After growing from an unauthorized do-it-yourself skate spot into the birthplace of a community movement, Atlantic City’s Sovereign Avenue Skatepark is ready for its next chapter.
Skate AC will celebrate the reopening of the park, widely known as “Back Sov,” from 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3. The event was rescheduled from Sept. 26 due to last weekend’s nor’easter.
The free celebration will feature a demonstration by the DC Skate Team, cash prizes in skate contests and giveaways. The event will also include a live performance by Pool Scum and a special guest appearance by BBYOSHANDO.
Presented by DC Shoes with support from RVCA, Volcom and Element, the event will bring together longtime members of Atlantic City’s skateboarding community and a new generation discovering the sport through Skate AC’s programs.
Sovereign Avenue holds special meaning for the nonprofit organization. Before Skate AC offered free youth lessons, equipment giveaways and community events, local skateboarders created their own unauthorized place to skate there. The grassroots effort became the foundation for Skate All Communities, better known as Skate AC.
“Back Sov is the birthplace of everything Skate AC has become,” said Jason Klotz, the organization’s founder. “It started as an illegal DIY skatepark because skateboarders needed somewhere to go. Years later, we’re coming back to that same place with the support of some of the biggest brands in skateboarding and surf culture.”
Skate AC has since expanded its work to include skatepark development, free lessons, creative programming and skateboard and equipment giveaways. The organization uses skateboarding to promote youth development, wellness, mentorship and community connections.
Klotz said the reopening celebrates the skateboarders who shaped the original Sovereign Avenue scene while creating a welcoming space for young people.
“What started with skateboarders building something for themselves has developed into a real community institution,” he said. “Having this many respected companies and organizations come together around Back Sov shows what can happen when people believe in young people, skateboarding and public spaces that actually bring communities together.”
Additional supporters include Lion Order by Rohan Marley, AC Heals, Supreme, Thrasher, Heritage Surf & Sport, Clearly Faded, JAKKS Pacific, Tony Baloney’s, Atlantic City Recreation, Bones, Quiksilver and Roxy.
The Back Sov reopening will take place from 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, at Sovereign Avenue Skatepark in Atlantic City. More information is available at skateac.org.
