An annual Saint John skateboarding competition for youth will pay tribute to the memory of Isaac Miller, who passed away three years ago at the age of 14.
“At his young age he had two passions: skateboarding and film,” says his father, musician Andrew Miller. “Isaac loved the skate part here, Station One in Saint John.”
A skateboard painted in greyscale by Fredericton-based artist Mila Jones will be permanently displayed in the Saint John’s mayor’s office to honour Isaac and each year’s winner of the Mayor’s Cup skateboarding competition.
The painting sits in a mount crafted by Saint John artist Steve Jones, who uses recycled skateboards in his work.
Along with the art installation, the New Brunswick Film Co-Op will also be hosting a filmmaking workshop on the Mayor’s Cup skateboarding competition itself so that young skaters can learn how to better capture some of their skills and stunts on camera.
“He not only just made films and did photography, but he was quite a rigorous student…he was just always learning something every day,” says Miller.
“The fact that Isaac’s legacy can help kids now learn about the same passion that he had is just amazing. It keeps his memory alive.”
The Mayor’s Cup is held on Canada Day at the Station One skatepark and is hosted by the Canada 150 committee and the City of Saint John in partnership with the Fundy Skateboard Association.
(L to R: Andrew Miller, Steve Jones, Saint John mayor Don Darling and Deanna Musgrave, Isaac Miller’s step-mom)
