X Games stars in the making? New Sacramento skateboarding partnership hopes to inspire youth
Mike Saigeon’s earliest memories on a skateboard are pushing off to glide through the Arden Arcade neighborhood where he grew up.
He would regularly ride around the block.
“But I just never got into it,” he said.
That is, until Saigeon, now 58, started working with Sean LaTour-Jarquin many years later. He didn’t persuade Saigeon to become a regular skateboarder. Instead, he showed Saigeon how to use the activity to help young people in Sacramento build resilience, community and an appreciation for being outside.
Now, the organization they started, Project Lifelong, is partnering with Sacramento on skateboarding sessions at the 28th & B skate park. Both the city and nonprofit believe that the effort can create powerful learning opportunities for youths who might not be involved in more traditional sports. Their goal is to inspire them to get on a board in 2025, whether they are experienced or not.
“Skateboarding brings something that’s very special to Sacramento,” Saigeon said. The summer X Games, which include skateboarding, are scheduled to take place in the city for the next three years starting in August.
Saigeon coached basketball at a local middle school when he first met LaTour-Jarquin, who was one of his players and an avid skateboarder.
Years later, Saigeon, then a deputy with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, ran an organization that arranged outdoor activities for young people. LaTour-Jarquin had graduated from college and came to Saigeon with an idea: create a skateboarding program.
Saigeon let him do it. Local youths were shuttled to different skate parks around the region and, at the end of the program, surfed and camped in the Monterey area.
Exploring communities outside of Sacramento is Jesse Stanfill’s favorite memory of his time at Project Lifelong. He joined it when he was 15, after hearing about it at a local skate shop. He was newly into skateboarding and looking to meet people.
“I got to go to a lot of different skate parks I never thought I’d go to,” he said. That included some in Santa Cruz, Oakland and San Francisco.
LaTour-Jarquin and Saigeon also brought skateboarding to schools, where the activity is often not embraced. Project Lifelong builds skate parks on middle school campuses by temporarily adding equipment, such as ramps and rails, to the sites during certain evenings. Young people of different skill levels can attend.
Stanfill helped set up the skate parks after joining the organization.
“The fact that they were always trying to improve made me want to improve,” he said of the young skaters. Now 19, Stanfill is still involved with Project Lifelong.
Those evening sessions run part of the year and are currently off for the winter.
The new program with the city is able to operate in the winter months. The skate park is covered, shielding users from the rain, and has an array of features, including quarter pipes, rails and a bowl. The first session begins in January. Others are currently scheduled through May. More information can be found at projectlifelong.org/register.
Young people ages 8 to 17 who register for monthly sessions will be able to use the 28th & B park on Monday evenings, when it is normally closed to the general public. Project Lifelong mentors will offer guidance and support.
Heather Kopf, a recreation supervisor at the city, said Sacramento officials were looking to add activities at the park.
“One of the challenges of skateboarding is finding instructors who have the skill set,” Kopf said. “Project Lifelong is just the perfect fit for it.”
Saigeon is happy with what the city staff can offer, too. They’ve contacted thousands of people who had used the skate park or taken part in other city recreation programs to let them know about the upcoming sessions.
The collaboration could expand further to include camps and clinics, as the year goes on.
That possibility excites Saigeon, who has gone from an uninspired skateboarder to a full-throated evangelist.
“There’s just different ways for us to be able to connect with kids,” he said. “Ultimately, that’s what it’s about.”
This story was originally published December 29, 2024 at 3:00 AM.
