do you think that is?

Because half of the community doesn't give a shit about sport or competition. They just want to crush spots and get the footage to make that part that's going to break out. No house league or recreational sport of any kind has that side. Only snowboarding and surfing share that, and maybe track and field and golf with their own culture. Hockey has its culture, but it's not comparable to that of skateboarding. And with skateboarding's connection to art, music, fashion, and pop culture, no other community is alike… except snow and surf.


What do you see skateboarding giving young people that they might not find elsewhere?

Resilience and self determination if they don't give up.


How important are local shops, brands, and grassroots organizers in keeping skateboarding accessible and authentic?

If we don't have those things, it'll be the government or corporate interests that run skateboarding.


We need resources available for community members so we don't lose people that could be helped to better their lives if the support were in place.

Skateboarding is about progression and risk - how do you balance that with safety and long-term wellbeing for skaters?

Injury prevention through education and mentorship is super important. Injury recovery is also an underrated tool to benefit the long-term physical wellbeing of skaters. I also believe in strong social supports within the community so that resources for mental health, addictions, or suicide are available.


What does “supporting skaters beyond tricks” look like to you as an organization?

Hearing of suffering within the community sucks, it doesn't matter if it's drugs, suicide, or partner violence. It shouldn't happen, but if it is there, we need resources available for community members so we don't lose people that could be helped to better their lives if the support were in place.

I also believe in the opportunity for scholarships to help skaters get to better positions in life through higher education. That in itself will grow the culture into new heights and generations.

Why is it important to acknowledge mental health within skateboarding spaces?

If you don't, you're ignoring a real vulnerability within the community. There's a lot of work to do to help support a community of thousands spread out across the province.


In your view, how can skate communities support wellbeing without trying to replace professional care?

If we are willing to hear the issues, we can find professional care. Most people are willing to get help especially if it's from someone within the community they respect.


What excites you most about the future of skateboarding in Ontario?

I think that there's going to be big moments in store for skateboarding in Ontario. There's so much talent and very dedicated people committed to building a united and thriving cultural scene in skateboarding. There will be a lot of work to do in between then and now, but I think it's moving in the right direction. The organizations, brands, and shops will need to not only survive but reach another level of operation within the communities to grow their local scene. This will bring more sponsorship opportunities for talented youth with the desire to be sponsored by reputable and proven leaders of the culture.

What kinds of partnerships truly make a difference in growing skateboarding in a healthy, sustainable way?

I think we should stay away from sports betting.


Where can people follow Ontario Skateboarding or get involved?

The IG page is where we run point. The FB and website are active, but we're still developing the model on how these will function. We'd like to increase our YouTube page. I think there are opportunities available now with the organization and our relationship with the community members where we can take the feedback given and make the changes we need to, so we can properly represent the skate community in Ontario at the level that is intended. We're willing to do the work with anyone else willing to collaborate and further the causes and initiatives of the community.

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