Page 6 - MidWeek West - Sep 7 2022

6 SEPTEMBER 7, 2022
Former Hurricane Supports Skateboarding Youth At Parks
BY KYLE GALDEIRA
Coty Tenorio recalls getting into skateboarding when he was 12 years old. When his son, Ezyres, decided to take up the sport, Tenorio was motivated to pursue his dream and start a company for the both of them.
As the owner and founder of EZ Skate Co., Tenorio, 34, named his business after his now 8-year-old son, utilizing the first two letters of Ezyres’ first name. The Kapolei High School grad started the “100% core skateboarding brand” to sell skateboarding decks, grip tape, hats, shirts and accesso- ries, while also sponsoring an EZ Grom Squad to highlight promising youth skaters. He also started providing lights at skate parks so participants of all ages could enjoy the sport even after the sun goes down.
“I first started lighting up the skate parks for my son because I pick him up on Wednesdays and when we finish homework it’s already dinner time and we barely skateboard,” Tenorio says. “Going out at night to skate is very convenient for us. We started lighting up Mililani Skate Park and people would just show up and start skating. Next thing you know a bunch of kids of all ages and families started to show up to skate.
(Above) Ezyres Tenorio does a backside 180 at an area skate park.
ANTHONY CONSILLIO PHOTO
(Right) Ezyres receives coaching and support from his dad, Coty, who’s the founder of EZ Skate Co., a skateboarding brand that sponsors young skaters (below left). PHOTOS COURTESY COTY TENORIO
“They all kept asking when the next day I could light up the park, so I made a set day to light up Mililani Skate Park on Mondays and Kapolei Skate Park on Wednesdays. That’s how our journey began: the community comes together and supports the youth and up-and-coming skaters. My business helps the community because it provides an outlet for our youth to skateboard at night versus making bad decisions while partying, possibly doing drugs and getting into trouble. Lighting up the skate parks, I believe, is saving lives and mo- tivating people to skateboard.”
up tent or sometimes from his Jeep to help defray costs. He also lights up parks across the island for certain skateboarding events and memorial tributes.
“What motivated me to help was that Mililani Skate Park already has pillars for the
lights and a power box,” he
says. “The lights were in the
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Current Wahiawā resident Tenorio has purchased his own generator and more than 500 feet of string LED lights, in- dependent lights, tripods, cords and accessories. It costs him approximately $30 per month in gas and $75 to service his generator after every 100 hours it’s used.
plan but never got finished after someone complained at a board meeting. Meanwhile, the lights in the baseball and football fields are on while nobody is occupying them. Same goes for the tennis courts.
Tenorio sells his products whenever possible out of a pop-
“We have created a culture since then and it’s elevated skateboarding a lot. The kids are hyped and so are their parents. They are happy the kids want to be productive in- stead of playing video games or going out and partying.”
Tenorio adds, “I’ve been very consistent in the past two years and barely missed any light-up nights.”
To get permanent lights installed at all public skate parks, Tenorio started a pe- tition on change.org, which has more than 2,500 signa- tures.
For more information, email coty@ezskateco.com.