He rediscovered his love of skateboarding during the pandemic – and made a difference in his community
When Remi Korent (pictured above) took up skateboarding again as a means of passing the time away and staying active at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, he had no idea what path it would ultimately take him down.
The Calgary-based broker and owner of Rock Solid Mortgages had fallen out of practice since being an avid skateboarder in high school, but he decided to pick up the board again as lockdowns and remote working arrangements took hold across the country in the first quarter of 2020.
That step coincided with a brainwave that allowed him to indulge his passion for the pastime while also making a difference in his local community and encouraging others to step outside their front door and learn the joys of skateboarding.
Having been put in contact with the owner of a small local company that makes skateboards, Korent decided to emblazon his company logo on several boards before launching a host of giveaways – donating to contests, local skate parks and budding skateboarders at no cost.
The initiative has blossomed since then, with Korent giving away around 50 boards last year and also launching hats and t-shirts bearing the logo. He told Canadian Mortgage Professional that making the products available for free was important to him as a skateboarding enthusiast who knows that many families and children can’t afford the luxury of paying full price for a board.
Read next: Hot List 2021
“That’s kind of where it all came from: I have a deep love for skateboarding, and I also like to help people out,” he said. “I know that a lot of kids’ parents can’t afford a $50 or $60 skateboard, so every little helps.”
Korent’s endeavours this year included sponsoring skate contests by giving away boards, shirts, hats and other prizes to participants, with donations of boards, Fitbits and gift packages to silent auctions also made through the skating initiative.
Plans are afoot to host a skate park day in the spring featuring merchandise and sticker giveaways, with Korent keen to encourage the growth of an activity he says has proven an excellent workout for body and mind throughout the challenges of lockdowns and travel restrictions during the pandemic.
“I think it’s a good pastime or hobby to get people interested in because it’s good for the health, gets you outside and gives you a chance to exercise,” he said. “It’s really good to connect with people you haven’t seen in a while, and it is a good workout.”
While the philanthropy is mainly aimed at allowing Korent to make a difference through one of his main pastimes, it’s also served as an effective marketing and branding tool, with the broker having recently generated a lead through giving away a board.
Meanwhile, the brand has risen in stature in recent months, with Korent enlisting a graphic designer friend (and fellow skateboarder) to assist with creating logos on hats, t-shirts and boards that have proven a huge hit.
Read next: Remi Korent, Mortgage broker Rock, Solid Mortgages
“It’s just kind of blossomed from something small into a big thing,” he said. “I’ve had people talk to me on Instagram and ask if they can work for the brand. I said, ‘There’s no brand. We’re just giving stuff away.’”
The decision to make the initial order of branded skateboards shortly after rediscovering his love for the pastime has clearly been an inspired one for Korent.
“I got [the boards] made around August last year. There’s a bit of lead time because they have to design them, they get shipped and then they press them – it takes around three months, so I didn’t get them for a while, but I gave them all away,” he said. “I still have a couple on my wall and whatnot – but it’s been two full seasons.”
Korent’s taken a break from skateboarding for the past couple of months – mainly because of the physical nature, and aches and scrapes garnered along the way. Still, he has big plans in the works for the brand and charitable donations, not to mention his “skate or die” philosophy, as 2022 rolls into view.
“Next year, big stuff’s [on the way]. Through my brokerage, we have our own charity and donate money in that sense,” he said, “but I feel like this is more boots-on-the-ground; it has a more direct impact.”
