Ollie up: Canadian skateboarding scene experiencing a post-Olympic boost

Violet Whyte cruises the bowl on her board at the Castle Downs Skatepark in Edmonton's north end.

"It just feels fun and I feel alive," says the 19-year-old from Sherwood Park. 

Whyte belongs to the women and girl-based Tiger Skate Club, which is helping to grow the sport in Edmonton.

"A lot of people would say it's a crime and it should always be a crime but I'm so glad it's accepted and in the public sphere and kids are able to adopt it and parents are supporting it," said Whyte.

'The scene here is constantly growing and expanding'

3 years ago

Duration 1:55

Take a turn and a tour of the Castle Downs Skatepark in Edmonton, Alta.

You can see more from the Castle Downs Skatepark on Our Edmonton Saturday at 10 a.m. and Labour Day Monday at 11 a.m. on CBC TV and CBC GEM.  

Part of that acceptance comes from skateboarding's debut at the Olympics this summer with both street and park categories. Four Canadians — three men and one woman — competed at the Tokyo games. 

It was an "incredible feat," according to Adam Higgins.

The high-performance director and head coach for Canada Skateboard knew the international exposure for the sport would draw eyeballs and attention. But it wasn't until he returned with the team from Tokyo that it really hit him. 

"When I was pulling into my driveway on the way home I could see a couple of kids from the neighbourhood just out skateboarding — and these were kids that didn't skateboard before I left."

Now Higgins is talking with clubs across the country which are seeing interest soar.

"They're getting more phone calls, more requests for lessons, and they just fill up, they're selling out. So they've added more dates, and it's just been incredible."

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Tim Mercer specializes in gear for the sport and he's seen the spike as well. 

The owner of Edmonton's Local 124 Skate Shop, located on 124th Street near 107th Avenue, said inventory has been "flying off the shelves" during the pandemic as people look to get out and stay active.

But he's also noticed another trend. 

"The face of skateboarding has changed. We've definitely seen a rise in young women buying their first skateboards and that has been great," Mercer said.

He points to top female athletes in the sport, like 12-year-old Kokona Hiraki who won the silver and 13-year-old Sky Brown taking the bronze in the skateboard park competition in Tokyo last month.

"I think just the ages of the women who were competing and winning. It's pretty powerful to see someone your own age win an Olympic medal and I think that has definitely driven it."

Mercer would like to see two or three more skateboard parks added to the local landscape to keep pace with demand.

There are currently 11 skateparks in Edmonton with Castle Downs, at 11520 153rd Ave. being one of the biggest and among the first developed in the mid-2000s, according to Brennan Link. 

There are no plans to add more parks at this time but Link, the city's supervisor for playspaces and sports fields, said they have seen the use of these facilities ramping up.

"I think it's super important to have places like this. It provides opportunities for communities," he said.

Link said the parks are open to non-motorized scooters, skateboards, inline skates and bikes.