VICTORIA
City: 7.1
Life
[ o ] TAIT
VICTORIA
wordsby kynan tait
To the gluttonous eye of a big-city skateboarder, there may not appear much to this antique city. And while the resident skate community may tend to agree, I believe its only out of frustration. It is apparent among most that, subconsciously, this city has done well by them. We’re blessed with one of the best skateparks in Canada (Vic West), and I’m sure anyone who has ever skated there will attest to that. Unfortunately, our offerings in the realm of street skateboarding leave much to be desired and due to the lack of established photographers in the area, the tangible rewards are few and far between. However, there remains a small group of dedicated kids without a shred of entitlement or expectation. It is this inherent quality that makes our exports so endearing: Brett Stobbart, Keegan Sauder, Trevor Ribeyre et al. With little possibility of outside sponsorships, the helping hand of our local skateshops is a welcome one. HtO, Coastline and Threesixty are all of the most charitable disposition, never allowing the worthy to want for much of anything. Whatever skate community we have, it is owed completely to these stores. No one could argue that we haven’t some formidable talent here, but it is in getting that talent recognized that lies the challenge. Because save for a character-building backdrop and a few helpful skateshops, there isn’t much else carrying our sleepy scene along. In a pinch, though, Vancouver is only a short ferry ride away. To the dedicated victor go the spoils!
