Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Condit.
Mark, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My project started out as a way for me to use the recourses I had at hand to help underprivileged kids. We call it Skater Claus (a Skateboard Cause), and we buy or collect used skateboard parts & put together boards for underprivileged kids (year-round, not just a x-mas thing).
I’m obsessed with skateboarding, and have been doing it since I was five years old (almost 30 years now). I’ve hit the age where I can’t skate much anymore, but wanted to find a way to encourage the next generation of skateboard talent.
At the height of my skating days, I was a board hoarder. I would check Craigslist & other websites daily for cheap used parts or boards, & if it was a good deal I’d buy. After a while, I had accumulated probably 14+ boards & a bunch of other parts, & my wife started to think I was crazy. She got sick of the huge pile of boards in our living room, and asked what I was going to do with all of them. I realized she was right. It was silly for me to have all these boards collecting dust, so I got the idea to give them away to kids that want to get into skateboarding.
Around Christmas 2018, my wife came across a post on the NextDoor App looking for toy donations for underprivileged kids. I donated my first round of boards there, and it inspired me to keep at it. The folks I donated the boards to tapped me into an awesome network of people that work with charities and social workers.
Now, I can basically give boards away as fast as I can put them together. Between my network and personally meeting kids in my hood that want to skate we’ve given away a lot of boards, and I’m always on the hunt for parts. I pay fair prices, and parts donations are always very much appreciated.
There has been overwhelming support from the skate community! A lot of times I think skaters get a bad rap, but I have been proud and shocked by the generosity and support we’ve gotten from the community.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It’s been a blast, but there have been some hurdles. It took a while figuring out the best route to getting parts to begin with. Initially we went about it all wrong. We thought kids who had received boards but never got the hang of skating would be ideal, but their parents often had unrealistic expectations about the value of their lightly used boards. They think “I paid $150 for this and my kid only used it twice, must be worth at least $120.” That’s just not how things work if we want to make an impact for as many kids as we can.
When I pivoted my strategy to target the skate community things started to take off. The skaters are more realistic in their prices because they know the market, and most of the skaters I meet are so excited about the cause they will just give me all the used parts they don’t need for free. Another issue is you can’t control what parts you get. So, at first, I couldn’t find enough decks, then I got a bunch but ran out of trucks, then I was short on wheels… I’m not having any problem bringing in parts, but sometimes I have a ton of parts but can’t put together a complete board. Also, I’ve found some folks that want to make cash donations, but I don’t have the resources to set up the 501c3 at this time.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Skater Claus – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
What’s special about this project is that I know we can fundamentally impact these kids’ lives. We have the power to help build and define the next generation of what skating can be. Maybe we’ll find the next Rodney Mullen, Tony Hawk, or Nyjah Huston… who knows.
We believe if you can get a kid passionate about something it’s more likely they will stay out of trouble, and that both individual and team sports give kids important life skills. We want to encourage the next generation of skateboarders… who could be Olympic Athletes someday (skateboarding’s in the 2020 Summer Olympics).
I have been part of the skating community for most of my life. I can reach out to the community in a way that is authentic and when folks see that I’m sincere about the cause, they are extremely receptive. Now that I have found an amazing network of partners, we are going to bring skateboarding to kids and hoods that would’ve never been exposed to it otherwise. We aren’t the only people who do this and we want to inspire and empower other folks around the world to do the same. Spread the gospel of skate.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I’m going to always continue to hustle and get parts, and we’re currently on a big push to grow our social media so we can spread the word. I don’t want this to be about me or this one project, I can only scale this so much, but I really want to inspire folks in other cities and around the world to do something similar. Social media is a powerful tool. Other than that, we’re trying to collect a good amount of boards right now so that we can put on a skate demo in a local housing project and then give boards out. I want to show kids the basics of the boards, how to put them together, and the basics of pushing. Then have some of my other skate homies come and show them how to power slide, ollie, and do some tricks to get them pumped about it. We also want to figure out a way to get the kids helmets & pads, but it’s difficult. You can’t trust used stuff, & there is no one size fits all helmets or pads. We’re trying to figure that out. I would like to start some type of skate classes as well. I can’t teach much these days, but at the very least I can teach kids about the unwritten rules of the skate park. It can be really intimidating to go to a skate park for the first time, and I think it would be cool to take some kids to a park so they feel more comfortable. Show them the ropes.
This all started in my living room and up until now I’ve been one guy trying to find my way into doing good for the community. This is still a project run by and through me, but as I scope out plans to grow it and go bigger I’m exploring ways to be able to take in monetary donations to buy skate gear and fund it on a bigger scale, whether through GoFundMe or setting up a 501c3. I’m still figuring this stuff out, but if you follow my social media, I can keep you up to date! Right now, the biggest thing is spreading the word. Skate and Destroy, Live and Enjoy, Skater Claus (a Skateboard Cause), Boards 4 Kids, Spread the Word, Thanks!
Contact Info:
- Email: datskateguy@yahoo.com
- Instagram: @skater_claus
- Facebook: facebook.com/skaterclaus
- Twitter: @skater_claus
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
