The small town of Smithers got some big-time guests on May 29.
World-famous skateboarder Tony Hawk made a surprise visit to the northern BC community of about 5,000 people to help open the new skatepark expansion and inspire small-town skaters to embrace the sport.
Hawk was joined by pro snowboarder Mark McMorris and other extreme sports athletes. More than 1,000 people gathered to watch the skating demonstration.
The Smithers Skatepark Society — responsible for organizing and fundraising the project — was recognized by Hawk, who highlighted the importance of facilities like this in rural areas.
“These kinds of parks encourage active lifestyles and foster deeper interest in skateboarding, especially in smaller communities,” Hawk told the crowd.
Jake Daly, treasurer for the Skatepark Society, spoke to The Citizen about how Hawk and McMorris connected with the local crowd.
“They are just down-to-earth people, and they both came from being kids growing up with boards — it’s where they found meaning,” says Daly. “Tony described skateboarding and the skatepark as his salvation when he was growing up. For Mark, snowboarding is his life. They understand the power of boards, and what it’s like growing up in a small town where it’s really important to have something healthy to love and build a community around.”
Daly says Hawk’s visit has already made a huge impact around town.
“Tony's management team explained to us that things could get crazy — and we didn’t quite believe them,” says Daly. “As soon as we posted that they would be coming, the local skate shop got rushed. They sold out of skateboards immediately — every single one gone.
“You go by the skatepark now and there are 30 or 40 people there, full families, kids going before school. It’s all anyone’s talking about in town.”
Part of Hawk’s visit also included celebrating the fundraising efforts of the Skatepark Society, which since 2016 has raised about $1.6 million over three phases to complete the skatepark expansion.
Christy Sawchuck, the society’s vice-chair — known locally as “Rad Mom” — says Hawk refused to accept payment for the visit.
“It meant a lot to us, because that’s not something we could afford as a society,” says Sawchuck. “We do our fundraising, and it goes toward park improvements. For him to come to our small community, to see what we’ve done, because it aligns with his values — and then say, ‘Hey, I’m not going to charge anything’ — that was incredibly generous.”
In addition to waiving his fee, Hawk also spent time with skaters and members of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation before the event.
“The Skatepark Society is partnered with the Wet’suwet’en First Nation, who graciously offered to host a welcoming ceremony,” says Daly. “Before we held the skate event, Kayla Mitchell and a group from the Wet’suwet’en led the athletes through a welcoming ceremony — introducing them to the territory, the culture, and even the Wet’suwet’en language. It was really special. You could tell it meant a lot to the athletes and to all of us.”
Both Sawchuck and Daly are lifelong skaters and say the visit was deeply meaningful for those who grew up in the community.
“I grew up learning to skateboard here,” says Daly. “If we weren’t on the mountain snowboarding or at the skatepark, we were probably at someone’s house playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater on PlayStation.
“So to fast-forward — all of us young punks who hung out at the original skatepark are now volunteers, board members, and parents with kids and nephews out there. Standing shoulder to shoulder with our board sports heroes, celebrating the growth and maturity of this scene — it’s pretty emotional and kind of surreal.”
