On Saturday, July 18, Skate AC will celebrate the one-year anniversary of Uptown Skatepark with its largest Uptown Takeover yet. The free festival, held at Uptown Skatepark, 201 N. Massachusetts Ave., is part of the North to Shore Festival and will feature professional skateboarding demonstrations, live music, art, food vendors, contests, giveaways and family-friendly activities.
Presented by New Balance Numeric, the event marks the third consecutive year that professional skateboarder Ronnie Kessner of Tuckerton has brought many of the world’s top skateboarders to Atlantic City. This year’s lineup includes Brandon Westgate, Ronnie Kessner, Blake Carpenter, Ish Cepeda, Brian Reid, Brian O’Dwyer, Joey Marrone, Steve Carty, John Shanahan and Marcello Campanello, along with surprise guests. Together, the featured professionals reach more than 10 million followers on social media, shining an international spotlight on Atlantic City’s growing skateboarding community.
The day’s activities begin with a professional skate demonstration at 2 p.m., followed by a Cash for Tricks Best Trick Contest at 4 p.m. Live music by Pool Scum starts at 6 p.m., with food from SadBoyz, vendor activations and opportunities throughout the day for visitors to meet professional skateboarders.
For Skate AC founder and Executive Director Jason Klotz, however, the event is about much more than skateboarding. It’s about creating safe, welcoming spaces for young people to gather and feel like they belong.
“Kids under 12 gather at playgrounds,” Klotz said. “Adults often go to bars or clubs. But teens and young adults don’t have spaces where they can simply hang out together. “
Klotz believes those years between childhood and adulthood can be especially difficult. Without positive places to spend time, many young people feel isolated or are viewed with suspicion simply for congregating in public.
Rather than discouraging them, he wants to celebrate them.
That philosophy is reflected throughout Uptown Takeover, from cash giveaways and prizes to free activities designed to welcome skaters of every skill level while creating an environment centered on community, creativity and belonging.
The mission is also deeply personal.
Growing up, Klotz recalls frequently being chased away by police and adults simply because he was skateboarding with friends. Those experiences left him feeling as though he didn’t belong or have value within the community.
Today, he is determined to create the opposite experience for the next generation. Instead of being told to leave, young people are invited to stay, participate and build community in a safe environment where they are supported.
That vision has become the foundation of Skate AC, the nonprofit organization Klotz leads alongside Rohan Marley, son of reggae legend Bob Marley. The organization works to strengthen communities through skateboarding, mentorship, education, wellness and the creation of public spaces that provide positive opportunities for youth throughout Atlantic City and beyond.
Major sponsors of this year’s Uptown Takeover include New Balance Numeric, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, Showboat Resort Atlantic City, April Skateboards, Thrasher Magazine, Thunder Trucks, Spitfire Wheels, Timeless, YETI, Pepper Grip Tape, Olympia, the North to Shore Festival, the Inlet Community Development Corporation and numerous community partners.
More than a skateboarding festival, Uptown Takeover has become a celebration of youth, community and the belief that every young person deserves a place where they feel welcome, valued and free to simply be themselves.
