Statewide skateboard challenge fundraiser announced

Staff and wire report

The Montana Skatepark Association has announced the launch of Madness in the Mountains, a statewide fundraiser and skateboard challenge happening all across Montana beginning Wednesday, June 21 — International Go Skateboarding Day — and running through September 4.

Along with raising funds to continue its work of building free, public, concrete skateparks around Montana, the goal of Madness in the Mountains is to engage and unite Montana’s skateboard community, a release from the association said.

Montana Skatepark Association has helped build or improve skateparks around the state, including at Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation by Box Elder and at Hays on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation.

It also holds events and skateboarding promotions around the state, such as when its Girls of Shred held skateboarding clinics around the state to help girls and nonbinary people to learn to and get fired up about skateboarding, including in Big Sandy, Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation and Havre.

Madness in the Mountains — MITM — is a two-part event made up of a Fundraising Challenge and a Skate Challenge. In the fundraising challenge, participants will work to raise funds on behalf of Montana Skatepark Association in order to win prizes including cash for the firs-t, second- and third-place finishers, $1,000, $750, $500 respectively, a custom trophy, and MITM-branded gear.

In the Skate Challenge, which will be driven by an app on their smartphones, participants will have to accomplish a series of skateboard-related challenges in order to earn points. The top three finishers will also earn cash, $1,000, $750, $500 respectively, a custom trophy, and MITM-branded gear. The challenges range in scope from simply skating one of Montana’s skateparks to attempting a kickflip on a skateboard ... in ski boots.

Approximately 100 missions will be available upon launch, and more will be added throughout the contest period.

All information about Madness in the Mountains can be found by visiting https://www.montanaskatepark.org .

The Montana Skatepark Association (MSA), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, has been funding and building skateparks in Montana for over 20 years. To date, the MSA has contributed nearly $2 million dollars to skateboarding in Montana and has funded or contributed to over 20 skateparks in towns such as Missoula, Superior, Alberton, Wolf Point, Browning, Glendive, Red Lodge, and many others.