Calgary Journal Online

Skaters traverse more than difficult terrain

Aaron Enevoldsen, 22, tested his physical limits when he longboarded across the treacherous terrain and high altitudes of South America. Enevoldsen wrestled with unhealed injuries, fatigue, dehydration and altitude sickness.

“It’s about fulfilling life and being adventurous,” Enevoldsen says. “It’s about finding out who you are in different situations.” Enevoldsen, a self-described “electric bike repairman and broke musician” works part time at a local produce market to pay for his new passion — longboarding.

Enevoldsen has been longboarding for about 18 months. Longboarding is a sport described as modified skateboarding. A longboard is a longer skateboard fitted with specialised wheels that allow riders a smoother ride through various terrains.

Calgarian Aaron Enevoldsen plans to slide across the roads of Morocco on an epic longboard trek while fundraising for a local charity.

Photo: Holly Hofmann/Calgary Journal

Kent says that a longboard offers riders more stability and is a better method of transportation in comparison to traditional skateboards.

Enevoldsen, Kent and Adam Colton (who is the world’s most celebrated freestyle longboard rider) operate under Long Treks on Skate Decks, a self-established longboard community. The trio is in Morocco on a two-month trek that began on April 13.

Their previous trek covered 2,400 km in South America and took 36 days to complete.

This time around, it is not only about the adventure but also about helping out others. They will be raising money for Art à la Carte, an organization that provides cancer patients their choice of art in hospital rooms.

Debbie Baylin, executive director of Art à la Carte, says this trek is a great opportunity for longboarding fans to learn about philanthropy.

“Aaron’s background and sensitivity has geared him towards contributing back to the community,” Baylin says.

The boarders will be raising one dollar for each km they ride on the 2,500 km trek. Enevoldsen promises that photographs from the trip will be provided to Art à la Carte.

Plans are also underway for a skate-a-thon to be held in Calgary in August to raise money for Art à la Carte.

Baylin says that through the longboarders, a new demographic of youth are being introduced to giving back to the community.

“It’s great,” says Enevoldsen.  “We have an opportunity to do what we want to do and fundraise for others as well. It’s what sets us apart.”

Enevoldsen says that the team will also be creating a documentary of their trip and are bringing six cameras to get the footage.

Kent aims to display their documentary in various film festivals including the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival. A three-and-a-half minute teaser of their South American trek is on their website, www.longtreksonskatedecks.com.

“We want people to really follow the trip” Enevoldsen says. “We want to convey our experiences for everyone.”

For Kent, this trip will be more emotional, as he will be capping it off by getting married in Morocco to his long-time girlfriend, Rachel.

He says, “We’ll be going on two months without seeing each other, (and when I do see her next) she’ll be walking down the aisle.”

Kent says that the team will be carrying a satellite tracker so that fans can track their positions in real time. This is in addition to the 13.5-18 kilograms of camera equipment, food and water that they will be hauling.

During their South America trip, necessities such as toothpaste, an extra wheel, an ankle bracelet, bearings and a vocabulary book were among the objects thrown out in order to lighten the load.

But that’s not the only challenge the trio expect to face in Morocco.

Both Kent and Enevoldsen are concerned about water conservation on the trip, especially as they cross the Sahara desert and Morocco’s small mountain ranges.

Morocco’s tough geography is not limited to its rural areas, as Enevoldsen points out that it also has five major cities where heavy traffic comes from both cars and camels.

Despite the daunting physical challenges that will face him in Morocco, Enevoldsen is optimistic: “I enjoy being submerged in a culture that I am not used to — it’s really humbling. And longboarding gives me a way to do it.”