Who are we?
Skate Bahamas is a non-profit organization with the goal of aiding towards the implementation, development and adoption of skateboarding and other roller sports nationally and internationally within The Bahamas.
We are currently working towards getting a public skatepark built in The Bahamas.
Skate Bahamas intends to:
- Manage the development of a skatepark in The Bahamas
- Create exposure to skate and skate culture to raise local awareness in The Bahamas
- Assist and promote the sponsorship of local Bahamian skaters
- Collaborate with international skate competitions to create opportunities for local skaters to travel and compete in.
- Collaborate with national and international federations and gain sponsorships
- Create, deliver and host special events and competitions involving the skate community (and to gain awareness on a international level)
- Sanction major events for amateur and professional male and female cohorts in the skate community and producing ranking title systems for competitions held
- Collaborate with The Bahamas Olympic Committee
- Complement the initiatives of the National Sports Authority
- Complement program initiatives developed by the National Sporting Organization
- Establish best practice policy and procedure documents for the delivery of skateboard/roller sports events, coaching and officiating
- Provide formal and informal opportunities for people to participate in skateboarding and other roller sports under expert tuition in an organized environment
- Collaborate with international bodies of skateboarding, both nonprofit and for-profit organizations
- Aid in the development of the sports tourism market in The Bahamas
- Aid in community development and engagement by surveying and gaining feedback
Why a skatepark in The Bahamas?
Skateparks build and sustain healthy communities. As a meeting place for enthusiastic and athletic young people, the skatepark offers the means for meeting and exchanging experiences with visitors, beginners and professionals of all ages through the ever- growing sport of skateboarding. For many young skateboarders, skateparks are like their second home. They bring and unite all sorts of different communities together in the pursuit of learning and developing daily with everyone coming together towards one common goal, which is to just be better than they were yesterday.
What are the benefits to the community?
Creativity and individuality
Skaters value individuality and creativity, with most skaters getting a kick out of the unwavering devotion it demands to advance their craft. Rather than attempting to one-up each other, they regularly push each other to try new tricks.
Skill Accumulation
Once skaters dive deeper into skateboarding culture, some also discover their talent for photography and videography as they document their progress. These skills, that may just be about capturing a good time with your friends, can become valuable assets and possibly open the door to a feasible career opportunity.
Health & Wellness
Skateboarding is known to have positive effects on both the mind and body, helping to improve mental health through physical exercise as well as the engagement with a supportive skateboarding community. By creating a shared public space, we are contributing to collaboration between skaters and artists and increasing inclusivity in these shared spaces. We also invite feedback in this way. The bonds skateboarders make with one another are wholesome and unique. They tend to express themselves through their style, both in the way they dress and the way they do their trick. This free-thinking sport tends to pull in imaginative and creative individuals due to its limitless possibilities. Young people need to feel like they are recognized and appreciated by their communities. In too many places skateboarders get the wrong message from local authorities who limit or outlaw skateboarding and ignore its inherent benefits. Skateparks are the solution. Every skatepark supports hundreds of kids that might otherwise have nowhere to go.
What are the economic benefits?
Representation for The Bahamas
Local skaters will have the opportunity to use the skills they have developed to travel and compete in competitions and represent The Bahamas at international skate championships. These skaters may have the opportunity to have a professional career in skateboarding by receiving sponsorships as an individual or riding for a professional team.
Opportunities
Skate Bahamas aims to create opportunties in the way of the creation of training programs and classes for both new and experienced skaters. We wish to provide formal and informal opportunities for people to participate in skateboarding and other roller sports under expert tuition in an organized environment. This environment will be carefully planned and established with the creation of the best practice policy and procedure documents.
Tourism
The development of a skatepark in The Bahamas can help to increase the sports tourism market by creating exposure to the local skateboarding community and skate culture. Through this exposure, more people will see skateboarding as a feasible sport and may eventually become more involved in it. Once the skatepark is built, we plan to create, deliver and host special events and competitions involving the local skate community. We will sanction these events and produce ranking title systems for competitions held. This also helps to gain awareness of skateboarding in The Bahamas locally and globally. When athletes, and observers will come to our skatepark, the things that they will observe is a sense of island life and camaraderie. Once built, this skatepark will be the first ever National Public Bahamas Skatepark. Tourist will fly from all over the world, from the east to the west, to experience.