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Pro skateboarder will use his skills to minister to Zephyrhills kids

By Ebony Windom, Times Correspondent
In print: Wednesday, September 17, 2008

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ZEPHYRHILLS — Pro skateboarder Richard Mulder is known for his high jumps and wicked stunts. Now the 30-something is also a buttoned-up financial analyst by day — but his dedication to the sport has taken a new form.

Mulder of California now uses his skateboarding skills as a way to minister to young people, and he has visited about 19 countries so far. His next stop is in Zephyrhills on Friday.

The two-day event will feature Mulder and other skateboarders and is sponsored by three local groups: the city of Zephyrhills, the Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce and the Zephyrhills Wesley Chapel Ministerial Association.

Skateboarding has been the topic of some criticism and debate among city officials and young skateboarders in Zephyrhills. Although the city's downtown area is off limits to the sport, kids still zip up and down sidewalks on their boards.

And others forgo safety helmets at the city's skate park at Krusen Field, even though they could be slapped with a ticket.

"For the young kids that skateboard, pain is part of the reward. (Skateboarding is) like an extreme sport," said the Rev. Paul Burdick, an event organizer.

Mulder is a bad-boy skateboarder turned Christian speaker who now uses skateboarding as his personal ministry, says Burdick, who has never met Mulder.

Organizers want to use Mulder to reach youngsters with a message of "safety, responsibility and being a good citizen," said the Rev. Tim Mitchell, a Zephyrhills pastor and president of the Zephyrhills Wesley Chapel Ministerial Association.

"We're hoping that if (people) hear (the message of safety) from somebody in the (skateboarding) culture — instead of a police officer or mayor — they'd be more apt to listen and take the person's advice. Hopefully, this is more of a solution than a Band-Aid on the problem."

The event will kick off with a free luncheon at 11:30 a.m. on Friday at Zephyrhills Wesleyan Church. Kids will be in school that day, so Mulder will chat with teachers, police officers, parents and anyone else who is interested.

On Saturday, Mulder and a Fort Lauderdale-based skateboarding group will show off fancy wheel work at Krusen Field from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The public will have a chance to compete in a "skateboard Olympics" for a chance to win prizes, such as a new skateboard.