Tony Hawk and Mark McMorris wanted their presence at the Smithers Skate Park expansion unveiling to amplify skateboarding's importance in the remote, northern B.C. community.
Skateboarding icon Hawk and Canadian snowboarding star McMorris travelled to the town of 5,000 people for Thursday's opening. They lauded the community's pluck in raising $1.8 million to increase the size of the street park and build a bowl for skateboarders next to the Yellowhead Highway that runs from Winnipeg to the West Coast.
"I don't go to many grand openings, to be honest, but this seemed like a really unique situation," Hawk said. "I don't want to say it's the most remote area, but in remote areas, skateboarding is still a valid option for kids to choose, and they want to do it. We need to provide facilities for them."
McMorris, a three-time Olympic slopestyle bronze medallist whose 24 X Games medals is the most among snowboarders, has a special place in his heart for skateboarding.
"The first board I ever got on was a skateboard," McMorris said. "It's been so important in my life. That's how I made a lot of friends. It's where I spent a lot of time at the skate park in Regina.
"I can just only imagine what it would be like if Tony Hawk came to Regina to open a skate park when I was a kid. Some kids' minds are going to be blown, and some new skateboarders are going to be born from this event."
The expanded street park cost $1.2 million and the bowl another $600,000 to build, said Smithers Skate Park Society vice-chair Christy Sawchuck, who is also known around town as "Rad-Mom" because of her love of skateboarding.
"We don't have the municipalities that can fund something like this. We're doing it all on our own," Sawchuck said.
"We had local non-profits and foundations that got us started with large donations. We had many local companies that gave us discounted materials and services."
The Power To Give Foundation contacted McMorris, who in turn reached out to Hawk. The two men have crossed paths in the action sport community and in Encinitas, Calif., where both have homes.
"He is an extremely large figure. Larger than life, larger than the sport itself, so for him to agree to do this is very special," McMorris said.
Hawk's Skateboard Project in the United States helps build parks for underserved communities, so what Smithers has done aligns with his beliefs.
"To see this in Canada makes me feel inspired. I hope that the city takes pride in a project like this," Hawk said. "A lot of times facilities like these are uphill battles and there are tired stigmas that are associated with our sport, skateboarding especially.
"I feel like skate parks can save lives and they can enhance a community beyond anything that they might imagine. I feel like Smithers will be an example of that."
More improvements are in the works for the Smithers' park including a pump track that's easier for beginners, lighting and accessible washrooms.
Admission to the skate park is free.
"For free unstructured play that reaches everybody and every demographic, I think it's imperative to have," Sawkchuck said. "Not everybody can afford to do huge recreational sports and have parents that can travel."
Sawchuck also believes travelling families will see the park from the highway and make it a stop for rest and recreation.
"It runs right along Highway 16. We have a lot of people that travel the North, anywhere from the Lower Mainland, from the United States, travelling up to Alaska," she said.
"It ends up being like a rest-stop station and a central hub for people to let their dogs out, grab something to eat, go to the skate park, chill out for a little bit and carry on on their travels."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2025.
Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press
