1st Annual PFSP Skateboard Marathon Small but Successful.

Portage: 1st Annual Skateboard Marathon. Portage city of Wisconsin, on September 7th 2013 held the first annual skateboard marathon. One noticeable aspect of the event and being a familiar old Portage local myself was the absence of bugs. Yep, no mosquitoes or black flies. Bonus! But besides rain, fall time means unexpected weather. I was miserable but persevered without my usual suntan lotion savior. As for the heat, it stopped the day before the contest “not” and a new weather front moved in with more heat.  A glorious Portage partly cloudy brisky in-the-high 80’s dry day except a evaporating puddle here and there with shifting winds and warm temperatures without a full sun kept the day for the most part hot and muggy.

On race day, at around 9:00am I started my trek around one loop with broom in hand and different colored chucks to help be seen while sweeping. Rocks, twigs and loose debris were still littering most of the course. By the time I completed my re-examination of the course, the race was nearly ready to start. It was then I made a bee-line to the phone where it was imperative in my mind to warn any new comers of the hill that required some skilled back to back frontside and backside turns while descending a fairly steep decline.

We had many of our own committee members take part after registration in the marathon. A quote from participant Doug Klapper after the race. “Blood, sweet and $$. Gladly donated all three today! Keep on keeping on, Rome was not built in a day.” The first to cross the finish line was committee member Andrew Tamminga our Art Director. This will be a annual event to take place around the same time every year. If you want to participate next year please email us at portageskatepark@gmail.com or use the contact tab on our website.

Looking forward to next year! Thank you Portage brothers and sisters! Our field of about 10 pushers was impressive for the first year. The full marathon consisting of 10 miles.