Cool Calgary: Skateboard zine for new skateparks

Not all public art involves giant blue rings.

As part of the city's expansion of skateparks, it's commissioned two local artists, Eric Moschopedis and Mia Rushton, to create a zine a shortened take on magazinethat will feature illustrations and stories of Calgary skateboarders.

• New skateboard parks coming to Calgary neighbourhoods

"Early skateboarding culture used a lot of zines and it was a way of just disseminating or sharing information among skateboarders," said Moschopedis.

"It was also part of punk and the DIY scene, so it has a long history and we're kind of borrowing that aesthetic."

Calgary Eyeopener3:42Cool Calgary: Skateboard Zine

This week in our Cool Calgary series, Danielle Nerman profiles a project that's using art to break the stereotypes surrounding skateboarders in Calgary.

The finished zines will be delivered to mailboxes incommunities where the new parks are being installedChinook Park-Kelvin Grove-Eagle Ridge (CKE), Southwood and Huntington Hills.

Dispelling myths

Skateboarderswho want to be featured must submit a selfie and fill out a questionnaire.

"The questions are prettysilly, actually," said Moschopedis.

"Some of them are seriouslike, 'What's your worst injury,' and, you know, people have broken ankles or hurt their back really bad or hit their heads and had concussions or whatever itmight be. Some of them are funnylike, 'Who do you like better, your grandma or your grandpa?'"

The two artists say they're approaching 50 submissions already, with a few trickling in each day, and there are people from all walks of life.

"We wanted to kind of have a way to profile all of the diversity of users of the parks, and kind of dispel some of the myths about who a skateboard park user is," said Rushton.

"And that it's not just teenagers who are maybe going to spray paint their garage," adds Moschopedis.

If you're a skater and want to be featured in the project, head to ericandmia.ca/skateparks.

This summer, the Calgary Eyeopener is featuring people contributing to the "cool factor" of our city.If you know someone who is making Calgary cool, send an email to eyeopener@cbc.ca