Skater Boys (and Girls)
By Kevin Fritz
If Zach Moldof has his way, his work as executive director of Skate Bud will help make the world a better place, one skateboard at a time. Skate Bud Program Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Winter Park, is dedicated to increasing skateboarding accessibility for all people, prioritizing disenfranchised communities. The idea is to use the sport as a tool to help at-risk youths rise above their environments and attain a better life.
“Skateboarding may not be institutionalized like some other sports,” says the 43-year-old Zach, “but it has a value in solving pressing issues. I love skateboarding because it is physical problem-solving with no rules, no points, and no end.”
A South Florida native, Zach has been a skater on and off since he was 13. He first came to the Orlando area in 2000 to attend the University of Central Florida, where he studied creative writing. While in college, Zach worked with foster care kids who were aging out of the system, taking them out and giving them new experiences.
“They wanted to go skateboarding,” he recalls. “And when we got out there, the difference in the kids was like night and day. That stuck with me.”
Getting stoked
Zach’s mission and goals for Skate Bud are ambitious. By partnering with government and community organizations, he is working to bring the sport to more kids – mainly those who could use an outlet to better themselves – and to build more skate parks in the community. The nonprofit is currently partnering with Orange County, the City of Winter Park, and the Florida Department of State.
“I am motivated by tikkun olam (taking action to repair and improve the world),” says Zach.
He is also motivated by a desire to give back to young people who are facing difficulties. As someone who experienced challenges during his own childhood, Zach can relate to these kids and what they’re going through.
The idea for Skate Bud grew from a sports magazine Zach helped launch in 2018 in Los Angeles, called Stoke Much, which focused on the culture of skateboarding. After a stint in Las Vegas, Nevada, Zach returned to Florida with his family, settling in Winter Park in 2022. He and wife Tiffany have a six-year-old son, Luchien. By December of ‘22, Zach and Tiffany – who also enjoys skateboarding – had founded Skate Bud.
“I am teaching my son to skate, but with great caution,” says Zach. “We do little lessons once in a while, but he has been preferring his scooter.”
Zach Moldof (center) is the executive director of Skate Bud, a nonprofit organization based in Winter Park, which strives to increase skateboarding accessibility for disenfranchised communities.
ramping things up
For the past two years, Zach has advocated tirelessly for the sport and its participants, who have often been saddled with a negative reputation as outcasts or kids looking for trouble. With the help of people like Zach, that perception is changing.
A child receives a skateboarding tip from Zach.
Recently, Skate Bud received $2,000 from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office’s 2024 Community Crime Prevention Grant. Those funds covered the cost of buying 25 skateboards.
In October, Zach spoke at an event sponsored by the Orlando Museum of Art, titled Rethink Skateboarding. His talk was given in conjunction with a skateboarding photography exhibit that is on display at the museum through January 5. Zach, a Florida arts and culture folk master of the skateboard scene, highlighted the state’s rich skateboarding heritage.
In recent years, the Olympics have been shining a spotlight on skateboarding, too. When the sport debuted in the 2020 Japan Summer Games, a boom in its popularity followed. During the 2024 Paris Summer Games, there were four medal events for skateboarding.
“It’s not just a cottage industry anymore,” says Zach.
hopping on the deck
Periodically, Skate Bud goes out into the community to offer skateboarding lessons to youth in Winter Park and Orlando.
Unlike many sports, skateboarding is a solo adventure – one that requires kids to think on their feet (quite literally). It can also be a more freeing and empowering experience than more traditional sports, where adult coaches call the plays.
“Some of these kids have a hard time with structure and rules,” says Zach. “Skateboarding is the most rewarding puzzle, where the skater is the only authority figure, and the only one to blame for their outcomes.”
Zach would eventually like to see skateboarding become as popular and accepted in the United States as it is in Europe. One way to do that is by integrating skateboarding into urban planning and developing more skate parks. Another is by incorporating skateboarding into existing recreational programming.
“Programs are faster and support youth development,” says Zach. “There are recreation centers offering basketball and tennis, and skateboarding should be a part of that.”
To learn more about Zach’s nonprofit, visit SkateBud.com.
This story was originally published in print in Winter 2024.