Skateboarde to speak at Umina church
Former world skateboard champion Eddie El Gato Elguera will visit Umina to speak at the Hope Church from 6pm on February 11.
Mr Elguera, who became a "born-again" Christian in 1983, will be speaking at Hope Church Central Coast.
He will be supported by a live band and solo musicians.
There will also be prizes, give-aways and deck signings.
Elguera is known as a legend in the sport of skating and as one of the early innovators of vertical skateboarding.
Elguera received the title of United States Amateur Skateboard Association Champion in 1979.
He then went on to the professional circuit and became Skateboarder of the Year and received the Most Spectacular New Maneuvre award for inventing his own skateboard maneuvre, the Elguerial.
Elguera went on to win the 1980 Gold Cup Series of skateboarding and became the World Champion for the second year in a row.
Some of the tricks, which have enabled him to play a major part in skateboarding history, include the Elguerial, the frontside rock-n-roll, the fakie ollie and the frontside invert, which he perfected.
Eddie, now in his 50s, still competes worldwide and continues to rank in the top five of the Masters division on World Cup Skateboarding.
In 1983, he joined a church and sat under the teaching and discipleship of his spiritual father and pastor, Jim Cobrae.
Within three years, Elguera married his wife Dawna, a girl from his church, and they began a family which now includes three boys.
Since then, Elguera has been skating and spreading the word about his Christian beliefs around the world.
"The Lord has blessed me 100-fold, with a comeback after seven years of having left skating."
Elguera has used skateboarding as a relatively new approach to ministry and a way to motivate kids.
"Through the gift that God has given me, I have the honor of seeing thousands of kids come to Christ, as well as many of the parents," Elguera said.
The Hope Church is at 4 Sydney Ave, Umina.
Media release, 19 Jan 2017
Dean Willington, Hope Church