Kahuna Surf Shop donated ten new skateboards to the Orillia Youth Centre on Tuesday afternoon.
Tim French, owner of the poular downtown shop, says the initiative is a way to grow interest in skateboarding in Orillia.
“Skateboards are very important to us as we are the original skateboard shop in Orillia. We want to help the skateboarding community grow and help the next generation get out on board,” he said.
“A place like Orillia needs somebody to help drive skateboarding into the community and it should be us.”
French says the Orillia Youth Centre is the perfect partner for the initiative as the centre and the shop share the same community-minded values.
“We are a very community-minded shop and we like to do things to help the area. We think the Orillia Youth Centre is a very good cause and it fits with the type of store we want to be in the community,” he explained.
French’s son, Pierson, is hopeful the shop's initiative will help underprivileged youth in Orillia get into sports.
“Hockey, for example, is expensive with all the equipment, where a skateboard is literally just a piece of wood with four wheels. It’s one of the more affordable sports to help kids get into,” he said.
Orillia Youth Centre youth worker Chris Bronson said he is excited for the opportunity to introduce Orillia youth to skateboarding.
“A lot of these youth can’t try new things unless they are given the equipment to try them out. So, I think getting them equipment is a good first step,” he said.
“As a skateboarder of many years I know you can easily get hurt if your balance isn’t good at first, so safety equipment will be next, and then we can take them down to the park and show them the very basics," said Bronson.
Bronson hopes that Kahuna’s donation will help the Orillia Youth Centre become more involved with the skateboarding community.
“If we can get youth out skateboarding on these now then, hopefully, for the next skate day that Orillia hosts, we can go down and join them,” he said.
Mya Lancaster couldn’t help but smile when she saw the brand-new skateboards come through the centre’s front door.
“It’s pretty cool,” she chuckled.
“It’s something unique and new to the Youth Centre, so I’m excited about it.”
Lancaster herself is already a frequent skateboarder and now she is excited to share her knowledge of the sport with her peers who will be trying the sport for the first time.
“I think this will help youth who have never skateboarded before get into the sport. So, thanks to Kahuna for doing this for us,” she said.
