Young man’s passion for skateboarding lives on

Young man’s passion for skateboarding lives on

News

By: Sandra Bolan

Ian Cotter was a concrete surfer — someone who loved the long board.
Mr. Cotter and his younger brother, Will, competed in long board competitions — placing second and third, respectively, in New York City earlier this year.
 
However, the pair, who were as competitive with other boarders as they were with each other, were able to put their competitiveness aside when it came to building their own long boards.

“If they couldn’t get into (long boarding) professionally, then they would build their own boards and be involved that way,” Sharon Cotter, Ian and Will’s step-mother, said.

On Aug. 14, all hopes of the older Cotter boy evercompeting professionally or building another board were destroyed when, on his way home from dropping Will off after the pair had dinner together, Mr. Cotter rounded a street corner just steps from his home a bit too quickly and hit a telephone poll.

He died instantly.

No other vehicles were involved and no one else was injured in the accident.

“He was just driving too fast,” Cyndee Leith, Mr. Cotter’s mother, said of the accident. “He was really looking forward to his future. There was no sign anything devastating would happen.”

Mr. Cotter was living with his mother in Holland Landing at the time of the accident.

Losing a loved one is never easy for the people who are left behind, but because Mr. Cotter was such a vibrant young man, his family and friends don’t want to focus on what was or could have been, but on what will be — in particular, Bradford’s proposed new skateboard park. At Mr. Cotter’s funeral, instead of sending flowers or making a donation to an organization Mr. Cotter knew nothing about, his family requested people donate to the Bradford skateboard park fund they created in his name.

“He would think it’s awesome,” Mrs. Leith said of how she thought her son would react to this.

On Oct. 14, less than two months after Mr. Cotter’s funeral, his family presented Bradford West Gwillimbury council with almost $4,000 in cash and cheques for the skateboard park.

“We are incredibly touched at this kind gesture,” Mayor Doug White said. “That dream of Ian’s will come true and we will have a skateboard park.”

The money was raised at the funeral, by donations from local businesses and through a pass-the-hat campaign conducted by Mr. Cotter’s friends.

“I think he would be very proud that others will benefit from this event,” Bob Adam, Mr. Cotter’s uncle, said.

Although the family has presented money to the town for the skateboard park, the money raising is not over. A dance is being planned for sometime in the near future.

“We feel it’s going to bring in lots of money because all the kids Ian knew will definitely be there,” Mrs. Cotter said.

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