Go Skateboarding Day is perfect opportunity to try skateboarding at Huckleberry Park on Wednesday

HANNIBAL, Mo. — Go Skateboarding Day was created by the International Association of Skateboard Companies in 2004 to promote events in major cities around the world to help make skateboarding more accessible.

To celebrate the day, The Ramp Park at Huckleberry Park will open at 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 21, with free entry to the park all day. Helmets will be given to the first 25 children in the park thanks to financial support from the Evening Kiwanis and Lions Club.

Registration for skateboard, scooter, bike and skate competitions will begin at noon, with competition starting at 1 p.m. Judges will award trophies, ribbons and special awards. Prizes are sponsored by CoolByke and KinkBMX.

Go Skateboarding Day promotes the positive aspects of skateboarding, including creativity, community and healthy physical activity. Paula Epker, manager of the Ramp Park, said skateboarding has become more popular in the last few years. Scooters are trendy in Hannibal and easier to ride, but skateboards are on the rise.

Local skateboarder Ryan Rayl teaches skateboarding lessons at the Ramp Park and around Hannibal.

In a press release, Rayl said, “The community is why I never stopped skateboarding … the people I’ve met, the places it’s taken me, all because of that hunk of wood with some wheels on it. Skateboarding has taught me how to try until I succeeded. It taught me how to adapt to everything around me.”

Rayl said trying new tricks takes confidence. Epker said the Ramp Park provides space to learn new tricks, and the athletes are always encouraging each other.

Epker said the athletes at the Ramp Park, whether riding scooters, skateboards or bicycles, are gearing up for ShredFest on July 29, sponsored by Hannibal Parks and Recreation Department. ShredFest is a family fun day at the park. Extreme athletes can participate in the contests, and spectators can watch the contests and demonstrations.