Florida Amateur Skateboard League Visits Treaty Park
By Cameron Hammer
“The contest was great! There were a lot of kids skating at Treaty that I haven’t seen before, and there were some locals having their morning session that I don’t get to see very often,” said Josh Schrim, a 16-year-old from St. Augustine Fla..
The Florida Amateur Skateboarding League held their seventh stop at Treaty Skatepark, 1595 Wildwood Dr, St. Augustine, on Aug. 27 2022.
The Florida Amatuer Skateboarding League, FASL, is an amateur skateboarding league that travels around Florida and organizes friendly skateboarding contests for the ages of 4 years old and up.
“We host kids anywhere from the age 4 to 16, 17, but we do even get some skaters that are in their 20s,” said Rob Kee, the director of the California Amatuer Skateboarding League.
On average, 40 to 50 kids participate in these events to learn new skills and make new friends.
“It felt super fun, I just skated how I usually did and enjoyed myself,” Schrim said.
These contests are open to members and non-members, but everything is done on site as of right now. People can sign up for a contest or a membership by going to a contest or event on the day of and signing up in person.
Competitors are also given the chance to win raffles and prizes from event sponsors. Event sponsors include Vans, Powell Peralta, Embassy Skateboards, 187 Killer Pads, and more.
Anthony Clark, a father from Palm Bay, Fla., and his children participated in last season’s FASL, and have been to five FASL contests this year.
“They have made so many friends and met some really good pro skaters,” Clark said.
The Return of FASL
FASL, a league under the California Amatuer Skateboarding League, returned in 2021 with the main goal of creating a place where kids can go once a month to skate with others that are in the area and make new friends.
“It’s all about a day where you get to skate with all of your homies,” Kee said.
The California Amatuer Skateboarding League, CASL, was founded in 1982, by Frank Hawk. CASL has run steady through that entire time, and in 2019 they began working on building more leagues.
Kee and Rodney Mead were able to get FASL up and running in 2021, and it essentially runs like any other CASL league. The Utah Amatuer Skateboarding League, UASL, also participates with these leagues.
“It’s kinda like the little league of skateboarding,” Kee said.
With all of the leagues, the competitors can earn points per contest and then there’s a ranking at the end of the year.
This year, the National Championship will be held in Florida around January, 2023. Here, kids that have participated in any of the FASL, CASL, or UASL events are invited to gather and compete.
To qualify for the National Championship, kids can compete in any of the contest series and stack up points throughout the year. If someone places first in any of the contests during the year, they will automatically get an invitation to the National Championship.
Going into 2023, CASL has goals to open up leagues in Colorado, Texas, Arizona, and more.
See below for contact information on upcoming contests, past contests, and future events.
Instagram: @fasl.usf
Website: faslusf.com
