GOALS
When I started at the City of Hapeville, our new city skatepark was popular with local skaters but underutilized as a branding asset. After speaking with some resident skateboarders, I decided to create our first official skatepark competition. My priorities were to:
integrate the local skate community into the planning process.
draw a younger demographic to Hapeville and expose them to the city's cultural and recreational offerings.
develop the competition into an annual event with returning attendees.
CHALLENGES
First and foremost, I am not a skateboarder! Skateboarding subculture is a tightknit community with a DIY ethos and, often, a healthy skepticism towards government institutions (like municipalities). Not only did I personally not know how to structure a skate competition, but it would have been difficult for me as an outsider to effectively access the skate community to publicize the event.
STRATEGIES
Collaboration was key to this event. I used personal connections within the community to connect me with the owner of ChiroSkate, a chiropractic practice that specializes in caring for skateboarding injuries. He was able to guide the structure of the competition, obtain sponsorships, and publicize the event through his wide skateboarding network.
I hired a photographer to document the event and published the photos across our social media. First, these photographs helped Hapeville residents to see evidence of the skatepark's popularity — and by extension, evidence of their tax dollars at work. Second, the photos were shared and reshared by skateboarders across social media, increasing awareness of the event for future years.
IMPACT
Turkey Jam was a huge success! This event garnered high attendance from Gen Z and younger Millennials, demographics that don't often participate in municipal events. Additionally, because the skateboarding community doesn't always feel welcome in public spaces, this event helped to solidify the perception of Hapeville as an inclusive and safe space for skaters. We look forward to an even larger crowd at 2022's 2nd Annual Turkey Jam!