For the third year in a row, Ichthus festival attendees could take a break from the music acts and take their boards and worship to a skate park located at the heart of the Wilmore campgrounds.
Friday afternoon as the sounds of nearby music acts drifted across the campgrounds, about a dozen young men in their teens and 20s grinded, kickflipped and ollied across the pavement and ramps, showing off their skills.
The park, which was overseen by action sports mission Ride Nature, saw hundreds of skaters over the four-day festival. Between demos and free skate, some skaters gave testimonials about how Christ had strengthened their lives and how skateboarding had been a positive influence.
Matt Cook of Ride Nature estimated that a few hundred kids had been through the park as of Friday afternoon.
“I think skateboarding is one of those things that drastically can change a kid’s life either for the good or for the bad,” Cook said. Ride Nature’s goal is show kids the positives of skateboarding and other action sports. “What a cool way to have a positive influence in these kids.”
