Ollie!

While today's Spare Parts event is thrown together by teenagers and their advocates, it's not a haphazard hodgepodge. The skateboarding competition/battle of the bands is the fruit of months of brainstorming by one Douglas County mom and a handful of young people bored with their town's options. Amy Mays, director of 1 Liquid House, a nonprofit aimed at promoting teen creativity, organized weekly meetings at Wahoo's Fish Taco to audition youth bands, six of whom will hit the Spare Parts stage in Littleton.

Oh, yeah — and the battle is being guest-judged by Isaac Slade of the Fray.

Skateboard competitors of all skills are welcome, though those under eighteen must bring a parent along. "If we give our kids an option to express themselves and not be made fun of, then that's our goal," says Justin Hollon, a twenty-year-old 1 Liquid House member who helped organize the free day. "We want kids to express themselves in an environment where they can be who they are, and not just someone who gets by socially."

Spare Parts runs from 4 to 10 p.m., with the skating in the first half. For more information, go to www.1liquidhouse.com.
Fri., Aug. 3, 4-10 p.m.