Social causes and alternate forms of transportation are common in Santa Monica, so it should be no surprise that the two have fused in the fifth annual Skate the Coast on Saturday.
The event, which will stretch from the Santa Monica Pier to Redondo Beach, is organized by Board for Breast Cancer, a Los Angeles-based youth organization that tries to do more than simply raise awareness about the disease.
“It’s about changing the mindset from awareness to prevention,” said Erika Seward, director of development at Board for Breast Cancer. “Being your own advocate for health is what we’re really all about.”
The organization creates events that are built around skateboards, surfboards and snowboards, providing a youthful counterpart to other awareness walks and marathons, she said.
Participants in Skate the Coast will meet at the Santa Monica Pier and set off at 11 a.m., travel down the Santa Monica Bay and end up in Redondo Beach between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The choice to travel from pier to pier was easy for an organization that promotes healthy living, Seward said.
“We thought it made the most sense with the beach lifestyle that is there,” she said.
Although skateboards are the primary form of transportation for the event, bicycles and roller-skates are not unheard of, Seward said.
The 18 mile coast-wide ride concludes at the newly opened Wahoo’s Fish Tacos at Redondo Beach Rivera Plaza, at a post-skate party featuring live bands and fundraising raffles, not to mention free tacos for the first 200 people to arrive, she said.
Registration for Skate the Coast is open online (http://b4bc.org/), but a registration pre-event party is scheduled to take place at the ZJ Boarding House on Main St. from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. today.
Registration costs $25, which includes a sponsor goodie bag, an event T-shirt and a free meal courtesy of Wahoo’s Fish Tacos.
Board for Breast Cancer estimates that over 200 people will participate in the event.
