Fundraiser auctioning off skateboards painted by St. Cloud-area artists to support girl skaters

Lydia Nygaard knows it's summer when the bruises begin to show on her knees. It means she's been spending time at the skate park.

And if Nygaard, a local business owner and several area artists have anything to say about it, there'll be a lot more bruised knees at the skate park this summer.

Nygaard, 18, started MN Girls Skate, a group that hosts events at local skate parks to encourage more girls to find skateboarding — and each other.

Thanks to a fundraiser organized by Mike Thienes, the group will have more than 20 skateboards to raffle off to eliminate cost barriers for those interested the sport.

"Skateboarding, like artwork, is just kind of an escape for a lot of people," Thienes said. "... It's just a fun activity. So you don't have to be good. You can kind of take your own path, just like you can with art."

The fundraiser, called Skate Unity 2022, is an online auction. For sale are 13 skate decks painted by professional Central Minnesota artists, many of whom have participated in the event from its inception. The decks are on display at Bad Habit Brewing, but bids are placed via Facebook. The art exhibit goes through June 1, though bids are accepted through June 3.

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Welcoming girls to the skate park

Nygaard started skateboarding about two years ago.

And while Nygaard made a lot of male friends at the skate park who she says are like brothers to her, she knows not every girl has that experience.

"I'm a pretty outgoing person, so every time I'd see a girl at the skate park, I'd be like, oh my gosh. I need to so say hi. We need to be friends. So we'd exchange social medias and stuff."

She built a network of girls who knew her, but didn't know each other. MN Girls Skate was meant to change that.

The first MN Girls Skate Day had more than 40 girls show up and skate, and more came to watch and do crafts. At the next skate day, some of the girls who watched the first time gave skateboarding a try, Nygaard said.

"Making that environment welcoming is all I'm trying to do," Nygaard said.

In addition to the raffle, the fundraiser will also provide a handful of boards for MN Girls Skate to loan out at skate days so girls who come without boards can try the sport, Nygaard said.

"That was also a huge problem. When we were having these groups, I would get all my guy friends and be like, 'Let me borrow your board for a day' — just to get girls on a board."

She likes trying something new and pushing herself and her body. She also loves that no matter how long a person has skateboarded, there's always ways for them to get better.

"Everyone at the skate park is at a different level," she said. Nygaard still considers herself a bit of a beginner, but she loves that the skate community is inclusive of all ages and sizes. It's welcoming and supportive, she said.

And now, she's had a hand in making it even more so.

"Just having, like, 24 girls on a board, it's gonna be so hard not to make friends," Nygaard said. "So hard not to want to try, at least."

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How to participate in the fundraiser

Thienes, who used to own skateboard and snowboard store The Youth Shelter Supply, said the Skate Unity fundraiser started about 20 years ago to raise money to build a skate park in St. Cloud. After that goal was achieved, funding a skate park at Heritage Park, since relocated due to the Costco development on the site, the event went on hiatus for a few years before it returned.

Thienes said the fundraiser started up again because the artists enjoyed it. He sees it as a chance to recognize community artists whose work may not be displayed in traditional settings like an art gallery.

As of Wednesday, Skate Unity 2022 had already raised about $3,000, and bids continue to roll in.

To bid, comment the amount, name and contact information on the picture of the skate deck you'd like. Bids must be in $10 increments. All starting bids were set at $100 (though each board has been bid higher). To learn more about the event, the participating artists, see the boards and place bids, visit https://fb.me/e/37V7SFp74.

You can also follow @mn_girlsskate on Instagram for updates about skate days and when the raffle will take place.

Last year's fundraiser benefited members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota. Thienes said he and the artists continue to do this event to support their community.

"It was so rewarding to gives these kids boards," he said of last year's fundraiser.

Sarah Kocher is the business reporter for the St. Cloud Times. Reach her at 320-255-8799 or skocher@stcloudtimes.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahAKocher.

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This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: St. Cloud skate deck art fundraiser helps put girls on skateboards