By Erik Sietsema
The 16th Annual Skate Jam took place the weekend of June 26th through the 28th. What started as a loose gathering of friends has evolved into a whole weekend of events attracting attendees from all over the world. The weekend featured competitions, bands playing at Pep’s, an art show, and a panel discussion on the positive impact of skateboarding and skateparks on young people.
Josh Danreuther, who has been involved with the Skate Jam since it began, explained: “It’s our 16th year, but when it first started it was just a few people getting together, cooking burgers, and hanging out. It was started to celebrate the installation of that first skate bowl in 2010. So it was just kind of some friends coming together.”
Over the years the gathering has remained largely informal. Although some organized elements have been introduced, promotion has stayed word of mouth and participation has remained free. Fundraising has been added to support the expansion of the Big Sandy Skate Park and to support kids’ involvement in the sport.
Josh described the growth of the fundraising side: “All of that started informally. We were smoking pork. Rob Gregory brought over the pull-behind barbecue from the fire department. We were doing hot dogs and burgers, and then smoking pork on that. He was doing that for a while, cooking the pork and making the barbecue sauce. Eventually the fundraiser thing kind of went away a little bit because the park was built, and then it just turned into a hangout again.”
Recent years have seen a return to fundraising as plans for another skate park expansion have emerged. This year’s Skate Jam raised funds toward that expansion through the art show and food sales.
This year’s Skate Jam featured a variety of events. Josh explained that the annual skating competition included “a best trick and big air competition. For the age group up to 19, kids got paid, and then past that they got prizes.” The weekend also featured the art show and a documentary screening. Josh added: “We built a ramp and did a little slalom course on Main Street, which was super fun, and everybody had a great time with that. That’s kind of how skateboarding got started — that was one of the fun things you would do in a city with hills.”
Pep’s hosted several bands over the weekend for the visiting crowds. “Friday night was all local bands, and then Saturday, Steel Pool Bathtub, Gull, and
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Pest, which is Jeff’s band — kind of a hardcore side project — all played, and it was a great time. The place was packed, and the floor was moving.”
Attendance at the annual event keeps growing as word spreads. “It’s getting bigger and a little more involved, as far as people setting up tents and selling things. The same people have been coming every year for years, so they’re bringing people. There’s a lot of younger kids who’ve been coming for years, and now they’re bringing people too.” Attendees came from as far away as Costa Rica, Brazil, and France, as well as from all over the United States.
Despite the growth, there are no plans for the Skate Jam to expand beyond the small, local gathering it currently is. “Small is the plan. Small is good, because the right people are coming. It’s kind of neat like that.” Josh went on to explain that many of the same people have been coming back year after year since the early days. “It’s the same people who’ve been coming back for ten-plus years, and they just come back every year. They get the little invite. They know. They just say, ‘Tell me the date.’ It amazes me, actually. It’s a love fest for us. We get to see the same people.”
Josh expressed appreciation for all the support and help provided by the Big Sandy community and others, without which the weekend wouldn’t have been possible. He offered particular thanks to the school for providing use of the auditorium to screen the documentary Montana Grind, and to Jessica Butler, who oversees the school kitchen, for lending the kitchen to warm up food.
He also expressed gratitude to “every business in town — the bakery, the grocery store, the Mint, the Club. The grocery store kicked down sodas and waters. Aquitana gave us six bottles of water for everybody there. Pep’s helped out with equipment, some food, and ice. Everybody kind of kicked in, and everybody benefited from it too.”
The Skate Jam also credited the Montana Skatepark Association (MSA) for its continued help: “Of course, Jeff for bringing t-shirts, hats, and this year special edition skateboards that were for sale — and all the local people who helped with serving the food, selling merchandise, serving breakfast, mixing sound at the bar, and Leslie for having the pool available.”
