Skaters head to District 4 for Go Skateboarding Day

July 7, 2023

Kyle Knox

Gila River Indiand News

Avid skateboarders from the Community gathered for the annual Go Skateboarding Day (GSD) Wednesday, June 21, at the District 4 skate park.  

Nationwide, numerous events were simultaneously taking place for the annual event.  Thankfully, local skaters only had to travel a little since Seven Layer Army (SLA) coordinated the Community event, drawing dozens to showcase their skills and talents. 

“Coming out of the pandemic, this year was definitely the biggest SLA event as of recent, and it’s great since today’s all about bringing the Community together,” said SLA co-founder Paul Molina. 

Through SLA events Molina and co-founder Reuben Ringlero have witnessed growth and progress in the skaters they work with and remain motivated to grow the next generation of skaters. 

“Skating, hanging out with all my friends, the location, it was all great and made the event fun and a success,” said Alexander Daizey, District 3.  This year was his second time participating, and he encouraged everyone interested in skating to come out and join. 

Issac Miguel, District 3, said he was excited to see how many people came out for the event.  “Skateboarding is fun, it brings skaters together and keeps me out of trouble, so I appreciate when these events happen,” said Miguel.  

Seven Layer Army Co-founder Reuben Ringlero looks forward to GSD every year and said,  “It’s really cool to see when the young ones come back, and we see how much improvement they’ve made after a year.”  Ringlero said keeping the youth motivated on something positive and out of trouble is one of SLA’s goals. 

One thing new for this year was the 100 meals for participants and their families that evening, provided by Crime Victim Services. 

Crime Victim Services and SLA collaborate yearly for SLA’s annual “Shred in the Name of Love” event every Feb.  Building on the partnership Crime Victim Services offered to support GSD with food and drinks. 

And no GSD is complete without a “product toss,” which rounded out the evening.  Skateboard decks, trucks, wheels, grip tape, tools, apparel, and a hand rail were some notable items distributed at this year’s Go Skateboarding Day.