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Fulfilling a desire to soar...
Gabe Partida muttered his dissatisfaction after the trick didn't go as well as he originally planned. It was his third attempt that morning, and his previous attempts seemed less than satisfying to the 16 year old.
Relying on the instincts he'd developed through years of training, he tried once again. This time, the combination of timing and momentum all worked to his advantage as he launched himself into the air, relying on nothing more than his skateboard to nail the landing on the way back down.
This tenacity is part of a mantra that has been part of Partida's life for the past few years -- "Skate, ride, fall, repeat." In the end, the teen and others like him hope to soar, proving that they can achieve what they want in life if they keep trying.
That chance to achieve that personal satisfaction took center stage on Saturday as dozens of amateur skateboard enthusiasts from Mountain Home and surrounding communities packed into Richard Aguirre Park for a chance to test their mettle during a yearly competition. Celebrating its fourth year here, the Open Soar skate competition also gave these teens a chance to claim some bragging rights.
"The goal of Open Soar is discovering what's inside of us," said Phillip Garcia, who organizes the yearly competition. It encourages people to find the willpower to pick themselves up after they've fallen down in their lives and remain focused on reaching their goals and dreams.
It also encourages friendly competition and the spirit of self expression, Garcia added.
Before the competition started, people like Zach Slack took time to grab some air time at the skate park. Rolling to the center of the park, the teen performed an ollie -- the ability to launch a skateboard more than a foot into the air without the benefit of a ramp. The ollie forms the basis for more advanced tricks in this sport.
Marking his second year in the Open Soar competition, Slack started starting seven years ago.
"My dad got me a board, so I just started riding," he said.
The toughest trick he's faced involved a maneuver known as the "fakie backside flip." In addition to riding backwards, a person has to turn the board completely around while doing a kick flip at the same time.
Once they learn the ollie, the teens move on to the heel flip and then a kick flip. Each trick requires the riders to position their feet on specific spots on the board while using the spring in their feet and legs to flip the board in the air, Partida said.
It was this technique that was helping Jean Gilliland was propelling his board onto a wooden box on the other side of the park. The goal for the 14 year old was to slide the board across the surface without using the wheels. It's another basic maneuver teens try to perfect before they move on to the more advanced tricks.
In addition to giving skateboard enthusiasts a chance to prove themselves, Open Soar allows local businesses, parents and others to experience firsthand these unique cultures to better understand the passion behind these forms of self expression, Garcia added.
Proceeds from events like Open Soar will help organizers eventually build a full-scale skate and bike park at Legacy Park on the north side of town. When built, it would offer local youth a challenging, safe outlet in a sport "that ranks third in popularity among kids ages 6 to 18," Garcia said.
Donations from local business got things rolling, but he hopes additional grants and financial support from other private organizations will make this dream a reality.
Earlier this month, initial plans for that park started taking shape as designers came together with some proposed features. Those proposed plans remained on display during Saturday's competition.
While the current skate ramps and equipment at Richard Aguirre Park can help people get good, it won't let them become great riders, Gilliland said.
"To get better and to master the board, we need this park," he said.
"Hopefully, we'll do the next Open Soar at the new skate park," Slack added.
Looking to the future, Garcia hopes competitions like Open Soar will also attract outside skaters to Mountain Home.
"We want something that draws people off the freeway" and come to Mountain Home, Garcia said in a previous interview with the Mountain Home News. With the city situated halfway between Boise and Twin Falls, having a top-notch skate park could make this community the go-to place for skateboard and BMX enthusiasts across southern Idaho.