Montreal, March 15, 2023 – The Montreal-based JACKALOPE festival, which has taken over the city’s Olympic Park Esplanade in late summer for the past 10 years, will be making its first foray into the United States in a few days’ time. JACKALOPE’s American adventure will start March 24 in Venice Beach, CA, as Chad Caruso begins his cross-country skateboard ride, bound for the first edition of JACKALOPE in Virginia Beach, VA. The event promises to be quite different from its Montreal counterpart, as the main venue for all competitions will be the beach at Neptune’s Park.
“JACKALOPE is the largest event of its kind in Canada. By bringing our concept to Virginia Beach, we become the only event of its kind to operate on both sides of the border,” says Micah Desforges, founder and president of TRIBU, which produces JACKALOPE.
JACKALOPE Montreal will take place from August 25 to 27 and the official program will be unveiled in June.
CHAD CARUSO’S CHALLENGE
Chad Caruso, a skateboarder from Long Island, NY, will soon be rolling across the United States from the West Coast to the East, raising money for addiction awareness among youth. He’ll set out from Venice Beach, CA, and ride 4,830 km (3000 miles), arriving in Virginia Beach in time for the brand new edition of JACKALOPE. Chad is embarking on this journey to celebrate the fact that skateboarding set him back on the right path in life after a rough patch. He’s been sober for six years now, and is eager to send out a positive message of hope. He’s chosen skateboarding as the channel to convey that message because it’s what paved his way to redemption. Starting March 24, Chad will spend two months on his cross-country odyssey, hoping to rally people to the cause he’s supporting. A full 25% of funds raised will go to Natural High, a drug prevention nonprofit.
“This collaboration between Chad and JACKALOPE is a natural fit. Our strength lies in creating opportunities that bring communities together and we’re all about adrenaline-filled experiences,” adds Micah Desforges, founder and president of TRIBU, which produces JACKALOPE. “We’ll be celebrating the end of his epic ride in Virginia Beach, where we’ll experience a new version of JACKALOPE that switches up our usual urban plaza for the Atlantic shoreline. By the way, all Montreal fans of JACKALOPE are invited to come join us there!”
JACKALOPE VIRGINIA BEACH PROGRAM
From June 2 to 4, members of the public are invited to watch street skateboard, bouldering, base jump, skimboard, freestyle motocross and beach volleyball competitions featuring hundreds of thrill-hungry athletes, all free of charge! And to set the bar even higher, none other than Tony Hawk and his crew will be giving an off-the-chain demo on the evening of June 3. Other luminaries besides the living legend of skate will also be there, including Mitchie Brusko, Collin Graham, Reese Nelson, Tom Schaar, Elliot Sloan, Bucky Lasek and more.
In addition, Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer recently announced that with the arrival of JACKALOPE, the Neptune’s Park boardwalk will now be accessible to skateboarders.
“We’re thrilled about JACKALOPE making its U.S. debut in Virginia Beach and look forward to all the excitement it brings along with it,” said Nancy Helman, Director of the Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Our city not only has the best weather this time of year but has an amazing collection of hotels, restaurants and activities for visitors coming to be a part of the action. We know you’ll have a great time, and we look forward to hosting an amazing event that spotlights the energy brewing in our seaside city.”
JACKALOPE Virginia Beach is powered by Gel Blaster, Coastal Edge, iFly VA Beach, Irish Apple, Chesapeake Bay Distillery and Twisted Tea. Competition sponsors include p1440, Send It Climbing Gym, Skim USA and World Cup Skateboarding. The event is presented by invitation of the city of Virginia Beach and is an initiative of TRIBU. For more information: jackalope.tribu.co/virginia-beach/
ABOUT
TRIBU builds solid relationships thanks to the power of adrenaline. It helps organizations forge stronger ties with young people and adults who are young at heart by creating daring, integrated experiences that get the adrenaline flowing and make indelible memories. TRIBU is making sure that its generation will always have ways to have fun, celebrate and get inspired. www.tribu.co
VIRGINIA BEACH, one of Virginia’s most populous cities, resides where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. The city is home to 35 miles of sandy beaches, a flourishing culinary and craft beer scene, rich history, a variety of arts and entertainment and family-friendly attractions that keep visitors entertained year-round. For more Virginia Beach information, including new attractions and experiences, or to plan your next trip, visit www.visitvirginiabeach.com.
CONTACT: Véronique Lavoie, Media Relations, 514 554-2161, info@veroniquelavoie.com
