Boards on parade
<p>Over 100 skaters, bikers, and people on all other forms of wheeled transportation rode from Java on east Sherman to the Coeur d'Alene Skate Park on Sunday. the event was part of Go Skateboarding Day and all proceeds will go to a new skate park.</p>
<p>Brandon De Simone jumps into the bowl at the Coeur d'Alene Skate Park on Sunday.</p>
<p>Over 100 people skated down Sherman Ave. on Sunday as part of Go Skateboarding Day.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE - Every year about this time, it's a local skateboarder tradition to gather somewhere out on East Sherman and just "bomb" downtown on the city's main drag.
At 11 a.m. on Sunday - which was Go Skateboarding Day 2015 - the traditional grinding, roaring of wheels and scraping of boards down Sherman continued as an official parade. A Coeur d'Alene Police Department cruiser led the way for safety.
"It's just a new evolution of an old skate tradition," said Nathan "Ope" Baker, of Coeur d'Alene.
Baker was one of the parade organizers, and he estimated 130 people participated.
Young and a bit older gathered at Java on Sherman before the parade. Most were on skateboards and longboards, but a few were roller skaters and bicyclists.
"Seeing it is one thing, but feeling it is even better," said Jonas Freeman, a Hayden resident and skateboarder. "It's a feeling for sure, to be a part of it. To see everybody else who loves what you love."
"I think it's really cool that this many skateboarders get together for just one event," said A.J. Gomaa, of Coeur d'Alene.
He hadn't skateboarded down the middle of Sherman before, so he planned to take advantage of the opportunity.
"I'm probably going to go for a long 'manual,' honestly," Gomaa said. "Just manual for as far as I can."
A manual is similar to a "wheelie" on a bike, riding with the front wheels up.
Sunday's parade was a family affair for Andrew Shelton, who was celebrating Father's Day with his two kids, son Andrew, 10, and daughter Addison, 11.
It was a great day to be out with others in the skateboarding community.
"They need to rally and get us a new skate park," Shelton said.
After skating down Sherman, the skateboarders headed to the Coeur d'Alene Skate Park for skate games, contests, music and food. Proceeds from the event pay for the development of a future skate park in Coeur d'Alene through the group CDA SK8 PRK.