Mother’s Day never passes without the gathering of Moms, Aunties and all ages of girls gathering for the annual Mighty Mama Skate-O-Rama. Year after year Skateboard Moms have put on this event around California and this year it all went down at Lake Cunningham Skate Park in San Jose.

Here’s a bit of the story from Mercury News

” A bit older at age 56, Sacramento artist Gale Hart took up skateboarding briefly as a teenager but didn’t really get into it until she turned 50. “Midlife crisis!” Hart explained. “Isn’t that what we do? When we start losing our youth, we try to grab on to it and hold it.”

Fran Bartholomew, 49, also embraced the sport later in life. The Sunnyvale resident had a skateboard early but was too afraid to ride down the steep hill from the family’s house. She putted around the driveway and lost interest, only to regain it unexpectedly five years ago.

“I started noticing women and young girls skateboarding all around my neighborhood,” Bartholomew said. “I couldn’t believe it. That was my inspiration.”

She now rides an extra-long board, which is not recommended for doing tricks in the park’s deep bowls but perfect for riding to church, which has surprised many in the congregation. Bartholomew, who is Chinese-American, has not told some relatives that she’s a “skateboard auntie” because they just wouldn’t understand — at least not yet.

“I’m still in the closet on this thing,” she said. But not for long. She picked up her long board and joined the group for a rousing, sassy, skateboard mama photo. ”

Read Mercury News full story here.