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Skateboarding is alive and well on Hatteras
By DANIEL PULLEN  The second annual King of the Bowl and Street Competition, sponsored by the Dare County Parks and Recreation Department, was at the Fessenden Center in Buxton on Saturday, Oct. 20. In attendance were skaters and their families from Nags Head, Manteo, and Hatteras Island. As I scoped out the event, I marveled at how skate culture has grown on Hatteras Island in the last 10 to 15 years. I got my first skateboard in 1986. I think that my parents got it from Roses’ department store. In terms of cool – well, it wasn’t cool. It had a huge housefly on the bottom, not exactly what every kid wants on the bottom of his board. I even had a run in with the law on this thing. Officer John Payne pulled me over for skating on the side of the road and threatened to take my board away if he caught me again. We were all “rebels” back then, because we took to the streets with our boards, since there was nowhere else to skate. When I was a teenager, we didn’t have a skate park or skate contests. We had a handful of half-pipes and quarter-pipes that can still be found in back yards all over the Island. Two decades later, a new generation of skaters is emerging on Hatteras. And rather than taking to the streets, the county has provided a well-equipped skate park for the public. On any given day, no matter the season, there are always a handful of folks out at the skate park. Shane Thomas, from Virginia, was the master of ceremonies for the competition. At the opening of the contest, he said, “Skating is alive and well here on Hatteras Island.” I couldn’t agree with him more. People of all ages and backgrounds showed up at the Fessenden Center on a foggy Saturday morning. As the morning wore on, the sun came out and the competition was underway. Jodi Peele, Suzanne Stark, Denise Norville, Cecilia Foster, Buddy Burrus, Whealton Austin, and Craig Scarborough from Dare County Parks and Recreation Department worked for months to put the skate contest on. Their hard work paid off, and was evident as I looked around at the happenings of the day. Registration began at 9 a.m., and skaters were lined up to sign up for the contest. The contest consisted of a street course with one-quarter pipe, one roll-in ledge, and a pyramid with rails. The bowl competition was held in the skate park’s 4 1/2-foot kidney shaped bowl. The contest was divided into three experience levels-- beginner, intermediate, and advanced. There were street and bowl categories for each experience level. Shane Thomas was an amazing master of ceremonies and kept the contest pumping. His energy seemed to outsurge even the youngest of skaters. Judging of the contest was headed up by local skate legend Ray Chandler, Jr. and Steven Heinz. Jake Throne and Will Hollowell also filled in as judges. These guys worked hard, checking out all of the contestants, looking for tricks, skills, and, in the end, determining the winners of the contest. Winners of the contest received an assortment of skate gear, T-shirts, posters, and, of course, the title of being the champion. And at the end of the day there were a lot of stoked kids. While the contest was going on, several contest sponsors provided drinks, hamburgers, hot dogs, snacks, and entertainment. Musical guest, Low Standards from Buxton hyped up the crowd, and Chris Conover spoke to the crowd for drug awareness month. The contest would not have been possible without the efforts and support of the Hatteras Island community. The Dare County Parks and Recreation Department would especially like to thank Allen Burrus, Dare County Commissioner; the contest judges; Shane Thomas; Chris Conover; Ray Gray, principal of Cape Hatteras Elementary School; Billy McOwen; Daniel and Kate Pullen, and Bonnie Gray. Local business sponsors of the event were Dare County Parks and Recreation, Dare County Recovery Month Committee, Avon Surf and Skate Shop, Daniel Pullen Art and Photography, Island Cycles, Island Revolution, Natural Art Surf, Outer Banks Boarding Company, Oxford House, Skate 158, Wave Riding Vehicles Props to all of the contestants and winners. Winners are listed below. Look for the Third Annual King of the Bowl and Street Competition next year to be bigger and better! Click here to see a slideshow of the Bowl and Street Competition Click here to see a slideshow of the Bowl and Street Competition 2007 King of the Bowl and Street Competition Results Beginner: Street: 1. Bennett Gray 2. Levi Christ 3. Jahfar Christ 4. Bud Levin Bowl: 1. Jahfar Christ 2. Bennett Gray 3. Eli Midgette 4. Ian O’Neal Intermediate Street: 1. Chase King 2.Thatchor Tillet 3. Todd Midgett 4. Brooks Griffin Bowl: 1. Todd Midgett 2. Chase King 3. Zach Tillet Advanced Street: 1. Eric McGuinness 2. Forrest Davis 3. Trevor Lampton 4. Bill Cones Bowl: 1. Forrest Davis 2. Trevor Lampton 3. Jessie Davis 4. Chris Swain 
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