First full day of Innoskate a hit with Sioux Falls

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - Although Sioux Falls is a long ways away from what people might think of a skateboarding city, Innoskate organizers said there’s a strong community and they’re backing that up with the turnout Friday for the first full day of skating.

A weekend event full of skateboard and the art around it, Innoskate is making it’s splash in Sioux Falls with it’s first full day of action. While it’s very much a festival for skateboarders, it’s also a chance to talk about the innovations around it, and how it affects people around the world.

“There’s actual, physical skateboarding going down. But then there’s all of these panels and this educational experience. So it’s just a little bit of a different take on a skateboarding event.” Innoskate representative Ryan Clements said.

A skateboarder himself, Clements said one of his favorite parts about Innoskate is traveling across the country and the world connecting with skateboarding communities. Showing that while all different, there’s many similarities in all of them.

“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.” Clements said.

Professional skateboarder and rally car driver Bucky Lasek thinks so as well, stopping by with the Subaru Motorsports trailer to meet and greet fans.

“I’ve got to say, it really hits home when kids are coming up to me asking me for my autograph. Because I remember back in the day looking up to guys like Tony Hawk and Mike McGill, and Steve Caballero and all the Bones Brigade. And now the kids are looking at me in that same fashion.” Lasek said.

Both Clements and Lasek said Innoskate is a great opportunity to expose kids to the worlds of skateboarding and other motorsports, showing that it’s much more than just the activities themselves.

“Who doesn’t love racecars? And then you add in skateboarding, it’s just eye candy and the kids are just gone for it.” Lasek said.

“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.” Clements said.

More information and a schedule of events can be found here.

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