For the second time this summer, a group of local skateboard enthusiasts packed up their stuff and left Yorkton for the day in hopes of trying to inject some energy into smaller communities around Yorkton - by way of the skateboard.
Following the success of the annual show they put on each year at the Yorkton Curling Club, the group took their show on the road to Esterhazy in late June where they did well.
Over the last long weekend, they did it again.
This time travelling a couple hours down the highway where they took over the community of Wawota - another huge success, claimed Tucker Chornomud, one of several local skateboarders who have been trying to bring the 'underground' sport above-the-ground.
According to Wawota teacher Susan Wilson who helped Chornomud and Nathan Grayston, all she had to do was set up the equipment for them as well as get them anything else they may have needed to make sure it went well.
"We were quite honest with Nathan and Tucker," she explained via email to YTW, "We knew nothing about skateboarding or trying to organize (something like this). They were the ones with the expertise and we just tried to furnish them with the facility, power and any materials that they needed."
The group from Yorkton left on July 29 by minivan to Wawota where they were greeted by what Chornomud said was "the coolest park I've ever seen".
He noted that the weather might have been their biggest enemy early on the day of the show.
"The morning of the event, there were rain clouds," explained Chornomud via Facebook message. "We were nervous, but they cleared up before the event started."
The Wawota skate park is different from most other because it's a series of waterside tubes pieced together that more resembles a water park rather then a skate park, indicates Chornomud.
"It's not even meant for skateboarding," he said while trying unsuccessfully to hold back from laughing.
He and the rest of the travellers arrived in Wawota after having spent some time camping at the Kenosee campgrounds.
The first thing they did when they got to the skate park was "skate the park a bit just to see what it was like," he recalled, adding that "people were already there" at that time, he said.
With people already out to watch, Chornomud and company decided to start the show a little ahead of schedule.
According to Chornomud, it was awesome.
"They probably never saw anything like this in their town before."
He said he was even a little surprised how many people came out that day, even though the town's population stands at about 550 people.
"There were over 50 people" that came out at various points throughout the day, he said, before adding that considering the small size of the town, it was a strong turnout.
"Which doesn't sound like much, but"
Chornomud said the number of youth who skate in Wawota is actually high.
"There's actually a lot of kids (there) who skate. The place has the nicest skate park."
As part of the Freedom Tour Skate Jam, they usually put on a clinic, both literally and figuratively.
The best part, says Chornomud was being able to do it and hopefully inspire locals to take up skateboarding.
"It's a blast, yes."
The hardest part he said, was when it came time to pack up and go home.
"It's always hard to leave."
When the group visited Esterhazy, the stands were always full; while in Wawota, it was much the same, he told the newspaper.
The stands were full.
During the YTW interview with Chornomud and his father, he received a text identifying cities and towns from which people attended the Tour. They included: Regina, Fairlight, Maryfield, Kenosee, Kamsack, Canora, Melville, and last but not least, Yorkton.
Chornomud said it's part of his goal to get the skateboard scene in Yorkton a new location for a better skate park and is hoping to be able to get possibly one or two more Freedom Tour stops in before the end of the season.
"It's was just really successful."
Wilson said the skaters left a good name for themselves while in Wawota, adding that the B3Xtreme group was "quite entertaining".
"I was extremely pleased with the number of people, equipment and prizes supplied by (them). They were polite, respectful, well-organized and knowledgable. It was fantastic."
Part of the day also saw members of the B3Xtreme skateboards entertain some young female skateboard enthusiasts during their show in Wawota; Chornomud said that stands out as something that had not yet happened to him or any of the entourage.
"It's always nice to see girls skateboarding."
