Thousands of skaters around the world got on their boards for Go Skate Day Friday, and in Vancouver, they celebrated the all-day event by taking over downtown for the 17th year in a row.
The day got started with a warm-up at the Plaza skatepark beneath the Georgia viaduct, with hundreds of skaters rolling through the mid-20s heat on a summer day.
“Here in Vancouver, we have one of the biggest Go Skateboarding Days in the world,” said event MC Cyrus Thiedeke.
“This is a premier event. What Go Skateboarding Day means to everyone is just gathering. Getting together, celebrating this incredible thing that we’ve all found which is just exciting. Kids, adults, parents, everyone. Let’s do it.”
Skaters from around the world travelled to Vancouver for this event, which featured trick challenges for cash, giveaways, and a mass skateboarding on the street, with skaters eventually taking over the Law Courts.
“People are nice, inclusive,” said Alexandra, who travelled from Paris. “It’s cool the community is growing so fast.”
Skaters also marked National Indigenous People’s Day on Friday. CityNews spoke to pro skater Joe Buffalo, who helps young Indigenous people get started in skateboarding with Nations Skate Youth.
“It’s been life-changing,” Buffalo said. “They give us all their trust in order for us to show them all the positive aspects of skateboarding. They may not be very good at it in the beginning, it might not stick, but once you find your crew, that’s everything.”
Go Skate Day is an annual event.