In January 2023, Canada Skateboard presented the first Tech Deck 'Start Pushing' Summit in Toronto, Canada. The summit was part of a Sport Canada partnership with the Canadian Coaching Association.
The five-day summit was hosted at CJ's Skatepark in Mississauga, Ontario. The jam-packed agenda included a three-day workshop to review the technical material of the Second Module of the Start Pushing Series—Skateboard Fundamentals and beta test the Tech Deck 'StartPushing' a new in-person coaching module.
This new offering will be available to community groups and regions across the country to educate mentors and coaches. In addition, Canada Skateboard and our High-Performance Partners Bell and 7-Eleven hosted a three-day Junior
Progression Session with some of the best junior skateboarders in the country.
Coaches, Clubs, Canadian skateboarding community leaders, and sporting representatives formed a diverse focus group. The modules were presented by skateboarder and educator Everett Tetz. The program included a long-term athlete development strategy from Canada Skateboard's National Team Coach, Sean Hayes. The sessions were informative, and the ensuing discussions were respectful, engaging, and collaborative.
The junior development 'progression session' camp was the first of its kind in the country. This invitation camp brought together the top junior prospects in Canadian skateboarding. Accredited and experienced coaches from across Canada shared their knowledge, and it worked to lift the level of junior skateboarding!
Saturday saw the culmination of coaching and training with an open best trick contest on CJ Skatepark's unique street obstacles. The junior crew threw down amongst a solid class of skateboarders as participants inspired each other with incredible trick combinations.
Overall, the inaugural Canada Skateboard Summit was a huge success! “It was incredible to have the opportunity to share information and learn from the experiences of the attending skateboard leaders. We listened, learned, and skated! It was a great week.”
Canada Skateboard would like to thank all participants for an incredible experience. If you would like to be involved with future Canada Skateboard summit conferences, please email your request to info@canadaskateboard.ca