Free Try Friday with James Amato

I'm trying to do more videos with the skatepark for promotion purposes and also to create a fun community and culture among the skaters that go to our park (First Glance Skatepark). A popular online website The Berrics, features daily videos of professional skateboarders. Now I don't want to try to copy everything they do, but I did take this idea from them, with a slight twist.

The first skateboarder to show up to our park, after he pays $5, we will give him a chance to win his $5 back and skate for free the rest of the night. All he has to do is land the trick we choose for him, first try. If he doesn't make it, we still give him a chance to redeem himself with more tries but doesn't receive his $5 back. This was our first "Free Try Friday".

Tyler Blackert - FS Flip at FG Skatepark

Tyler Blackert skate a lot like myself but better. I'll be thinking of a trick I want to try and then later see him try the same thing. His kickflips and fs flips are probably some of his best looking tricks and are always high.

Jordan Maselli - Airwalk at FG Skatepark

Jordan Maselli does airwalks better then anyone I've ever seen. He extends his legs out super far while doing 2-3 kicks. Most airwalks I see have very lazy extension and are only one kick.

FG Skateboard Decks

We have just received our first order of decks. We will be selling the boards for $35 plus free Jessup grip tape. Our boards are made by South Central Manufacture the same company that makes 5boro skateboards.

First Glance Skatepark Halloween 2013

Nick Welsch - Big Transfer at FG Skatepark

Nick Welsch took many air to ankle compressing lands before rolling away. Then after he did he only wanted to get it better causing more ankle compression from landing straight to his feet into the quarter's wall.

First Glance Skatepark Grand Opening

The park is officially open! First Glance Skatepark isn't just a skatepark. We are helping to develop the skate community of Akron, OH in a positive way. We want to create a park that has a focus on God and bringing skaters together in a positive way. We are going to try to have events each month rather if its a contest or something else.

We had about 40 people show up to the Grand Opening. We gave allowed free entry into the park and gave out free food. We started the events off with a Game of S.K.A.T.E. (like horse in basketball).

Alex Kuss - Winner of Game of S.K.A.T.E.

Next we had my favorite contest which is always the best trick down the stairs. I love to watch people throw themselves down the stairs trying slam after slam to get a trick. We gave them 20min. to try as many times as they would like.

Isaiah Jones - Switch fs 360

Alex Kuss - Hardflip over the hubba

Alex tried this trick many times in the past. He broke three boards in the process but managed to pull it off in the contest within two tries.

The hardest contest to judge was the mini-ramp jam. But in the end it was no doubt that the brothers from Kentucky, would take first and second place. Fifteen years old and his younger brother, who is only seven, amazed everyone at the park with their ramp skating. The younger brother was doing one-foot judos to fakie and airing out of the ramp.

We gave out 6 free boards plus 2 more from Sun Valley Skateshop, along with 7 shirts plus about 14 shirts donated by Acathla Clothing.

First Glance Skate Park Grand Opening

Go Skateboarding Day 2013: Chicago

Four of us from Findlay, Ohio left for Chicago at 8am to head for Chicago. We ended up an hour behind schedule from driving misdirection. Causing us to be an hour late meeting up with my friend, David, in Merrillville. (an hour outside of Chicago)

About 15 min after we got out of our car, the rain started pouring down. The segway tours ended in a halt under the trees. (picture) I've never seen so many segways in my life, but in Chicago it is a very popular thing, especially for tours.

We got some food while we waited for the rain to hault. After it slowed down we headed out to a bike tunnel I remembered so skate under. When we arrived there was already about 30+ skaters there. Without any warm up skating for us, they started a high ollie contest.

I made it to the final round with about 5 other guys. Everyone kept trying except for me and one other guy because they kept cutting us but no one was landing it.. We both patiently waited until the guy running the thing said, "Has anyone not tried it yet? Then the other guy went before me and ollied the six boards stacked on each other his first try. Then I went and made it over, landing on my board but didn't land centered on my board right falling off. 

David won $20 in the long ollie contest. It was between us and one other guy who ended up taking the final win.

Everything dried up soon after skating in the tunnel for a few hours.

Photo: Me

Photo: David Tanner

While skating the Sea Wall there is always a risk of losing your board in the water and Chaz did. His brother CJ climbed down into the polluted water where a dead goose, a hat, boomerang and other garbage collected in the exact spot of Chaz's board.

Chaz, "Thanks Bro".

Sick ledge spot we found by following a crowd of skaters.

Small skatepark. Photo: David, Manuel up and back down.

We ran into a couple kids at the skatepark, who asked me for a kingpin for their truck. We ended up giving them an extra complete board that Chaz brought.

Before our day was over we had to get some Chicago pizza. Everything was kinda expensive, but we were starting to get super hungry. So when walking buy this really nice looking pizza restaurant we decided to just check the menu to see what the prices where. The, who I think was the owner, told us that he would sell us a pizza for $5. We noticed that on the menu the prices for the pizzas where $15.

We were then offered free soda and a free 10 inch pizza if we let a guy take some pictures and video of us for some social media advertising. We ended up having a fun time talking to him, while he sat and chatted with us over our dinner. So if your in Chicago don't forget to stop by Bongiorino's Pizza and Italian Restaurant.

Go Skateboarding Day Chicago Events 2013