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VIRGINIA BEACH — Skateboarders in Virginia Beach: Don’t be alarmed if a police officer approaches you. He may want to give you a gift.
Officer Ryan Borman, aka “skatecop” on TikTok, has been handing out new skateboard decks in his free time. He recently surprised a teen at the WRV Skate Park.
“You got a kickflip?” Borman asks Bryson Perry, 16, in a video on TikTok. Borman was driving by the park last Friday when he saw Perry practicing on the ramps.
After the boy performed the trick, Borman, 26, asked him what size board he uses. The officer shuffled through a box of skateboard decks before handing him one through his car window.
“Dude!” exclaimed Perry as he accepted the gift.
The video, posted by Borman, has been viewed by more than 76,000 people. A similar video in 2021 had more than a million views.
Borman joined the Virginia Beach Police Department five years ago and is now a member of the SWAT team.
His “skatecop” persona blossomed three years ago when he pulled off a kickflip in an Oceanfront parking lot while in uniform, and a spectator caught it on film.
Borman, a Virginia Beach native, started skateboarding at age 5 and still excels at the sport. He’s sponsored by a couple of skateboard companies who provide him with free gear, some of which he donates to area skateboarders, he said. Borman is also in the process of creating his own skateboard brand.
Every year, he participates in skateboard events, including Local Heroes Day at Coastal Edge surf shop and Skate with a Cop at Woodstock Skate Park.
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He’s inspired by teens and children enjoying the sport.
“I remember at that age how much skateboarding meant to me,” Borman said.
He used to ride a board until it was “well past its lifetime,” he said, and would always appreciate it when he received free gear at skate events.
“Now that I’m able to give back, I absolutely want to do that,” Borman said.
He also wants to dispel what he describes as the stigma about skateboarders being up to no good. Borman credits the sport for shaping his life in a positive way.
“Skateboarding taught me a lot about being persistent and to keep going after what you want,” he said.
Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com