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Public skateboarding festival comes to Pine Ridge and Sioux Falls

Levitt at the Falls

The interviews posted above are from SDPB's daily public-affairs show, In the Moment, hosted by Lori Walsh.

A free skateboarding festival is coming to Pine Ridge and Sioux Falls next week.

Innoskate celebrates skate culture with music, professional skaters, and plenty of opportunities to try a kickflip.

The festival kicks off in Pine Ridge on Tuesday.

Kyle Mesteth started Ground Control Skate Park — the site for the opening days of the festival. He said skateboarding provides a creative outlet accessible to everyone on the reservation.

"It's really like a personal battle almost. You think something — like, 'I can do this. I could maybe kickflip this board,' — but you got to think it before you do it. You got to believe you can do it," said Mesteth.

The festival then heads east to Sioux Falls and will run from Thursday through Saturday. The city will feature a temporary skate park on Phillips Avenue for both pros and novice skaters.

But Innoskate will have something for everyone, even if you're not a skater.

A skate deck art exhibit is already on display at Rehfeld's Art and Framing in Sioux Falls — showcasing the artistic side of Skateboard culture.

The event is a partnership between Sioux Falls' Levitt at the Falls, the Smithsonian Institution, and USA Skateboarding.

Learn more about the Pine Ridge festivities hereclick here for Sioux Falls events.

Watch a recap of Innoskate's 2019 festival in London to get a taste of what you will find next week.

Joshua is the business and economics reporter with SDPB News.
Lori Walsh is the host and senior producer of In the Moment.
Carl Norquist is a producer and writer for In the Moment. An EMMY-winning producer, Carl previously worked for KTIV News 4 in Sioux City, IA. Carl is a Minnesota native and graduate of Augustana University with majors in Art and English.