Hello to all of our friends, we are back with more good news! You may have read our most recent blog post about how Jon taught skate camp over the summer at both Waterboyz and Innerlight skate shops in Pensacola.  Instructing young skaters from all over town proved to be a wonderful opportunity to connect with the kids who are the reason Upward Intuition exists!  Due to the success of this summer’s skate camp sessions, Jon has decided to host a local camp for kids ages 6-12 this Fall in partnership with the City of Gulf Breeze.  We are excited to have the opportunity to give back to the city of Gulf Breeze, and for attendees to meet and skate with the members of the newly formed Upward Intuition Skate Team.  This small group of eager and talented kids is our first official team of Youth Ambassadors, working to help represent the organization in the community.

Upward Intuition has a clear and direct mission based on inspiring and empowering the next generations to create change in their own communities.  Jon believes that relating certain core values to skating is an effective way to harness the passion that young people have for the sport while also teaching how these values can support this mission.  So while the kids will receive skateboarding instruction tailored to their particular skill level, they will also get character development, focusing on a new core value every session.

We worked hard to develop a unique way to integrate skateboarding skills with core values, and are excited about a unique opportunity tailored specifically for this camp. Over the course of the season, we will mentor the attendees on how to organize their own skate contest, which they will host the final day of camp on December 12.  The young skaters will be responsible for publicity and marketing, refreshments, as well as participation in the contest. By having the kids coordinate and execute their own event, they will be given the opportunity to apply the core values of service, integrity, cooperation, and perseverance in their own community.  We encourage family and friends to come out and support their contestants in this local effort!

Registration is now open on Eventbrite. Spots are limited to 25 skaters per week.  For questions or inquiries please contact us via email: hello@upwardintuition.org

Upward Intuition Skate Camp Details

Dates: September 12, October 10, November 14, December 12

Time: 9 am – 12 pm

Location: Skatepark @ Gulf Breeze Community Center

Address: 800 Shoreline Drive, Gulf Breeze, Florida 32561

Cost: $25 per session;

register for all 4 sessions and save, discounted rate of $20 per session, total $80 / 4 sessions

*registration fee includes water and snack

We are excited to share an update as we wind down from a busy summer.  These last few months have been busy and exciting for the Upward Intuition organization.  Jon spent thirteen weeks this summer working at Waterboyz instructing their skate camp series.  He also spent four weeks at Innerlight hosting their weekly series of skate camps on Fridays. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with a whole new generation of skaters  – the ones who will grow up enjoying the Blake Doyle Skate Plaza.  Watching them reach their goals and fulfill their potential was inspiring and refreshing.  The work of a new non-profit can be a little tiring, maybe even sometimes a little overwhelming, so working with these students who enjoyed skating in their free time on summer vacation was a much needed breath of fresh air!

In addition to getting to know the kids and meeting their parents who were enthused to learn about our mission, something else very exciting happened.  Jon decided it was time to create a team of young skaters to represent Upward Intuition in the sport.  Integral to the work of UI is replacing the negative stereotype of skaters that has prevailed for decades. With the creation of the Upward Intuition Skate Team, the community will see a class of athletes who encourage and support each other, and appreciate the city they call home.  We are wasting no time getting started as the team will soon begin volunteering at the Innisfree Community Garden as their first project to reinforce our first core value lesson: service.

We are thrilled to have a group of kids who want to serve their community, spread the work we are doing, and raise money to make our the Blake Doyle Community Plaza a reality.  Make sure to Stay tuned to our social media channels for all the latest… we have already heard rumblings among the team for plans of their own with regard to fundraising.  So if you see some of our proud skaters selling lemonade in their #LiveLikeBlake t-shirts, please take the time to support them!   We are confident that in a couple of years we will all be watching them usher in a new group of eager young skaters… in Pensacola’s very own skate park!

Please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube to learn more about the following fundraising events planned for this fall season:

October 24, 2015 – Inaugural Blake Doyle Classic skate contest, Milton Skate Park, 3-8 p.m.  An all ages contest with prizes, live music, local food, vendors and more!

November 7 – Skate-A-Thon Fundraiser at Waterboyz, 9 am – 7:30 pm.  Raise money to skate: the more you raise, the more you skate, and the more prizes you’ll be eligible to win. Additionally prizes will be awarded for the top three skaters who raise the most donations.

When I posted a few days ago about the community plaza I thought there was a chance that it could work. Sitting here now, I fully believe that this will be our reality and I won’t stop until we get there. I can’t tell you how thankful I am for all the support and kind words from everyone. I’m not saying it will be easy and I can guarantee we will face opposition but we can’t let that discourage us. Now’s the time to pace ourselves and start putting one foot in front of the other because it’s going to be a long uphill hike. I’m thinking it’ll be pretty amazing though. Continue reading →