OU Skate Club hosted its first-ever skateboarding competition against Texas A&M Saturday afternoon.
The event, sponsored by Oklahoma City skate shop Money Ruins Everything, consisted of multiple mini-competitions. OU won the overall competition with three wins out of five games.
Local bands, Mail Myself to Canada and Mute, performed while club members grilled hot dogs for event viewers. Pop-up vendors sold artwork and buttons, with funds going toward the team.
Judges included club treasurer Durrie Weaver, Texas A&M club treasurer Jack Mac and local skater Stetson Carroll.
The team held various skating competition events, a Halloween costume contest and an open skate finale.
According to Dalton Parker, business management senior and OU Skate Club president, Saturday’s event was the first ever Southeastern Conference skate competition.
“I just think it’ll lay out the path for the future, too, to host more intercollegiate competitions with other schools,” Dalton said.
After discovering that Texas A&M had its own skate club, Dalton and OU Skate Club vice president Meadow Rhynes reached out to the club and proposed the idea of a skate competition.
Dalton and Rhynes, along with a handful of club members, then visited the opposing school in April to form a relationship. Both skate teams planned the event and brought it to fruition.
Parker said he hopes the event will encourage others to take the club more seriously.
“It means quite a bit, so it’s just kind of like a landmark in our journey, just something for us to become more established,” Parker said.
OU Skate Club, established September of last year, was recognized as an official team sport this October.
Parker and Rhynes said they formed the team to create an inclusive environment that focused on building community.
“Our big mission was to kind of shed light on skating and education and make school a cool thing,” Rhynes said.
This story was edited by Natalie Armour and Thomas Pablo. Tori Pham, Larkin Bock and Gretchen Schultz copy edited this story.
