‘Repping’ the ‘Pep

By Catherine Amos

Published: June 19, 2008

No glue or strings attached: What may look like defying gravity is actually a standard trick for skateboarders everywhere — the “ollie.”
The ollie, named for its inventor Alan “Ollie” Gelfand in 1976, is a hands-free stunt where the skater jumps in the air and the board goes with him. With the ever-growing popularity of skateboarding, Culpeper Baptist Church Youth Pastor Dave Wheatley recently hosted an ollie competition for area skaters.

The VORTEX youth group at CBC hosted its first ollie competition June 15 during its weekly meeting, with 18 participants. Wheatley said youth group members passed out fliers at school and at Culpeper’s skate park at Yowell Meadow Park.

“(The competition) was hosted by the youth ministry in the hopes of reaching out and befriending some of the skaters that hang out at the park,” Wheatley said, “to show them that we care and that we value their talent.

“The reason that we do things like this is we believe God gives every kid the talents that they have. They are valuable talents and can be used to honor Him and to reach out to other kids.”
The contestants attended the majority of the weekly meeting, running from 6 to 8 p.m., which included games, a message and music from the worship band, giving Wheatley, VORTEX members and the skaters a chance to mingle.

For the competition, each participant had two opportunities to ollie over a bamboo limbo set at each height. Wheatley handed out awards — skateboard accessories he bought at The Bike Stop — for first, second, third and fourth place. Rising junior Jesse Clare, 16, took the title for the highest ollie, clearing 30 inches.

“I’ve just been practicing and working on my ollies,” Clare said, “just trying to perfect it. My mom’s even told me I’m a perfectionist.”
Clare has been skating for six years and said he and his friends often skate at Yowell or drive to Manassas and Orange. He said he likes Orange in particular because skating “hasn’t really blown up there,” so the townspeople don’t seem to mind.

“It’s the one sport that caught my eye,” he said of skateboarding, “and I’ve always wanted to do it. I’ve never done any other sports. I’ve just always loved it.”
Wheatley said he hoped the competition would become an annual event and would like to add more tricks and expand the parameters.

Wheatley, 33, has been youth leader at CBC for two and half years and skated through high school and his early college years, so he knows a thing or two about skaters.

“I did skate in the new school for a couple years,” he said. “The skaters understand what that means, so I know what they’re talking about. I know a little about the skate culture.”

He said that every hobby has a subculture — whether it’s model railroads or soccer — and every subculture has an attitude about the world.

Because he is aware of the sometimes-negative self-image affecting kids in the skating subculture, he wanted to reach out and connect to the local skaters.

“Being in that subculture, I understand the dangers that are there,” he said. “You can be developing your skill at skateboarding but at the same time, you can be missing who you are meant to be inside and in the world, and definitely in God’s sight because of that.”

Clare acknowledged the exclusivity of skateboard subculture, with its own lingo and terminology of tricks. He is a member of a local skate team, “Rep the Pep,” that is putting together its own skate video to premier later this summer.

“It’s the best sport ever,” Clare said. “It’s just amazing. It’s just like a completely different language; if you hear people talking about it, you won’t understand it unless you know about it.”

Catherine Amos can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 138 or .