One of a kind skateboard museum opens in Saskatoon

Saturday was opening day for a new museum in Saskatoon dedicated for skateboards.

Bruce Tucker is a mainstay in Saskatoon’s skateboarding community. A collector of boards for as long as he can remember, it only made sense for him to open a museum in the city.

“Back in the 80s, the boards like, nobody wanted them,” he said. “You wanted the newer, 90s, the skinnier board or whatever, so everyone was just giving them away or throwing them out.”

The museum is located where one of the original skateparks in Saskatoon existed, and news articles from the 80s and 90s line the walls, showcasing skate boarding’s history and culture in the community.

Jason Belhumeur helped procure some of the boards displayed, many original pieces and some that are limited editions. As many as 60 boards hang in the museum, which comes complete with a mini ramp- an homage to the original park.

“Skateboarding is very meaningful for a lot of these people that come back and see this nostalgic stuff hanging on the walls, and there’s stories behind all of these pieces,” said Belhumeur.

Local skaters say it’s important for the community to see the Saskatoon’s skating roots, and to preserve its history.

“Some of this stuff would just be like, rotting away in some grandparent’s garage or like, I don’t know, gone forever,” said Riley Duggan.

Both Tucker and Belhumeur are using the opening of the museum to advocate for a new indoor skate park. Belhumeur has acted as a mentor for youth in the past and says a new park would help get vulnerable youth off the streets.

“It’s not only a skateboard park, but (also) a youth centre,” said Belhumeur. “It can be utilized for educational purposes and just keep the community together in a positive atmosphere.”

For now, the museum acts a love letter from Tucker to the skateboarding community, and all are welcome to take in the nostalgia.

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