Enlarge A skater grabs some air during Battle Slam Jam on Aug. 22. Photo by James Willamor.

Posted: August 25th, 2009 James Willamor

Art, music, and skating were showcased Saturday (Aug. 22) during the
fourth annual Battle Slam Jam. The event, held at Charlotte’s Grayson
Skate Park, drew participants from as far away as Atlanta.

Several hundred skateboarders, artists, musicians, and spectators
turned out despite the heat for athletic and talent competitions.

DJs provided a beat while skateboarders competed in groups from
beginner to advanced. Musical acts ranged from rap to hip-hop and punk
as several local and regional bands performed during open skate
sessions. Local acts included Pradigy GT, Capital Ill and Kid
Monsterz, Rekless Youth, and IllValleyHi from Atlanta.

Click here for more photos

Battle Slam Jam brought together a diverse group that included all
ages. Some of Battle Slam Jam’s goals are to “unite communities,
engage youth with activities they are excited about, and provide a
safe environment in which to encourage mutual respect and spark future
cross-cultural collaboration.”

In addition to skateboarding and music, the event also included a
graffiti wall, and booths selling refreshments, clothing, art, and
more.

Among the booths at the event was by Crossroads Charlotte. A board
requested passerby’s to use a Post-It note to answer the question, “In
one word, what can you do to create a better Charlotte?” Answers
included trust, diversity, communication, green, and family.

In between musical acts, poet and actor Quentin Talley would take some
of the one-word responses and create a poem with them.

Battle Slam Jam succeeded in more than just providing good music and
skateboarding competition – it succeeded in providing a forum for
diverse communities and ages to come together to play, share, and
learn.

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