JARED LEE
SKATEBOARDING, COMMUNITY &
MOVING THE NEEDLE FORWARD
PHOTO: LUKE SUTTON
We sat down with Jared Lee of Maggie Valley, to discuss
growing up in Haywood County, his skateboarding
career, and how he and others were able to get funding
for the Waynesville Skatepark. What is printed is only a
snapshot of what was discussed,
so we encourage you to scan the code
and watch the full interview!
Moxxie: So what was it like growing up in Haywood County?
Jared: I had a great upbringing and just hung out with friends,
rode bikes, hung out in town, played sports and eventually found
skateboarding. Everything kind of changed after that.
Moxxie: You started skating at 13 years old and got picked up by a
team at some point. How did that happen and what was that like?
Jared: I was midway through high school when I got picked up.
There was an older skater in Waynesville who mentored me and
was asked to join a team out of Atlanta. When they came through
town to pick him up in the van, he told them about me and asked
if I could join. On that trip I built relationships and they eventually
asked me to join, too. As soon as I graduated high school, I got to
go on a summer tour, which as a skateboarder, is the dream.
Moxxie: This trip took you around the world. Where did you go?
Jared: Spain and England multiple times. Ecuador, Fiji, Canada,
a grip of other places as well. Barcelona really is the skateboarding
Mecca. It’s a different mentality over there. They’re not worried
about getting sued and are into the art of building stuff. Skaters
can play right into that atmosphere. It’s fantastic - especially when
you come from a small town or any place in America where,
whether you’re a delinquent or not, you’re used to as a skateboarder,
being treated like one and being run off from every place.
Moxxie: You’re the main reason that the Waynesville skatepark is
here, correct?
Jared: Myself, along with many other people working together. A
lot of it started with my mom saying, “if you really want this to
happen, you can sit around and complain about it to your friends
all day long or you can go to town meetings and continue to show
up. They cannot ignore somebody who constantly shows up,
especially when you start showing up in numbers.” I was there
since day one, advocating and pushing, knowing that this was
going to be a good thing for Waynesville.
Moxxie: That’s great advice from your mom! How old were you
when you attended your first town meeting?
Jared: Ninth Grade.
Moxxie: What was that process like?
Jared: It was frustrating. You sit through many two-hour meetings
where everyone has two minutes to speak about what they feel
is needed. Over time we built momentum and other people and
community leaders start taking interest and speaking for us as well.
I learned a lot, and I feel super blessed now that I get to share those
lessons with other people when they come to town and are curious
as to why we have a skate park and their community doesn’t.
Moxxie: Why did you feel it was important for Haywood to have
a dedicated space for skaters within the community?
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PHOTO: LUKE SUTTON
Interviewed by: Molly Boyce