Girls Skateboarding for a Better World

Skate Rising, a youth focused skateboarding program, is taking over the skatepark at the Scotts Valley 4th of July event at Sky Park. This event will be the first of a five-stop tour focused on feeding the homeless along the west coast.

Skate Rising is the youth program of the nonprofit organization, Exposure Skate Skate Rising’s mission is teaching “compassion through service and empowerment through skateboarding” to girls between the ages of 4-18. The program founder and director, Calli Kelsay mentioned, “Our program focuses on bringing girls together through skateboarding, a male dominated sport. With that being said, no boys would ever be turned away from participating when they have a sincere desire to serve their community and skateboard with others.” The Skate Rising events are always FREE to the public and give the youth the unique opportunity to show compassion and confidence through learning about needs in their communities, doing service projects to help fill those needs, and skateboarding together.

The program was launched less than two years ago after Calli saw the life lessons that came naturally for her own daughters while skateboarding. “I saw them push through fear, fall and get back up over and over again. In a very short time they gained real confidence through the act of skateboarding. I just kept thinking that every girl should have the opportunity to learn these lessons early in life.” Skate Rising now holds monthly events in both Encinitas, CA and Phoenix, AZ. Their participation has grown 300% and on average the program benefits 250 individuals each month.

Over the past two years, participants have learned about and supported: refugees, children’s hospital patients, underprivileged youth, veterans, foster children, pediatric cancer patients, as well as many others.

The Feed the Need tour, sponsored by Tactics, will be holding events in five major cities along the west coast during the two-week tour. With the goal of building one thousand care kits to benefit the homeless, inspire confidence and compassion in young girls, and offer free learn-to- skate clinics run by professionals from Stomp Sessions. If you have never tried skateboarding, that’s ok! Each event offers free rental gear so everyone has the opportunity to get on a board no matter their skill level!

The Feed the Need Tour Event Schedule:
July 4th, 4-6pm: Sky Park skatepark, Scotts Valley, CA
July 6th, 4-6pm: Sutters Landing Skatepark (28th and B), Sacramento, CA July 7th, 10am-12pm: Hilltop Skatepark, San Francisco, CA
July 8th, 11am-1pm: Napa Skatepark (Kennedy Park), Napa, CA
July 14th, 12-2pm: Washington-Jefferson Skatepark, Eugene, OR

On July 14th is the final event of the tour, taking place in Eugene Oregon. Skate Rising is launching an international day of service and skateboarding by holding 6 events on the 14th throughout the United States, Canada, and Australia.

To learn more about events in your area please visit, www.exposureskate.org/feedtheneed or find @skaterising on instagram and Facebook or contact [email protected] to get involved.