26 DECEMBER 2022 By Mallory Gleich In the early 90s, if you were looking for teenagers Trent Martin or Ed Cox, you’d probably find them cruising around town on their skateboards. The pair loved their hobby so much that, as adults and after meeting Laura Martin, who advocated for Phoenix’s first skate park – they decided to create a nonprofit centered around skateboarding. Cowtown S.K.A.T.E. is a Phoenix organization “dedicated to expanding access to the social, health, and other benefits of skateboarding.” They provide boards, shoes, ramps, education and support to youth in underserved communities. “Our retail shop, Cowtown Skateboards and skate brand, has played an integral role in the Arizona skateboarding community for 25 years. We’ve hosted events, given away products, worked with cities on skate park projects and more,” Board Member Charles Darr said. The nonprofit officially opened its doors in 2018 to “pay forward the enjoyment we have experienced through skateboarding and guiding youth toward a better tomorrow.” Darr explained that there’s a game called SKATE that is similar to HORSE in basketball – that’s where the nonprofit got its name. “There was no real reason other than the game is fun, and what we are trying to do is spread the love and fun of skateboarding,” Darr said. “Leaving it open allows people to come up with their own ideas…it could be Spreading Kindness Around To Everyone.” According to Darr, S.K.A.T.E. has five areas of action: Opening the Door, Safe Skate Spots, community, fundraising and partnerships. Opening the Door provides gear directly to kids in need, so they have their own equipment: skateboards, shoes, helmets, etc. Safe Skate Spots works with cities to make skate-able features standard in city parks so that kids everywhere can access a safe place to skate. Community focus includes events such as contests, art shows and skate jams. “Our focus on fundraising and partnerships keeps work sustainable. We design programs that address all five areas,” Darr said. “For instance, our Rides for the Res, Tohono O’odham project involved fundraising to provide kids with new complete skateboards, shoes, and safety gear, as well as their own ramp, which created a safe place for them to learn how to skate.” The kids got to help volunteers construct the ramp, and they, in turn, taught the kids how to ride it on their new boards. The founders have been involved in skate park development for over 25 years. Laura organized the building of Desert West Skate Park in Maryvale in the 90s, which Darr said helped create a template for others. Since that first park, various cities have utilized the organization’s skills regarding skate park development and helped provide maintenance and upgrades. “Now that there are parks throughout the state, our nonprofit is working on pivoting development from large, Olympic-style skate complexes to focusing on hyperlocal skate-able features throughout existing parks, supporting our mission to increase accessibility,” Darr said. Cowtown S.K.A.T.E.’s main goal, of course, is to continue providing access to skateboarding. That is where Skateboard Angel, their annual holiday donation drive, comes in. Donations provide a new skateboard to a child in need. The drive is in its sixth year and is open until December 31. The 2022 event marks the inaugural nationwide expansion of the Arizona-based project as they partner with community skate shops around the country. “The program raises contributions to cover the cost of brand-new, professional-grade skateboards. Those are then distributed to beneficiary youth-serving nonprofits that deliver them to the kids they serve,” Darr said. “Skateboard Angel unites people from around the U.S. to work toward a shared goal of providing a gift to kids who otherwise may never have the chance to experience the joys of learning to skate.” Cowtown S.K.A.T.E. hopes to eventually own a facility with an indoor skate park and adaptive workspace. The facility will allow them to host lessons and events, plus workshops for filming, editing, photography, graphic design, art, music and healthy living. “We learned first-hand that skateboarding promotes an active lifestyle and develops balance and coordination. It creates supportive and diverse communities and offers refuge from the stress and other negative influences that people have to navigate throughout life,” Darr said. “It is our goal to make sure that every child has the option to experience these benefits, just as we have.” cowtownskate.org Grab your boards, it’s time to skate for the kids Trent Martin, Laura Martin and Ed Cox. Cowtown S.K.A.T.E. provides skateboards, shoes, ramps, education, and support to youth in underserved communities. PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHARLES DARR