Longboarding enthusiasts gain momentum
One small stretch of paved hillside is a haven for Saskatoon’s longboarders.
On Saturday, more than 30 of them gathered on Eastlake Avenue near Saskatchewan Crescent East to partake in a downhill competition dubbed the SLUG Jam.
Blocking off the street from vehicle traffic, the longboarders, who ranged in age from 14 to 40, took turns ripping down the road, practicing slides on the way to the bottom. The boulevard is ideal for gathering speed, but normal traffic can pose a safety issue, said Matthew Stene, an advocate for Saskatoon’s longboarding scene.
Skateboarding, which includes longboarding, is restricted throughout most of the downtown and along Broadway Avenue and 20th Street West. Riding on designated trails is still allowed, but while the hill on Eastlake Avenue and Saskatchewan Crescent falls just outside of the restrictions, Stene hopes the city will eventually consider an exclusive area for longboarders to carve on.
“There’s a difficulty in finding spots. We’d like to see a designated longboarding lane in the north end,” Stene said, adding several areas in Silverwood are ideal for downhill riding.
Stene is a part of the Saskatoon Longboarding Underground, a loosely-knit crew of enthusiasts who go riding together. The group’s Facebook page has more than 300 members.
“We’d go out and try and do some cool stuff. Now we’re something of a family,” Stene said.
Hoping to see more people get into the sport, he’s helping to organize free longboarding lessons. Only one session has been held so far, but Stene aims to have the Wednesday lessons run into the fall.
“We are going over safe riding, which includes taking corners and braking. We also plan on going over how to properly slide,” he said.
His own interest in the sport was piqued when he travelled to Montana more than five years ago and saw riders bombing down the state’s hilly terrain.
“I saw them riding and knew that was what I wanted to do. I bought a board the next day,” he said.
The sport is typically reserved for mountainous areas, so Stene is setting his sights on places outside the city.
He hopes to hold another longboarding jam in September, and says the members of SLUG aim to congregate just outside of Borden, in a rural area that features a natural hillside stretch.
“It will be more of a downhill competition, but we will make a good time out of it.”