The Skateboard Coalition of Manitoba is an advocacy group primarily focused on the advancement and acceptance of the culture and community of skateboarders in Manitoba.

The Coalition will work with service agencies, community groups, businesses and local governments to educate, inform, program and promote the community of skateboarding.

The Coalition will act as a unified voice for skateboarders in the province of Manitoba, working with its members and communities to advocate for appropriate skateboard friendly environments.

The Coalition will work to create and maintain strategic partnerships with national and other regional associations to provide opportunities, funding and appropriate community based links to unify the community of skateboarding.

Board of Directors:

Bill Acheson – is by day, a graphic designer – by night, traveling the world filming and photographing at legendary skatespots. Bill is an active sponsored skater that continues to push the limits of skating while actively supporting the day to day efforts of the coalition with his graphic design abilities. Bill is the acting spokesperson for the Coalition.

Mark Berndt

Phillip Bshouty - has been actively involved in skateboarding for the past 16 years. For the last couple of summers Phillip has been managing the Muskoka Woods Skateboard camp in Ontario.  He is also very involved with the Edge skatepark and has been  studying as an accounting student for the past 4 years.

Jacqui Compayre – brings with her a tremendous amount of energy and desire to do more for skateboarding in this Province. In her role at the Edge Skatepark, and more recently in the organization of the Chicks Flip Out contest 2008, she has continued to work and skate hard to increase the exposure of female skaters.

Darren Haugen – comes to the Coalition via Alberta where he started skating in the mid 80’s. His enthusiasm for learning about the history of skateboarding in Manitoba has been well documented on his website WinnipegSkateparks.com, as he helped create to provide a conduit to help bring the Skate Community together. The unsaid title of Skate Historian is not without merit, things that he has assembled about skateboarding in Manitoba is remarkable.

Cliff Heide – runs the Edge Skatepark, on top of which he works closely with every event that happens in and around the City of Winnipeg. Skating for numerous years, he has been able to travel around the continent visiting other Cities and understanding their local skate communities but hasn’t left and still believes in the strength of Manitoba’s scene. Cliff is the acting treasurer of the Board.

Steve Hildebrand – has been promoting and participating in skateboarding in Portage La Prairie for, well, a few years now. Helping create the Platform skatepark and now the Platform Skateshop, Steve is an active and positive member of the Board providing invaluable information about our Provincial members outside of Winnipeg.

Jason Kun – was one of the original SK8 team members. Jason works in an architectural office when not skating and brings both a background in building development and organizational skills and also a desire to make the Province a better place to skate than when he was originally sponsored. Jason is a new Dad and still manages to find time to be the acting chair for the coalition.

Derek Kun - was a member of the original SK8 team. Derek has been skateboarding for over 25 years despite the numerous broken bones and extensive surgical repair to his battered body. He has been an advocate for skateboarding throughout Manitoba and is regularly involved in events around the city of Winnipeg. When he is not skateboarding he is heavily involved in music, and finishing his Bachelor of Education degree.

Cam Nikkel – has skated for over 20 years in Winnipeg and brings with him a tremendous amount of enthusiasm and ability to deliver in his support of all aspects of the Skateboard Coalition’s mandate. With his history in photography and owning the sweetest car out of all the Coalition’s membership, Cam has played an important role on many of the special projects to date.

Bob Somers - has been a skater for over 20 years and still going despite his knees advising him to slow down. Over the last 8 years as a Landscape Architect he has been actively involved with the skate community both as a volunteer and professionally for the last 5 years assisting in the development of many skateparks around the City, including The Plaza @ The Forks, Skatepark West and Michael Komenda Memorial Skatepark. Bob is one of the founding members of the Coalition.