WELLFLEET — Though the tricks executed at Wellfleet’s annual Skate Jam & Contest on Aug. 20 were serious, the competition was playful and welcoming. Skaters gathered across from Mayo Beach at the Kevin J. Fitzgerald SK8 Park to show off their best moves and cheer each other on.
The Skate Jam, which is sponsored by the town’s recreation dept., has been going on for more than 20 years, according to Anthony Rock, a seasonal employee who organized this year’s event. He remembers the 2003 Skate Jam, his first, as a pivotal moment of inspiration, after which he took up skating himself. He’s been involved in the Skate Jam every year since.
“I love seeing the kids pumped up and excited about skating, because I remember when I was that kid,” said Rock.
Such was the mood, with younger skaters looking up to the advanced skaters, who were equally excited to root for the emerging talents. Though the temperature neared 95 degrees, none of the participants seemed to mind. There was free watermelon and hot dogs, music blaring from the speakers, and excitement buzzing off the concrete.
The event was divided into three competitions: beginner, intermediate, and advanced, with each section divided into several heats of three skaters per heat. Each heat lasted three minutes, giving skaters just enough time to show the three judges their most daring stunts. The prizes awarded by the judges included new skateboards to the first, second, and third place winners of each competition. The gear was provided by sponsors including Sickday, Pump House Surf Shop, and Nauset Surf.
The beginners’ competition went first, composed mostly of younger skaters. Edward Gleason took home the gold in this group. The stunts ramped up with the intermediate group, which included skaters of all ages. First prize went to Isaac Mayer of Acton, a young skater with five years of experience.
The advanced competition went off with a bang, with skaters executing boardslides on the handrail and front and backside flips off ramp barriers. Skaters were unafraid to go for big stunts, even when tumbles followed. Being an advanced skater clearly requires a certain amount of fearlessness.
Ramon Moises, who is from Brazil but now lives in Boston, took home the gold in the advanced competition. He said he has pretty much always skateboarded, with a brief stint in longboarding before he decided he preferred the hard wheels of the traditional skateboard. His favorite trick is the “Ollie North,” in which the rider pops the tail of the board and leaps into midair with it. The move, invented by Alan Gelfand in the 1970s, is considered a cornerstone of the sport because it is the foundation of many other aerial moves.
By two o’clock, the competition had concluded, but the skating continued. Sun still blazing off the concrete, riders flew from ramp to ramp, eager to skate in the company of others.
