• 23May
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Certified Skateboard Commercial from Pete Chiaramonte on Vimeo.

Well, Well, Well…. My how times have changed. When I was on a skateboard and BMX bike in my teen years, most my peers in high school were busy chasing the normal things: girls, cash, and driver’s licenses. I know for a fact, skating, bmx, and other street sports (ie, white-boy sports) was NOT cool… NO. It was NOT cool.

Enter today’s youth.. kids, or rather young adults, like Jon Lodge. An east coast native and recent college graduate, Jon is responsible for much of the progress seen in Newark regarding youth appreciation for skateboarding. Of course, there were SOME skaters here long before Jon assisted in building Newark’s only skatepark located at Avon avenue, however, since then the growth of urban sporting here in Newark has grown tremendously.

Owner of skateboard brand, CERTIFIED SKATEBOARDS, Jon is now making huge strides in business and community efforts to create local, round-the-clock, skating centers for the children and avid skaters in the area. Currently, in the works is a 30,000 sq ft warehouse to be fully outfitted for a recreation center, to be designed in conjunction with NJIT’s Senior Thesis projects, The Kevin Ng Capstone Showcase.

With all that seems currently possible for Newark, especially with $100 million donations (Thanks Mark), stories like Mr. Lodge’s are critically aimed at continuing the wave that has been set in place within Newark’s persistent drive to create a greater Newark.

See you at the top my man =) RESPECT.