Skatopia is an Appalachian farm where hardcore skating, punk rock and hillbilly culture collide. Mad-Max style demolition derbies and spontaneous car burning partners with 24/7 skate sessions. Tony Hawk calls Skatopia a ‘rite of passage’ for hardcore skaters. Skatopia’s owner, Brewce Martin, dreamed of a place where he could live and breathe skating, a place where people forget their ‘outside’ lives by diving into high speed insanity. This eighty-eight acre skatepark near Rutland, Ohio is owned and operated by pro skater Brewce Martin. For almost 20 years its been known for its anarchist atmosphere and annual skate and music festivals ‘Bowl Bash’ and ‘Backwoods Blowout.’ Heavy metal and punk bands from Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia, play at the barn that is the center of activity. On one side, there’s a stage, and the other, a deep bowl for skating that’s known either as the ‘Epcot Bean’ or the ‘Punisher.’ One week before Bowl Bash XIV, Martin was severely injured by an explosion at a local tire shop which put him in an extended coma. Since the injury things at Skatopia have settled down a little, signs appeared cracking down on the use of heavy explosives and discharging firearms and he has also discouraged the burning of cars. Martin’s son Brandon is an anarchist, and a proponent of ‘Natural Law’ – which operates on the idea that people can work together to figure out whats best for themselves without a state based authority setting the rules. As for Skatopia’s future, Brandon wants to invite speakers to share his anarchist philosophy. Skatopia is for those who wish to live the way they want without feeling trapped by todays modern society.
