Welcome back to another week of Comacan Questions, this week we are highlighting an initiative in the western part of the country. One of the greatest, most inspiring parts of skateboarding is how supportive the community is, how people dedicate time and effort to helping others enjoy everything skateboarding has to offer. We love that from all the joy of riding to the many benefits of skateboarding there is something for everyone. This initiative gets the younger generation involved and we are stoked to spread the word about them, please enjoy this week’s interview with Spectrum Skateboard Society.
What is Spectrum Skateboard Society?
Spectrum Skateboard Society provides safe, fun, inclusive skateboard lessons and camps to Autistic children and youth ages 6-17. In our lessons, participants learn the fundamentals of skateboarding and all the great health benefits of skating. Skaters also work on positive communication and social skills, and parents get to enjoy their children participating in healthy activities with other children. Organized sports are not always a fit for Autistic children, we provide a safe and friendly setting for kids to get together and interact in a group setting. Spectrum was started by Blair Durnan in 2020. Blair has a Diploma in Therapeutic Recreation and has a son who is Autistic. Teaching his son the joys of skateboarding, Blair saw firsthand the benefits it provided his son and that is where Spectrum came to be.
Where are you based out of?
We are based in North Vancouver, but we currently offer our program in Vancouver as well as North Vancouver.
What services/programs do you offer?
We offer skateboard lessons all year. In fall, winter, and spring we offer indoor lessons after school and indoor lessons on weekends, in both North Vancouver and Vancouver. In the summer we offer week-long camps for 8 weeks. Parents can sign their skater up for 1.5 hr, 3 hr, or 6 hr long camps. Our summer camps are also offered indoors out of the sun and rain as well as outdoors at a local skatepark. Skaters in our indoor camps get to learn on our ramps and obstacles which were provided by Vans Canada.
How can people keep up with Spectrum Skateboard society?
People can find us on Instagram and Facebook and we encourage people who are interested to sign-up for our newsletter on our website https://www.spectrumskateboardsociety.ca/
How can people get involved?
People who would like to get involved with Spectrum can either reach out through socialmedia or contact us through our website. We are always looking for volunteers to help with our lessons and camps, as well as fundraisers and events.
Anyone you’d like to thank?
Spectrum would like to thank Volcom Skate for providing our campers with t-shirts and hoodies, Vans Canada for building us our ramps and obstacles, and for providing shoes to all the kids that come out to our events, the Vancouver Park Board for allowing us to skate inside their facilities, the Vancouver Skateboard Coalition for fighting to get skateboarding recognized and accepted in Vancouver. Most of all we would like to thank our skaters for being so brave to try a new activity with us, every single skater that has come through our program is so cool and amazing. We would also like to thank the parents for trusting us to teach their amazing kids.