World Skateboarding Federation has called for nominations in the first-ever Global Skateboarding Awards to honor those in the skateboarding industry who have made outstanding contributions in the areas of social responsibility, volunteerism and corporate citizenship. The awards will be presented Friday, May 22 at the opening night reception for the 2015 Global Skateboarding Summit in Istanbul, Turkey, where the Federation is headquartered.

Nominees should demonstrate one or more of the following:

  • Social Responsibility – promote youth development and growth through activism within the global skateboarding community. Examples include development of skate parks, educational scholarships for skaters, skate clinics, mentoring programs, etc.
  • Corporate citizenship – efforts to use and promote environmentally friendly manufacturing and production practices.
  • Volunteerism – donating one's time and getting hands on to change lives for the better. Examples include free skate clinics, demos, shoe and skateboard drives, skate park construction, etc.

The GSA's will be presented in the following categories:

  • Brand of the Year
  • Skateboarder of the Year
  • Retailer of the Year
  • Nonprofit Organization of the Year
  • Skate Park of the Year
  • Lifetime Achievement Award

“We're excited to present the Global Skateboarding Awards at the Global Skateboarding Summit in Istanbul. As the first-ever gathering of the global skateboarding industry, it is the perfect place to recognize these philanthropic leaders in the industry who have taken an active role in improving the lives of others,” said Tim McFerran, president of World Skateboarding Federation.

To nominate a company or individual, visit the official nomination page at www.worldskateboardingfederation.org/nominations.

Nominees will be announced April 1, 2015. Online voting begins April 2 and ends April 30. Finalists will be notified on May 1 and the winners will be announced during the opening night reception at the Global Skateboarding Summit on May 22.

About the Global Skateboarding Summit

The purpose of the Global Skateboarding Summit is to bring together skateboarders, organizations, groups, federations, and associations, for the first time, in an effort to collaborate, organize and create a meaningful direction for the sport of skateboarding while supporting its athletes. Designed to be an annual meeting to help support skateboarders globally and further the growth of skateboarding, the summit will be packed with top tier speakers from the global skateboarding and international sports community. An exhibition area will be available for companies to share merchandise, activities and connect with the largest collection of global skateboarding athletes, retailers, manufacturers and brands. There will also be valuable networking and one-on-one meeting opportunities for attendees. To register for the summit as an attendee or exhibitor, visit www.worldskateboardingfederation.org.

About World Skateboarding Federation (WSF)

World Skateboarding Federation is the leader in providing skateboarders around the world with funds to help pay for travel expenses to attend international contests. WSF actively donates skateboards to youth in poverty stricken areas and supports worthwhile skateboarding organizations like Skateistan in South Africa. WSF is currently working with a number of countries, providing leadership and expertise, to help them form national federations. The mission of the World Skateboarding Federation is to promote skateboarding around the world; to grow and connect relevant skateboarders, organizations, brands and manufacturers for the further expansion of skateboarding; to assist in building quality skateparks; to provide financial assistance to top skateboarders to attend international skateboarding contests; to create a centralized judging and scoring system; and to provide a platform to create national, regional and local contests. World Skateboarding Federation is a USA incorporated nonprofit 501-c-3 organization.