The power of the board: Winnipeg skateboard community thriving at West Broadway skate
Posted August 31, 2021 6:21 pm.
Last Updated August 31, 2021 7:29 pm.
WINNIPEG (CityNews) ─ It’s just after 7:30 p.m. on a Monday night and Winnipeg’s West Broadway skate park is a busy place.
It’s there − and in similar skate parks across the city − where budding skateboarders learn the ropes and try new tricks, under the gaze of seasoned veterans willing to impart their knowledge on the next generation of skaters.
That’s where you can find the Mayor of West Broadway − or local skater Julian Hein for the uninitiated.
Hein is using his passion for the sport to teach other youngsters in the city how to surf the streets. He says the spark and potential contained in the four wheels and piece of wood is endless.
He calls it the power of the board.
“With a lot of these kids, they’re just getting started,” said Hein. “We don’t know how good they’re going to be and the earlier they start skating, the more possibility is that they’re just going to be great at it. And that’s what I want. That’s why I’m out here.”
The appeal of the sport is clearly rising, especially with skateboarding now recognized at the Olympic level since this year’s Tokyo Games.
But for Hein and his partner Arah Depape, it’s more than a sport.
The pair is using it as a tool to combat colonial systems and build strength in their communities. Their shared Instagram is dedicated to getting the message out.
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“I just think it’s very good for people’s mental health,” said Depape. “As a whole, it’s a good way to build community and friendships. Everybody in the community really looks out for one another.”
She says unlike other sports, which may have costly equipment and entry fees, that’s not the case with skating. You’ve just got to be willing to shred.
“As long as you’re willing to literally show up at the park and hang around, someone will toss you a board eventually,” she said.
But Depape says there is a need for more skateboard infrastructure, including a sheltered outdoor park protected from the rain. Parks like West Broadway are often at capacity, she says.
“The more skateparks the better.”
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For young skaters like Cody Nepinak, who refers to Depape and Hein as his skate aunt and uncle, he’s always learning about the sport.
“Probably learn more tricks, and if you fall, just get back up, probably take a break and then hit the bowl,” said Nepinak.
The youngster has the mindset of a true skater.
“Never stop skateboarding,” he added.
As for Hein, who still seems to have trouble grasping his title of Mayor of West Broadway, he says everyone, young or old, experienced or not, has a place at the park. He says the introduction to the power of the board, and relationships it fosters, are almost uniform for all.
“We didn’t know how to skate, we went to the places where people skated and we figured it out. Right now, West Broadway is the place where the community is blossoming,” he said.
In the coming weeks, Hein and his entourage are set to debut their new skate film the “Mayor of West Broadway.” He says it will encompass the beauty and fun of the sport, those who make up the city’s skateboarding community, the youth who are the future of the sport, and like any good skateboard film, some gnarly, gnarly bails.
