Gnarliest Gathering

By Michael Hodock, The Paper. – As North America’s biggest powwow stages its “last dance,” one of Burque’s highest flying events might also be reaching its pinnacle. This Saturday at Los Altos Skatepark (10140 ½ Lomas Blvd. NE), The All Nations Skate Jam is rounding up the city’s sickest skaters and most provocative punkers to say a heartfelt – and very loud – goodbye to a New Mexico legacy. But hopefully it won’t be the last skatepark shredfest.

“I’m not going to make the decision if this is the last one or not. I even hope that the powwow is not going to end,” Co-founder and Organizer Todd Harder says. “If some kid from the reservation or somewhere in Albuquerque writes you a letter to thank you, that’s when you get paid back, you know? You sit there in tears, and that’s worth more than gold. You can be totally worn out, and [if] one little guy or one little girl comes up and says, ‘I’m gonna win next year,” then I guess we gotta do it again.”

Harder hosted the inaugural event 20 years ago, and besides a brief break during COVID, he’s thrown the party every year to coincide with The Gathering of Nations. During that time, Harder has invited some legendary guests to visit and skate Burque: pros such as old-school skateboarding innovator Tony Alva of the original Zephyr Competitive Skateboarding team – notoriously known as the Z-Boys. And to close out the final Gathering in style, Harder is rolling with serious skateboarding royalty. Harder’s close friend and co-founder of the All Nations Skate Jam Bill “The American Nomad” Danforth and Christian Hosoi – architect of the legendary aerial skateboarding trick known as “Christ Air” – will be along for the ride.

If you were around in the ‘70s, watched Hosoi soar above vert ramps in the ‘80s or are familiar with Danforth’s history in the music scene, then you know punk culture and skateboarding often go hand in hand. Saturday’s jam will need a proper soundtrack to accentuate the event’s multi-generational atmosphere while paying homage to the old days. Starting around 11 a.m. you can catch live performances from El Paso’s The Car Bombs and La Chapuza, Albuquerque’s Intentional Misuse, Racist Cop, Roadside Memorial and Negative Order, and from the land of lowriders, the Ass Souls from Espanola.

For info, old photos and more, check out the All Nations Skate Jam on Instagram and Facebook or cruise their website at allnationsskatejam.com.