In July, Concrete Wave headed to New York City to meet up with Ray Korman and Luke Ayata. Ray’s son, Noel Korman, was the founder of the Union and Luke was one of his closest friends. Both Concrete Wave and Longboarding for Peace have decided to join forces with the Union and you will see more things unfold over the next few months. In the interim, we wanted to give readers an update on what is happening.
It’s been over six months since Noel passed away. What are
some of your thoughts and the Shralpers Union’s thoughts?
Ray: I still think of him every day, and I still believe in what the Shralpers Union stands for. It’s very difficult to get acclimated to the situation that we have to deal with. I’ve always backed Noel with his passion for board sports, and now with the help of the Union we will see his dream come true.
Noel’s Facebook page gets regular uploads. People seem to connect through that page. What are your thoughts?
We were all surprised by the amount of people that showed up at the funeral home. We had no idea he had connected with so many people from so many different walks of life. And the fact that people are still posting on his page confirms that those connections were actually real and he touched their lives in very a personal way.
What are some of the key goals of the Shralpers Union?
We have already established bringing together a group of international like-minded and dedicated people who are passionately into board sports. The idea is to spread the message through our chapters in order to grow Shralpers Union and make Noel’s dream come to life. His motto was “High fives and positive vibes,” and we are moving forward in that same fashion. Together we all play a part of the intricate plan.
Where are you located? How does a chapter form?
Home of Shralpers Union is in Clifton, New Jersey, at the 973 Chapter. We have over a dozen chapters in the U.S. and several others across the globe. As the word spreads, more and more members are interested in forming chapters.
What do the chapters do?
Our chapters are the key to running our organization. A chapter is responsible for making sure that SU is represented correctly in the relative communities. A chapter has three departments: Events; Charities and Fundraisers; and Products and Services. A local “mom and pop shop” is used as the main hub for the chapter, which allows for the community to come together under one common roof. These shops will be carrying SU merchandise as well as limited collaborations made exclusively for SU. Local clinics/events/fundraisers will be highlighted on our website, [along with] social media directing traffic to the local shops.
What are your future goals for the Union?
Our ultimate goal is to unite the people that share the same vision and to make SU become a household name through the community work we do. Utilizing our chapters and members, we want to further our causes. We have events, fundraisers, clinics, after-school programs, park clean-ups and charity work planned out in our relative chapters. We realize that different areas have different needs, and we take the time identify those needs and set up our local chapters accordingly. Our website allows members to track our progress as well as contribute to the cause in many ways. We also have amazing amenities for our members, including discounts on new products and services as well as a database of shops, events, chapters and members – and a few surprises.
How can people contact you?
Best way to get involved or in touch with the SU is to register at sharlpersunion.nationbuilder.com.
What do you think about teaming up with Concrete Wave and Longboarding for Peace?
Teaming up with CW and LFP was a godsend for us, as all the three entities have a similar vision. All three fit together like pieces of a puzzle to form the perfect package. We are looking forward to spreading the word through our coalition in this changing new world.
Thankyou to Concrete Wave Magazine Issue Fall No. 2/2015