At a skateboarding competition in West Chester, young and old alike seek community: ‘It brings diversity together’
They came from as far as Wisconsin to skate in a West Chester parking lot on a crisp October morning. And the community went beyond the skaters, too.
On the first chilly October morning in West Chester, the sound of skateboard wheels on asphalt was audible down the street as skaters from 5 to 55 warmed up for the biannual Philly AM skating competition.
Young amateurs and sponsored skaters alike flocked to the Westside Community Center parking lot, where ramps, rails, and even a spray-painted old Pontiac were set up for the ’80s-style street skating competition, which is now in its 26th year.
For Jon Crans, the longtime organizer of the event, the goal has always been about serving the skating community rather than the competition.
“Trust me, I love how competitive some of these guys get,” Crans said. “But I’m more looking at it from a positive impact, more of an influential impact in all skill levels, all age groups within skateboarding, because a lot of kids never get the chance to compete.”
The competition is structured with six different divisions: “grom” (under 13), intermediate, advanced, women’s, over 30, and sponsored. The all-day event drew skaters from down the street and as far away as Wisconsin, along with friends and family, who were on hand with blankets and cups of hot coffee.
Bowie Neylon was one of two girls who competed Saturday. The 12-year-old won first place in the grom and women’s divisions.
“I feel really good about how I did,” she said as she clutched her skateboard with polka-dot-painted nails. “I’m excited to get to tell people at school that I got to skate a car, even though I fell.
“I guess they don’t need to know that part,” she said with a laugh.
Neylon’s mom, Kiersten Rogenmuser, says she knew her daughter was taking an interest in the sport when she was only 5 and using her scooter without the handlebars.
“I mean, all you want as a parent is for your kids to be having fun, and she loves it,” Rogenmuser said. “And I’d much rather be here than on a soccer field.”
Bowie is among the local kids taking skate lessons from Ronnie Gordon, who on Saturday was a judge, a volunteer, and, at 53, even a competitor in the over-30 division.
“I have older skaters and sponsored guys come up to me all the time and say, ‘Hey, you taught me how to ollie or do this trick or that,’” Gordon said. “Honestly, I never remember it, but I love teaching because you always remember that first skill you get as a kid, and all I want is to see skating survive. Stuff like the Philly AM is really what does that.”
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The competitors ranged from those who have been part of the Philadelphia skating world for decades to up-and-coming skaters working to break into the growing pro world.
“That’s what’s so cool about the skateboard community,” Crans said. “It brings diversity together. Whether you’re 5 or 60, when you meet together as a skateboarder, the walls come down. The camaraderie is there, no matter what color skin you are or who you are.”
Over the past 25 years, the competition has propelled some locals into pro competitions and sponsorships. One of them, Ethan Todt, won the sponsored competition and headed home with a $500 prize and New Balance shoes.
“Someone like Ethan has been with us probably the last 10 years,” Crans said. “I remember when he was a little kid, and his mom would bring him, and he was this little skinny kid, just trying to make it up through the intermediate division. And then he got really good at what he was doing, got sponsored, and now he’s competing on a high level, but he still comes back and is a part of this community here.”
The parking lot that hosted the competition featured artists, too, from custom Tech Decks to stickers, T-shirts, and a handful of photographers there to capture the action..
“It’s exhilarating because you have to get up really close, but it makes for great pictures, and the people are so fun and welcoming. Everyone knows everyone,” said Lydia Willig, a Philly-based photographer and an amateur skater herself.
Crans emphasized that the tight-knit community is what “keeps the fire lit,” a saying and ethos that permeates the culture around the shared responsibility of maintaining the spirit of skating.
“It’s important to me that we’re uplifting the local skate shops here,” Crans said. “Places like Rad World, Kinetic, Nocturnal, and Homebase Skateshop all do their part in keeping skating alive around Philly.”
Philadelphia has a long history as a skateboarding hotbed. In the 1980s and ’90s, Love Park and Center City served as a home base for many skaters. Crans recalled taking the train into the city and skating all day.
“It was the feeling of total freedom,” he said.
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Crans and other volunteers behind the Philly AM hope that their work keeps skaters safe and out of trouble while maintaining their subculture.
“Skating has always had a bad rap, but when you give these kids a platform and a place to skate, you see how much they need that community,” Crans said. “A lot of these kids, sadly, come from broken homes. They’re hungry for relationships and to be part of something.”
