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Cn Saturday, April 13, Raygun
Skateshop sponsored the second
contest in the Athens Slamma
Skateboard Series. Skateboarders
have been using a vacant lot on
Hancock Street for the past year.
Using their own money, some of the
local skaters have managed to cre
ate a small skatepark that, in its
current form, consists of two
quarterpipes, a pyramid ramp, a
wall ramp and a funbox. This area
has come to be known as SPOA
(the SkatePark Of Athens). For al
most a year, SPOA has provided an
environment, other than in the
streets, for the skaters to ride.
According to Jona Owings from
Raygun, the contest series was or
ganized in order to raise money to
buy lumber to build better ramps.
Brian Kinchelow spent his own
money because he was tired of
skating on broken ramps. The first
contest was held to help pay him
back. That contest was a huge suc
cess: not only was Brian paid back,
but enough was raised to buy more
lumber. Some of that lumber was
used to prepare SPOA for the sec
ond contest.
There are three divisions in the
Athens Slamma series: beginner,
intermediate and advanced. Prizes
were awarded to contestants plac
ing between first and sixth. The
awards were donated from various
skate companies and ranged from
stickers and t-shirts to a new board.
Brian Kinchelow donated his PA
system for announcing and music,
and this lasted until a brief rain
forced Brian to pack it up. After the
rain, they used John Doheny's, of
Tres Kids. Aside from the short ram
delay, everything went smoothly
and more than 100 pe pie, both
contestants and spectators, at
tended, some from as far away as
Atlanta and Augusta The contest
began at 1:30 and ended at 6:30,
with several skate sessions held
throughout the contest. The re
sults are as follows:
Advanced: Joel Mealing
(1st), Wesley Garland
and
Elvo (tied for 2nd)
Intermediate: Clint
Cockney (1st), John
Doheny(2nd)
Beginner: Spencer
Strickland (1st)
Apparently, the
SPOA lot has Deen
purchased from Snow
Tire Co., who had al
lowed the lot to be used
by the skaters. The new
owner plans to use it as a pay park
ing lot for the Olympics.
Mike Houston, a University stu
dent, was a judge at the contest; he
felt that closing SPOA would hurt the
younger residents of Athens the
most.
"The little kids need something
to do,” Houston said. “They all come
here and hang out. It's better than
having them running the streets.
Maybe the city could donate some
space."
Fourteen-year-old Kellen Gibney
also feels that it would harm the
youth.
“I think it’s really lame," she said.
"This is like home to a lot of people.
With so many kids locking them
selves in indoors to play video
games, it is a travesty to see a place
like SPOA close. The creation of
SPOA shows a deep sense of com
munity and a will to overcome the
odds by those who built it."
High school student John Vitale
had this to say: “SPOA is the
raddest place on Earth: closing it
will cause more harm than good. It
will just make the skaters go where
they're not supposed to. i think its a
big accomplishment that we got
everyone together and built it."
It is against the law to skate in
may areas of Athens. Before
SPOA was built, the police had
trouble making sure these laws
were obeyed. Now many police
officers will stop and watch the
skaters.
College student Shawn Seeks
sums it up: "If they take away the
ramps, the skaters will go back to
the streets, causing more prob
lems for the police. They have
enough to worry about as it is. It's
best for the city to give us some
where to skate — even if it's just
this vacant lot."
Skaters are not the only group
to use SPOA: Many freestyle bikers
and inline skaters use SPOA as well.
The skateboarders do
not expect the city of Ath
ens to do anything to help
them out.
SPOA was built by skat
ers and they assume it
will have to be rebuilt
by skaters. They
hope something
can be worked
out with the
owner so
that SPOA
can return
after the
Olympics.
Scot
McElwaney
athens internet services
http.V/wgserv.athensnet.corn
$19.50/120 hr. access
or
350 per hour
Student & Educato. Plan 25% Discount
Local Galls for Clarke, Jackson’ Madison,
Oglethorpe, & Oconee
Info 549-1319 • BBS 549-8128 • Shell 546-9617
Ride in for lunch or
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April 24, 1996 FLAGPOLE
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