Team EY (Team East York Skateboarding) is a youth group which promotes a positive skateboarding community in the East York area of Toronto. [1]
Officially formed in 1998, Team EY has worked to create a welcoming skateboarding community for both new and current skateboarders. Team EY began with word-of-mouth contests hosted for free in local schoolyards and do-it-yourself skateboard videos featuring local talent. Over the years it continued to grow and connected with other local community groups and city councilors to foster better understanding and acceptance of skateboarding in East York. The culmination of these relationships was the construction of the permanent East York Skatepark at Stan Wadlow Park in 2006. [2]
Team EY, supported by Toronto city councilor Janet Davis, collaborated with the local community and Spectrum Skatepark Creations to build the East York Skatepark. The design process engaged local youth to ensure that the skateboard park reflected the needs of the local skateboarders. [3] [4] Team EY hosted the opening celebrations of the park in June 2006 [5] [6] and has continued to be involved with the skateboard park: organizing annual spring cleanup weekends, [7] mural paintings, [8] contests, [9] concrete repair work, as well as hosting a memorial fund raiser and annual remembrance events. [10]
To help Ontario communities build skateboard parks of their own, Team EY hosted seminars and lectures at the PRO Forum 2009 (Park & Recreation Ontario) to share their community engagement and skateboard park maintenance strategies. Team EY also attends public consultation meetings and participates on the design teams of several skateboarding parks across Ontario. Team EY has shared its success story and the process for building a skateboard park in a two-part series of interviews on MuchMusic. [11] [12]
Team EY has also partnered with Toronto Parks & Recreation to organize winter skateboarding lessons and drop-in programs at S.H. Armstrong Community Center (2007–present) and the St. Lawrence North Market (2008 & 2009).
Team EY built the first ever indoor skateboard park in East York, the 'EY Skate Loft' in October 2010. [13]
To engage new youth in skateboarding, Team EY has offered summer skateboarding camps since 2006, which emphasize teaching safety and the development of skateboarding skills in a fun, positive and healthy environment. [14] [15]
The dedicated work of Team EY has been recognized by the greater Toronto community, earning them the award for 'Toronto Youth Group of the Year' in 2007. [16] More recently, their successful collaboration with city planners was described, by John Lorinc, in one of 14 essays in the 2010 book Local Motion The Art of Civic Engagement in Toronto. [17]
Team EY's early skateboarding videos, featuring local talent, have developed a strong following, which led to a series of skateboarding films produced by PEPstudios & ZooMediaphile. These have documented Team EY's progression and extensive skateboard trips around the world, including: Canada, the U.S., Spain, England, Europe, Morocco, South-East Asia, U.A.E. and Japan. The films have premiered at local skateboard parks, [18] at the 1st Annual Toronto Skateboarding Film Festival 2004, in local movie theaters, including The Danforth Music Hall [19] [20] and were the last show at The Toronto Roxy Theater, always drawing an audience of several hundred skateboarding enthusiasts and community supporters.
Skateboarding is an action sport originating in the United States that involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry job, and a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2009 report found that the skateboarding market is worth an estimated $4.8 billion in annual revenue, with 11.08 million active skateboarders in the world. In 2016, it was announced that skateboarding would be represented at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, for both male and female teams.
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Tompkins Square Park is a 10.5-acre (4.2 ha) public park in the Alphabet City portion of East Village, Manhattan, New York City. The square-shaped park, bounded on the north by East 10th Street, on the east by Avenue B, on the south by East 7th Street, and on the west by Avenue A, is abutted by St. Marks Place to the west. The park opened in 1834 and is named for Daniel D. Tompkins, Vice President of the United States.
Ryan Allen Sheckler is an American professional skateboarder and entrepreneur, and was the star of the MTV-produced reality television series Life of Ryan. He also starred in four seasons of the short-format video series Sheckler Sessions on Red Bull TV. Sheckler was listed in Fox Weekly's "15 Most Influential Skateboarders of All-Time" article.
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FDR Skatepark is a skatepark located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is accessible from the Pattison Avenue stop of the Broad Street subway line. The park has long been popular with notable local skaters such as Willy Akers, Chuck Treece, Bam Margera, Kerry Getz and various other local pro skaters. The park was built on unused public land in Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park beneath an overpass of Interstate 95. The park came to be through volunteer labor and donations of materials. Over time the park has expanded with additions and inclusions to the area around the original components of the park.
The Mid-Atlantic Skateboard Series is a skateboarding competition series started by former pro skateboarder Curt Kimbel. The series has been running every summer since 2003 and usually runs from July until late August. The series is meant to attract amateur skateboarders from all over the mid-Atlantic. Its format is quite simple. The contest tours skateparks in Maryland and Virginia nearly every weekend for about 6 weeks. Prizes are awarded to anyone who places 4th or higher in a variety of divisions. The points for each place are 5th Place-500, 4th place-750, 3rd place-800, 2nd place-900, and 1st place-1000. At the series finale, the points are tallied up for each skater and their overall points are matched against others to determine an overall placing for each division. Prizes for overall winners have varied by year. Most of the years the contest has been held, the divisions were divided into ages and also included divisions for longboarders, women, and up to 3 street divisions. The Contests are well known for their laid back community feel and their variety of sponsors. Since its beginning, portions of the contest have been filmed and aired on Concretewave TV – a program on FUEL TV. With the exception of the first year, fees are $20 per contest. The event benefits the Surfrider Foundation. As of 2006 it is the largest contest series on the east coast.
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Skateistan is an international non-profit organization that uses skateboarding and education to empower children. Over 2,500 children, aged 5–17, attend Skateistan's programs in Afghanistan, Cambodia and South Africa. 50% of students are girls. Through their innovative programs, Outreach, Skate and Create, Back-to-School, Dropping In and Youth Leadership, Skateistan aims to give children the opportunity to become leaders for a better world. Skateistan has Skate Schools in Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan; Phnom Penh, Cambodia; and Johannesburg, South Africa. The international headquarters is in Berlin, Germany.
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Etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest is a public skatepark located in Lake Forest, California, United States. It is the largest free skatepark in the state, with an area of over 62,000 square feet (5,800 m2). The skatepark is owned and operated by the City of Lake Forest. The skatepark provides free identification cards for residents of Lake Forest and Foothill Ranch, while a $15 fee is required for non-residents in exchange for the identification card. Helmets, knee and elbow pads are required for all users. Spectators, with the exception of permitted photographers, are not allowed inside the park.
Ryan Swain is an English radio presenter, DJ, motivational speaker, philanthropist, and skateboarder. Swain is known for broadcasting on radio, hosting live events and festivals and for his charity work and fundraising. He is also a qualified coach for Skateboard GB.
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NYC Skateboard Coalition, established in 2017, is a community organization that advocates for New York City's skateparks and hosts NYC-based skateboard events. The NYC Skateboard Coalition supports the skateboarding community of New York City through hosting skate jams and skatepark clean-ups throughout the city.
