Local skate shop promotes the growth of young skaters in the Colorado community.
Artwork by Mateo Rocha
Over summer vacation three skate camps were hosted in Aurora, Colorado by renowned local skate shop, The Denver Shop, to teach kids the ways of skateboarding.
The Denver Shop is a local skateboard establishment in Denver that is dedicated to the growth and expansion of the skate culture. The Denver Shop is creating a core environment where kids are submersed into skateboarding by a real skateboard patron. This is the 16th annual skate camp that The Denver Shop has hosted. With skate coaches and several other volunteers, The Denver Shop has created a tradition of a day full of fun on four wheels.
It’s 9 a.m. on a Sunday morning and waking up early would be the last thing that one would expect a skateboarder to do, in regards to volunteering to help out little kids. The skaters gather at Aurora Wheel Park: a skateboard park located at 2500 South Wheel Park Circle. Wheel Park has many features that skaters from all skill levels can enjoy. The smooth concrete, the flat bar rails, the size-varying quarter pipes, and the variety of ramps and drops makes Wheel Park an ideal place for a youth skate camp.
D Shop (The Denver Shop) Skate Camp is a great contribution to the future generations of skateboarders. Skating has reached a certain level of prominence, and because of this facilities have been built to provide training grounds for aspiring shredders around the world. The Denver Shop contributes greatly to this new mode of progression by hosting the skate camp.
The park is reserved on this day for participating youth and the D shop’s skate coaches. This includes some of the Denver Shop team riders, (to name a few) Tyler Price, Josh Murphy, Whitney Wells, Joey Arbarca, and Justin Greer.
Team riders are sponsored skaters by the D Shop. Through the sponsorship they typically film skate videos to promote the shop or, in this case, helping out at the camp.
The camp begins by first separating kids into groups based on their overall skill level in skating, and then the day commences: four hours of one-to-one skoaching (skate coaching) and overall joy between all the participants.
There is a wide range of talent seen from the kids participating. Coaches may find themselves doing a range of things from helping a young boy or girl ride down a ramp successfully, to having a session on an obstacle with their campers; seeing how much one can tweak a trick or grind a rail. Sessions when one repeatedly hits an obstacle, attempts new maneuvers, or cruises around and encounters obstacles on which to ride.
Skate Camp is focused on the kids only. There are large efforts made to help a young ripper understand the movements of skating, or even inspire a kid to pursue skateboarding as more than just a piece of wood with four wheels. Participants are provided with refreshments and food to keep them going strong.
Towards the end of the day the kids are gathered for a raffle drawing. Tickets are handed out for chances to win exclusive Denver Shop merchandise, which includes skateboard decks, brand glasses, brand backpacks, posters, and other skate goods. Every kid walks away with at least two prizes: merchandise from The Denver Shop and the memory of a great day spent sharing the love of skateboarding.
For more information on The Denver Shop Skate Camp or The Denver Shop visit their web site, or stop by the shop, located on the corner of Evans and University Ave (2323 E. Evans Ave., Denver, CO 80210).
