The game of SKATE is just like the game of HORSE. Except, there's no basketball and you're on a skateboard. Actually, it's just a little like the game of HORSE.
Someone does a skateboard maneuver, then the next person tries to do the same maneuver. If the skater is unsuccessful, the person gets a letter. A skater is eliminated when they get all the letters to spell "SKATE."
Pensacola's first official "Game of SKATE" will take place at 5 p.m. Friday at the Blake Doyle Skatepark in downtown Pensacola under Interstate 110. The event is sponsored by The Brown Bagger, Upward Intuition and the city of Pensacola. The winner of the event will receive a $1,000 prize.
The event is part of the city's Party in the Park, Friday and Saturday. Other activities include Bike Pensacola's Slow Ride beginning at 5 p.m. Friday, featuring bikers riding around the park. From noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, the city will host the "Bash Under the Freeway" at the Cecil T. Hunter Pool, which is, along with the skatepark, part of the Hollice T. Williams Park .
The weekend's events are to showcase the park and gather residents' opinions on the expansion of the park through the city's $25 million project for the 1.9-mile corridor along the Hollice T. Williams Park. Features will include the current parks, as well as an amphitheater, walking and biking trails.
The first 50 people who arrive at the pool and who complete a city survey on their thoughts and suggestions for the corridor expansion will receive free entry to the pool. "Bash Under the Freeway" features include artists and vendors, a DJ, raffles and more.
There is no fee to enter the Game of Skate event. Participants are only asked to complete a survey.
"We're partnering on this with the city and it just all ties together to connect a bunch of dots,'' said Tim Thompson, co-owner of The Brown Bagger, a popular Pensacola food truck. "When I see people trying to make things happen for the community and for these neighborhoods, you're just inspired to want to be part of that."
Previously: After eight years of grinding, generations of skateboarders enjoy Pensacola's new skate park
Jon Shell – whose organization Upward Initiative helped lead the drive and fundraising efforts to build the $2.2 million skatepark, which opened in spring of 2023 – is excited to see the Hollice T. Williams Park and corridor project take shape.
"We always wanted (the skate park) to be part of something so much bigger," Shell said, acknowledging the potential for the 1.9-mile corridor underneath the interstate, often seen as a dividing line between the city's west and east sides. "It will be great to have a walkable, bikeable, skateable art-filled corridor that connects to downtown. It's a cool opportunity to bring people together and enjoy time with family and friends in an awesome space."
A week before the "Game of SKATE," Thompson, 39, was out at the skatepark racing through bends and bowls and looking like he's done this before. Back in 2005, nearly 20 years ago, Thompson, who was a Gulf Breeze High School student at the time, traveled to Pennsylvania for a Game of Skate competition, which he ended up winning, besting more than 100 competitors. His prize was free trip to San Diego, California, to compete in a "Game of Skate" competition hosted by skateboarding legend Eric Koston.
"I didn't do really well,'' he said. "But it was a lot of fun and a trip to San Diego." (He actually finished fifth out of 16 competitors, including skaters from the Netherlands, Austria, Japan and Canada.)
Thompson, who started skateboarding at age 11, said he hopes to continue the "Game of Skate" event each year.
"I think we will get people traveling from a fairly big radius to come over and skate and spend the night," Thompson said. "It's a good way to get people to come downtown and check out Pensacola and have a good time and hopefully leave with a good feeling."
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Coming to Pensacola: It's not "HORSE," it's "SKATE" and there's no ball involved
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