On Tuesday, Aug. 6, the 3rd annual “Backyard Bowl Bash” was held at Tenacity Skatepark in Slocan City.
The event was scheduled to start at around noon but after set up people started skating closer to 1 p.m.
As the day wore on, many people from different areas slowly filled the bleachers and picnic tables around the skatepark, as the bowl and street section began to become more heavily skated.
Skaters such as Daniel “Alien” Nelson were not just skating but catching up with friends.
Ripping Giraffe Boardshop had a few of its team skating. Those in attendance were Phalen Miller, Trevor Frame, Ben Demoskoff, Levi Peirson and Cory. Frame was pulling his classic spine transfers, as Pierson and Miller were busy with inverted hand-plants in the 7 and 8 foot sections of the bowl. A lot of Josh’s old friends, such as Justin Abundio, Nato Goers and Eugene Voykin, were skating in his memory.
Abundio's tech bowl skating combined with Voykin's creative old school transition skating made for a good show and was super rad to see. The DJ played a mix of 1960s surf rock, such as "The Atlantics," and smooth rap such as various Wu-Tang remixes, enhancing the atmosphere to a feeling of an actual old school "Bowl Bash" from the 1970s. As the evening rolled in, the bleachers and surrounding standing space nearly filled. Notable tricks such as Eugene’s Fs Tuck Knee in the 7 foot, Phalen Miller’s method over the “Josh Gap” and Levi Peirson’s styled out Fs Lipslides on the coping made the crowd and bystanders roar.
At around 6 p.m. Tia, Josh’s bride-to-be, got on the microphone and thanked everyone for coming out, and everyone put a fist in the air in the memory of the skate legend from the Kootenays.
“Every year in a beautiful place in the Kootenays, there’s a celebration of Josh Evin’s spirit, his love, his inspiration, and everything he shared with us all, especially his skateboarding," said Justin Abundio. "Its about being together and stoking each other out and having a blast skating your ass off, everybody killing it all day and all night. In Slocan City at Tenacity Skatepark we put it down for Josh Evin.”
I’m sure if Josh could see us all now, celebrating in his name, having a good time, and skateboarding to our best efforts, he would be proud, and be content with the mark he made on us all. Rest in peace, Josh.