+ Art of Skateboarding Articles

   With the Florence bowl now completed and Florence being the hometown for Pat Wachter, there was some question as to where exactly the event would take place this year. Once again though, the city of Alabaster (through the support and involvement of skate park manager Dennis Hutchinson) stepped up, and the Pat Wachter Bowl skateboarding contest returned to Alabaster, Alabama for yet another year. As has been the tradition up to this point, the first Saturday in May is always the date for the contest. As always as well, Pat Wachter and a small skeleton crew do the best they can to pull this thing together and make sure everyone has a good time. This year's event did not have as much promotion or sponsors as years past, but Pat and the gang made it happen. Pat's vision has always been that skaters should not have to pay (or pay very little) to enter and everyone should just come to have a good time. Pat makes no money from the event, and actually ends up spending a good chunk of change from his own pocket every year just to make sure we have the contest. That says a lot about Pat, and he has my respect for doing it. As Pat says "It's all about skateboarding and the skaters!" For that reason and more, this year was as much fun as any in the past! Year 6 begins the march toward the 10 year anniversary, and I will be glad to say I was there for every one of them!