Julian Andres Santa
Pereira hosted the third edition of the National Skateboarding Championship, an event that qualifies for the National Games of the Coffee Region at the end of the year and that during the weekend was quite an attraction for Pereirans and visitors who enjoyed great exhibitions with the table, demonstrating all his talent in this discipline that is growing more and more.
for the national dream
Santiago Ossa, Commissioner of the Colombian Skating Federation, highlighted the meeting. “We had the delegations of Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Antioquia, Bolívar, Huila and Risaralda in competition. It became very pleasant because we had athletes from all over the country looking for the national dream and a place in the Colombian National Team. Fortunately we have the largest skatepark in Colombia in the city of Pereira and we can host all the modalities and all these athletes who are taking it out of the stadium”.
Heading to National Games
“There were approximately 90 athletes in competition, obviously there are more athletes, a figure close to 150 but high-performance competitors are 90. This contest is a qualifier for the National Games, so that each department begins to choose their athletes to participate and that they remain as priority. Each league sends a series of representatives, there are three for each modality: Street or Park, ladies or men”.
Competitions will be in Pereira
“We have chosen this skatepark of the Villa as the setting for the National Games. It lacks some interventions to be able to comply with the requirements of the Ministry of Sports as a suitable sports venue for National Games, we lack details and that the administration can collaborate with us on this issue”, pointed out the Commissioner of the Colombian Skating Federation.
They see it as a life project
Skateboarding is a passion and has become a lifestyle, as explained by the representative of Cundinamarca, Edwin Cruz. “I have been in this sport since 2009. I represent the Cundinamarca delegation, we came to Pereira with several athletes and we are giving it our all, we see skateboarding as a life project, really since we became an Olympic sport, they have had us more in It counts and we go with everything for those games that are approaching us that are the Nationals ”.
fly on his board
For her part, Helena Soto Angarita is doing her training process and traveled to Pereira from Medellín, to continue learning more and more. “What I like the most is that, for example, outside of competitions, you can say I’m going to do this cool trick, you kind of want to do a trick and you’re also free to skate, you can do the trick you want and for example I really like to jump off the ramps because it feels like I’m flying”.
Opine Helena Soto Angarita. Sportsman from Medellin
“I am 10 years old, I have been in this sport for two years. My brother had bought a board but he didn’t use it as much and he started using other types of boards and he put that board aside and I was curious to know more and I started riding and in the end he gave it to me and that’s how I got to know skateboarding”.
Opinion Edwin Cruz. Sportsman Cundinamarca
“The truth seems to me to be a magnificent setting, if you have to make some technical adjustments regarding the bowl, it is a very large space, it has more than seven rooftops, we see that it has all levels, the space is very good, so it lends itself to holding tournaments nationals, which is what we are looking for”.
Opinion Santiago Ossa. Commissioner of the Colombian Skating Federation
“There are many athletes, let’s say there are 12 from Antioquia so they are competing for three Risaralda places and it is very cool because they have realized the level that exists in the country and especially here in the department”.