These longboarders ripped down Knox at speeds of up to 90 km/h

Competition was underway at Knox Mountain this weekend as a downhill longboarding event drew in riders and spectators alike.

Organized by the Kamloops Longboarding Club, the event was held without as much hassle as similar events in the past, with the recent legalization of longboard riding along roadways.

“The City of Kelowna has been great to deal with, especially the outdoor events department who helped get this event going,” organizer David Befus told Kelowna10. “Kelowna has a history in downhill longboarding with the Sky Lands Downhill event that we used to have.”

The competition was fierce, and he said all the participants are incredibly dedicated to the sport, with some of the riders competing at a World Cup level.

“They’re looking to go international after the results of this race. These people are training weekly, skating open roads, closed roads,” he explained. “It’s a lot of different skating communities coming and putting their collective experience together to tackle a hill like this.”

Befus mentioned that riders have been hitting speeds of up to 90 km/h as they rip down the mountain road.

Among the many longboarders was Mike Fitter, who was happy to participate in the event.

“It’s exciting to be here, it’s a beautiful location where we’ve got this beautiful scenery here,” Fitter said. “The Kamloops Longboard Club has worked really hard to put this event on.”

He said he is mostly there to have fun and isn’t ranked to be able to qualify for the World Roller Games but still wanted to try his best to place in a decent position.

Befus believes there has been a bit of a resurgence of longboarding in Kelowna and hopes for more events in the future.

“With the success of Knox Mountain downhill, we’re only looking to grow on top of that,” he said.