The Generations Skateboard Society presents the second-annual 7 Gen Skate Festival at the PNE Forum
Published Nov 08, 2023 • Last updated 2 hours ago • 4 minute read
The second annual 7 Gen Skate Festival takes place this weekend at the PNE Forum. Photo by jwphotowrks /jpg
7 Gen Skate Festival
When: Nov. 11-12
Where: PNE Forum, 2901 East Hastings St., Vancouver
Tickets and info: 7genskate.com
Adam George is a skateboarder originally from the Oneida Nation of the Thames and Haudenosaunee Confederacy who moved to B.C. in December 2015 to pursue his competitive career. He’ll be one of the many athletes ripping up the course at the second annual 7 Gen Skate Festival taking place this weekend at the PNE Forum.
Combining a pro invitational, 7 Gen Cup amateur contest, Indigenous sharing events, exhibitor marketplace, artists, food trucks and live music, the 7 Gen Skate Festival takes its name from a Kwantlen First Nation’s concept. One should consider the impact of their own actions on seven future generations to follow.
From the custom Coast Salish thunderbird design logo by artists Noah and Phyllis Atkins of Spring Salmon Studio to the event itself, it’s meant to be both respectful to all local First Nations communities.
Brenda Knights, Kwantlen First Nation member and CEO of the B.C. Indigenous Housing Society, is on the event board. She is one of the only non-skaters in the organization.
“Working in my community, I kept hearing from youth at our planning events talking about the same things,” said Knights. “Adults might think they (youth) want soccer fields and baseball diamonds, but what they really wanted was skateparks. My partner Renee Renee is an MC at a lot of these events who I shared the seven laws with and he noted the similarity to skateboarding. He also recalled the great competitive events that used to happen here and thought it could be revived.