Two college-educated, highly driven individuals who also happen to be long-time skaters, are stepping up for the Wichita skating community.

Wichita State students Cory Whitlock and Jake Williams have founded the Wichita Skateboarding Society (WSS), a club that aims to earn respect and notoriety from the community of Wichita, as well as the national skating community.

“The skate scene in Wichita goes up and down as new [skate] shops open and close,” Whitlock said. “Kids are affected by the lack of support and opportunity.”

Whitlock, a junior and lifelong skater, is already noticing a surge in local support. About 50 skaters represented the club during Wichita’s River Festival Parade.

Whitlock said she asked Ann Keefer, vice president of Wichita Festivals about renting a booth during Riverfest. Keefer insisted that we be in the parade.

“And later, people were telling us we had one of the best responses in the parade,” Whitlock said.

The WSS gained some recognition on the national level by securing sponsorships from Red Bull and Arnette Sunglasses.

For the skating pair, this is a great start. Whitlock and Williams aim to gain a national reputation for putting on great competitions and events. Whitlock said that the club is “all about the kids.”

He acknowledges the local talent and knows the difficulties local skaters face in traveling to compete in major competitions.

“There are kids here who are good enough to earn sponsorships and compete, but no one knows they’re out here because there aren’t competitions to showcase them,” Whitlock said.

He said he wants to hold quality competitions in Wichita to attract representatives from major sponsors. They need sponsors who recruit young, talented local skaters and give them opportunities to travel and compete.

The already successful skaters are not the club’s only concern. The club aims to provide friendly and safe alternative social environments and events for youth outside of the typical party or bar scenes.

Williams, a 2012 Wichita State graduate, said he hopes to open an office in Wichita, which would allow the club to have an official home and provide opportunities for local skaters.

Williams said he’d like to open a skate shop first and eventually build an indoor skating park.

Williams and Whitlock already have an interested investor and are in the early stages of working out the details and finding a location.

In the meantime, the group is focused on raising money for renovations to Wichita’s Downtown Skate Park, located underneath Kellogg Street between Saint Francis Avenue and Topeka Street. The group said tey believe this shows potential, but that it is incomplete.

The club kicks off its first annual “Bangers Under The Bridge” at the Wichita Downtown Skate Park on Go Skate Day this Friday, June 21.

The competition has two divisions: beginners and advanced.  Prizes will be given to the winners, including cash and skate equipment. 

The club said it wants to start things off in a big way to kick off its future endeavors.  Whitlock and Williams have exciting plans for the Wichita Skate Community, and with such good intentions, they should continue to see support from skaters and community members.