Skaters show support for a new park at second annual Shredtember

Two weekends ago, skaters from all around Montana gathered in Kirk Park for the second annual Shredtember. Attendees competed in various skate events, entered raffles for prizes and visited tables set up by local vendors.

Shredtember was an all-ages, family-friendly event hosted by the Skate Alliance of Montana (SAM) on Sept. 21. The event was designed to connect the skate community while campaigning for the construction of a new skate park, according to the SAM President Jason Singler.

“We’re trying to build more safe skate spaces for the Bozeman community,” Singler said.  Currently, Kirk Park has the only skate park in Bozeman. Since its construction 25 years ago, Bozeman’s population has nearly tripled, according to SAM’s website.

Over the years, Bozeman has lost several places to skate, Singler said. One of these spots was the Big Sky Youth Empowerment (BYEP) Skatepark on East Mendenhall Street which was demolished this past summer, according to KBZK Bozeman.

“The BYEP Skatepark was a big reason for me to come to MSU,” said skater and mechanical engineering major Leo Childress. “But it’s gone. Now we just have Kirk. [Kirk’s] got good history, but you can see how many people are out here crowded around the bowl. We need a new park.”

At this year’s Shredtember, hundreds of community members gathered to watch skaters compete in beginner, intermediate and advanced contests throughout the day. To break up these competitions, the SAM held three “Best Trick” events and raffled off prizes donated by sponsors.

“[Shredtember and skating] are for everyone,” said SAM Board Secretary and Growth Strategist Andy Weas. The benefits of skate parks include lower crime rates and better mental health in teens and young adults, he said. According to a 2009 study, law enforcement also noted a decrease in crime around skate parks and cited them as assets to the community.

“Skate parks are a great place to learn grit and resilience and are a fun place for personal expression,” Weas said.

“Creative expression is something that skateboarding really brings forward,” Singler said. In addition to skating, this year’s Shredtember also hosted other forms of creative expression. Two DJs and multi-instrumentalist Brian Kassay performed at the event and vendors sold bracelets, paintings and antler-shed artwork.

Shredtember was free for everyone. “We wanted it to be accessible for all,” Singler said. Apart from the competitions, the event offered lawn games, food tents and an art station for kids. Local skate shops such as World Boards and national brands like Vans had tables set up as well.

Some of Shredtember’s sponsors included Bozefoto, Studio49, Happy Trash Can and World Boards. Each business donated money and provided merchandise for the raffles at the event.

“It was just really cool to see that people are supporting us,” Singler said. The SAM is trying to raise $100,000 this coming June to demonstrate the community's desire for a new skate park, according to him.

There’s no such thing as too small a donation, according to Weas. “If you’re an artist, a musician, if you want to help out at an event, be a skateboard instructor or if you’re a venue owner, there’s a place for you here,” he said.

To learn more about the SAM, follow its Instagram @skatealliancemt or visit its website at https://www.skatealliancemt.org/.