‘Innoskate’ Gives Sioux Falls Boarders Skating Entertainment
If you were anywhere near downtown Sioux Falls over the weekend, you know it was abuzz with a flurry of activity. One of the biggest things going on was the "Innoskate" event happening near the Levitt at the Falls.
The skating event was created to support the already strong skateboarding community here in the Sioux Falls area.
Skateboarders of all ages converged on downtown Sioux Falls to show off their skills throughout the event, which kicked off with a 360 kickoff panel discussion on Thursday (July 7), that was immediately followed by a concert performance from the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra that evening.
The serious boarders started rolling Friday morning (July 8) with a series of events designed for skaters of all aptitude levels.
Innoskate representative Ryan Clements, who is a skateboarder himself, told Dakota News Now, “We’ve done Innoskate in Lakeland, Florida, London, Seattle, South Carolina. And it’s great to be here in Sioux Falls because, yeah you’re meeting new people. But everywhere you go, there’s that skateboarding culture, there’s that community. It’s already here, and we’re just embracing it."
When asked about the art of skateboarding, Clements told Dakota News Now, “Skateboarding is an activity, there’s athleticism involved. It’s a sport in certain ways. But it’s really a craft and an art just as much, and there’s a tremendous culture surrounding it.”
When I stopped by on Saturday afternoon to check things out, I witnessed boarders of all ages showing off their mad skills inside the mobile skatepark set up on Phillips Avenue that featured ramps and an assortment of different types of obstacles.
According to the "Innoskate" itinerary for the weekend, the three-day event also included skating demonstrations with pro skaters like John Rattray and Tracie Garacochea and Olympians Bryce Wettstein and Jake Ilardi. There were learn-to-skate clinics for those just getting started, best trick contests, and some really impressive artwork being created by very talented artists in the art alley set up next to the skatepark.
Oh, did I mention, that there were also a ton of vendors on hand as well? Including the Breaking Burrito food truck, (a heap of good eating BTW) which is quickly becoming a Sioux Falls favorite.
The event concluded Saturday night with a concert performance from the Florida-based pop-punk trio Meet Me @ the Alter, who were the entertainment headliners for the weekend Innoskate event.
Given how the event was received, I would be shocked if the city didn't hold another similar type of skateboarding event again next summer as the popularity of the Sioux Falls skateboarding community continues to grow.
Source: Dakota News Now/Innoskate
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