There was a recent report of a tiger ambush up in Edmonton, AB. Needless to say, it's a rare sight for the prairies, but experts estimate it will reoccur in the coming years. Luckily for all involved, the fortunate outcome was: one of the raddest skateboarding events of the year!
Last month, Edmonton's Tigers Skate Club hosted a friendly contest and community day for women, girls and/or trans, non-binary, and gender-diverse skateboarders. The event, dubbed 'The Ambush,' saw people coming from all around Alberta and the rest of the country.
An event of this size for non-traditional skateboarders was a first for the province and the communities at large. People of all ages and levels were invited to participate as an opportunity to build community among their peers.
This was a dream turned reality for the organizers and founders of Tigers, Denise Biziaev and Rosey Kulba. The event saw 76 registered skaters, with over 50 sponsors and close to 50 volunteers. With the support of all shops in Edmonton, others in Alberta and distribution companies across North America, the Biziaev and Kulba were on cloud 9.
"We were blown away by it selling out a day short of two weeks, and we felt so much support," said Biziaev. "We couldn't have done it without everyone believing in us and supporting our club," she added.
On that occasion, the CBC did a feature on Tigers Skate Club to look at the founders' journey leading to the Ambush.
This safe environment offered many activities aside from the competition. Skateboarding lessons, art stations, and skate games were all part of what made the event so much fun.
You can find more information about Tigers Skate Club here.
To conclude with words of Biziaev, "see you there next year."