Wild In the Park

Let the Kids Skate Free!

This past weekend Volcom Stone threw their Wild In The Parks Skate event, a competition / jam session where entrance is free and almost everyone goes home with a prize. With all eyes on the weather, it turned out Volcom's prayers for no rain were answered and the competition rolled on under grey foreboding skies. The kids, however, still came pouring in to enjoy the day of fun skating and continued to push themselves higher and harder throughout the day.

The competitive aspect is a laid back affair. Competitors have 20 minutes to stomp their best tricks on three specified sections of the park. The jam vibe and loose format are intended to make the whole experience more like your typical skate sesh with your buddies than the stress of a run in a contest.

The U14 division was the first session to run in the afternoon and these tiny groms were out to impress. Some kids were barely the same height as their boards but were more than stoked to skate their favorite park for free, as well as score lunch courtesy of Volcom, just for being there and sharing in the fun.

Next up was the open division. The younger kids were more than happy to see their heroes going for broke, showcasing some amazing skate boarding and illustrating just how deep our South African skating talent runs. Moses Adams, Yann Horowitz and George Van Blerk were dominating the corner section while Khule Nia impressed everyone with his double flip on the fun box and nollie crooks down a ledge on the centre structure.

After the Opens there was a Big Air competition sponsored by Red Bull with a grand going to whoever could boost the highest over the hip, which was one by Yann Horowitz. Eastpak bags also sponsored a "Bag A Trick" prize, awarded to the guy who had the smoothest trick of the day. This was won by Khulue Nia of Durban North. In the end the U14's was won by Luis Mateus in which he bagged himself a ton of Volcom gear and the Opens was won by Volcom's very own team rider, Gavin "Moses" Adams. Moses laid down some amazing stuff in every section of the park. Electric Sunglasses also sponsored a prize for "Hype Of The Day" which was duly won by George Van Blerk for his frontside 360 over a gap / hip type corner, earning him R500 and a pair of sunglasses.

We made sure that almost everyone left with a cap, DVD, clothing or at the very least a full belly. Thanks to Volcom, Red Bull, Electric and Eastpak for a killer day, good chow and good times. And big up to the guys who braved the rain and gloomy weather forecasts to come skate with us.

Results:
U14
Luis Mateus
Dylan Theron
Steven Lucas

Opens
Gavin "Moses" Adams
Khulu Dlamini
Yann Horowitz

Electric Eyewear Hype Of The Day
George Van Blerk

Red Bull Highest Air
Yann Horowitz

Eastpak Bag A Trick
Khule Nia