All hands will be on deck when the Trail SkatePark committee hosts an indoor skate demo on Feb. 9.
The skateboard jam will be held inside the Liquidation World building on Spokane Street in downtown Trail.
The event is part of the Kootenay Skate winter series, which invites skateboarders to gather in various venues within the local communities, and have fun, showcase talent, and encourage new boarders to try the sport.
“The series is about getting people active and getting people engaged,” said Ty Smith, organizer of Kootenay Skate.
“We want people who don’t know about skateboarding to come down and have a look.”
The indoor skate demo will include “features”, said Trail SkatePark committee member Patrick Audet.
“Boarders are invited to come out and use some of the ramps and jumps that will be set up that day,” Audet said.
There will be raffles and prizes, and hopefully T-shirts available with the new logo, he added.
There is a mandatory safety requirement, and all boarders are reminded that a helmet must be worn during the event.
The pipe dream of having a skate park in Trail was first envisioned by a handful of Trail teens in 2007.
Only a few of those kids, now adults, remain in the area, so one of Audet’s goals as committee member is to spark interest and excitement into youngsters and encourage them to come out and lend a hand in fundraising.
“I know how valuable it is for kids to have a safe place to go and hang out and have fun,” said Audet.
“We are not going away, we are going to build this thing.”
In November, the committee encouraged youth input and excitement into the on-going skate park process, by announcing a logo contest for individuals 19-years of age or younger, who are Trail residents or attend school in the area.
The deadline for the contest is Jan. 30, and the committee members will choose the winner on Feb 1.
So far, the SkatePark committee has raised $288,400, which includes $275,000 that the City of Trail committed to paying.
The total cost of 8,000-square-foot all wheel terrain park is $550,000.
For more information about the logo contest, “Get on Board” sponsor brochure, and skate park plans, visit www.skatetrail.com.