In this interview with Carter James, a 2023 OSU graduate and founder of Skate Club, we discuss what Skate Club is, how it started, and how to get involved.
What is Skate Club?
Skate Club is a group of mutual friends who have come together to build off of each other, enhance each other skating and find a community where they feel accepted and welcome amid the wide range of communities at OSU and I firmly believe that Skate Club has created a place where members feel like it’s family and can expand on their skating passion efficiently and safely in the presence of their family. We have weekly skate meetups. The location of the sessions changes week to week so you’ll want to follow our instagram @skateclubosu to stay up to date.
How did skate club start?
Skate club started originally with something called Slide Max, which was a group of downhill longboarders in Corvallis who started hosting sessions one random summer and kept hosting sessions every Wednesday for about two years before we had realized that there were more street skaters and rollerbladers at our sessions than longboarders. We realized that with the 30 to 60 members that we had, that there needed to be some more organization to facilitate that many people. And we wanted to work with the school so that we could expand our network and bring more people into the community, as well as host larger and more official events.
What if I show up and I don’t know how to skate?
Well, it’s great because we have coaches that can teach you to skate. We provide boards, PPE, and pick safe beginner-friendly locations for our sessions so that members can very efficiently progress in skateboarding and do so safely.
What are your hopes for Skate Club this coming year?
I hope that we can curb a lot of the stigma surrounding skateboarding at OSU and in the greater Corvallis area. By integrating more with the community, hosting large events that incorporate a lot of different communities and getting our name out there so that skaters or people that are looking for a place to belong, know that we exist and can come to us.
Do you have any events planned for this year?
So this is kind of on the down low, but in the Spring we plan on, in addition to the normal weekly sessions, having one massive game of SKATE competition. SKATE is a game similar to HORSE in basketball where skaters take turns challenging each other to land certain tricks. Every failed attempt grants you a letter. If you get all five letters and spell SKATE, you lose. Skaters from PSU and UO would come to OSU and get to meet with the OSU skaters to facilitate the larger community and also compete for prizes. It’ll have local music, local food, and a whole good vibe.
If you’d like to get involved with skate club, contact Colin Pannikkat pannikkc@oregonstate.edu or follow the OSU Skate Club instagram page @skateclubosu
Photos by: Josie Noteboom, James Arnold, Connor Davis, and Kristaps Mednis
Contact: Colin Pannikkat pannikkc@oregonstate.edu
Instagram: @skateclubosu