With strong interest outside California the name of the organization had be changed to the National High School Skateboard Association (NHSSA) for the 2008 season and beyond.
The 2008 season was a huge success! Over twenty high school teams signed up for the 2008 season.
As with any start-up there were aspects of the 2008 season that were better than expected and aspects that did not run as smoothly as they could have, but overall the NHSSA events far exceeded the expectations set forth at the beginning of the season.
The first event kicked off at Skatelab, Simi Valley. Skatelab is one of the few indoor skateboard facilities in California and has earned a reputation as one of the best facilities in the country. Learning from the 2007 season, an emphasis was placed on the length of the competition. Typically, after about 2 1/2 hours of competition, a skateboarder’s interest will start to diminish. After seeing this firsthand in the 2007 season, the competition format was altered to fix the problem. Each team was given a 5 minute "jam session" to showcase their best tricks. The issue the NHSSA faced was accommodating the demand for more teams. In 2007, the NHSSA had seven teams competing. In 2008, the NHSSA accepted over twenty teams. Working through all the teams proved to be overwhelming and not the most efficient way to hold a competition. It was determined after the first event that multiple regions of fifteen schools will work best.
Event number two was held at Borchard Skatepark, Newbury Park. Borchard Skatepark is know for its simplicity, but caters to some of the top street skaters in the Ventura County. Feeding off of local interest to hold a competition at the park, the stage was set for competition number two. Event number two took on a stadium like feel with over two hundred spectators along with over a hundred skateboarders in attendance. The event was a huge success!
Events three and four were premier events! Woodward West was the site for event number three and the final event was held at Red Bull Headquarters, Santa Monica.
Woodward West is a world-renowned skateboard camp and training facility for the top professional skateboarders and BMX riders. Woodward West is a private facility that is accessible to the public by attending as a camper during the summer months. A few times a year, Woodward West will host skateboard competitions. The NHSSA was fortunate to receive support from Woodward West and hold the third event of the season in its 55, 000 square foot hanger (Hanger 18). The skaters arrived the day of the competition and the look on their faces resembled that of a group of kids arriving at Disneyland for the first time. The day of competition was incredible! At the end of the team competition, a best trick competition was held for the top ten individual skaters. A 15 minute "jam session" turned into 45 minutes of incredible skateboarding. Reflecting back on event number three, the only issue the NHSSA faced was the travel. Woodward West is located about two and half hours north of Los Angeles. As a result, not all the teams were able to make the drive to the competition. Transportation from Los Angeles to Woodward West via bus would have solved the problem.
The final event for the 2008 season was held at Red Bull Headquarters, Santa Monica. Initially staged to be held in the parking lot of its North American Headquarters, the site was altered and history was made. For the first time ever, Red Bull built an entire skateboard park using its warehouse and loading dock area as the canvas. The NHSSA, Red Bull, and XGames partnered to create this one of kind venue. Red Bull contracted with one of the top ramp builders in the industry and XGames opened up its warehouse of ramps/rails/stairs/ledges from past XGames to supply the materials. The result was a unique venue never seen before. The finals were held in the evening hours and the crowds were overwhelming. The Red Bull drinks were flowing, the DJ was blasting music, and the skateboarding was at its highest level.
The 2008 season had the addition of a professional announcer. Cory Cady, Grass Roots Marketing Director for Active Rideshop, made the most significant impact on the season. Cory has an incredible ability to work the crowd, get out the message of the NHSSA and keep the event moving along without missing a beat. The NHSSA will continue to provide professional announcing at all events.
Another addition to the 2008 season was computer scoring. The NHSSA has its own computer software that was designed especially to fit the format of competition. The new scoring system was able to put out results instantly.
The judging for the NHSSA from its inception has been put under the control of Steve Badillo. Steve is a professional skateboarder and one of the top skateboard instructors in the business. Steve has a great understanding for skateboard competition and knows what to look for in a skateboarder. Judging in the NHSSA has never been an issue and with the use of skateboard professionals and industry leaders as guest judges, the NHSSA will continue to provide the best judges.
Skaters from both the 2007 season and 2008 season have seen the positive impact the NHSSA can have on their skateboarding. All of the skaters have opportunities made available to them including skating at the Summer X Games in Los Angeles, spending a private day Woodward West, skateboard company tours, and too many other items to mention. By continually increasing the level of competition, the NHSSA will be able to provide a platform for the skateboard industry to view future top talent. The 2008 season had companies like Nike SB, Powell, Red Bull, and Ogio taking some close looks at the most talented skaters. 2009 will continue to give the skaters even more opportunities.
Story concludes on page 2...
