Revy Bowl Jam 2024 brought crowds down to Kovach Park for a day of friendly competition, skateboarding appreciation and music curated by event organizer John Richards. Revy Bowl Jam marked Go Skateboarding Day, an international event created in 2003 celebrating skateboarding culture.
Competition categories were broken down into women under 18, men under 18, women over 18, men over 18 and non-binary skaters. Mavis Gokiert and Edie Noble went head-to-head in the women under 18 category, but also took an opportunity to showcase their comradery in the bowl, running multiple lines together.
“She [Gokiert] basically roped me in,” Noble said. “I saw the posters at Society and around town, but she invited me.”
Gokiert might have caught the eyes of judges and audiences alike in pre-competition warm-ups with her repeated drops into the steeper bowl, showcasing advanced board handling and line planning, but Noble wowed the crowds during competition time when she landed tricks on the ledge, a feature in the main bowl that breaks the usual carve line and provides a two-foot space to land on and jump from.
Within the 15 minutes of skate time, Gokiert showcased her ability to build speed and keep control, taking advantage of the entire lower bowl section of the park with audiences cheering on. Both Gokiert and Noble performed clean board handling with various rock to fakies and clean jumps out of the bowl. The hearty competition between friends seemed to match the general mood of the event, Gokiert told the Mountaineer.
“Normally there isn’t that many people here getting to watch, but the vibe today is just really fun stuff.”
Revy Bowl Jam 2024’s men under 18 category saw Indi Gokiert, Niko Lapshinoff and AJ Pitaoulis all taking on the main bowl to show off their aerial skills. While the bigger air tricks meant a couple more scrapes and bruises, an upbeat vibe from the crowd made it easy to get back on the board, Lapshinoff said.
“Everyone’s just been really supportive, really excited today. It’s super hot today, but it’s really fun,” he added.
Heat and lack of cloud reprieve from the sun didn’t seem to hinder the event, and all competitors hoped the success would mean more competitions and general skate events in the future. A key skateboard event in town that received notable mention was the Stoked Skate Camp, a youth summer camp provided by the City of Revelstoke for all levels of skaters ages six to 14. But that doesn’t mean hope is entirely lost for older ages looking to get into the sport.
“Even if you’re an adult, just go out and skate and practice,” Noble said. “It’s always more fun to do it with a friend, so bring one with you or find one at the skatepark.”
Plans aren’t yet in place for Revy Bowl Jam 2025, but Mavis Gokiert is already encouraging folks to come out again or maybe for their first time.
“Everyone should come out next year, it’s so much fun. And just maybe go skate a bit!”
Winners of the competition went home with new skateboard decks, shirts provided by Revelstoke Indigenous Friendship Society, gift cards to Dose coffee and more.
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