Maryhill Ratz Skate for Big Cheese: Tour de Maryhill Highlights Fun, Family, & Mental Health Awareness
Ryan Vanderveen’s Gravity Ride Tour de Maryhill 2023. Photo Credit: Jon Huey: Photography & Graphic Design
By Cole Goodwin
Goldendale, WA, September 11, 2023– Maryhill Ratz held their annual skate school, campout, and international qualifier race for the 2024 World Roller Games in Italy at the Maryhill Loops on September 2-4. The Maryhill loops, famous for their gravity bending turns, drew competitors and thrill-seekers from all over the world including Brazil, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Germany, Thailand, Mexico, England, and the U.S. to the event.
“The road was made for model T’s and it just happens to be perfect for what we do,” said Dean Ozuna, head cheese of the Maryhill Ratz. “We allow anything that is gravity powered to go down the hill, wooden go-karts, skateboards, drift tricycles, inline skaters, metal push cars, we’ve had barbie cars and luges.”
A Portland woman, Alicia Fillback, came in first overall at the event, making her the lead qualifier for the U.S. Women’s Skate team. Fillback competed in the 2022 World Roller Games in Argentina last year but was taken out in the final turn. Now she has a chance to make a comeback in the 2024 World Roller Games.
The top placing racers in each event:
Open Skate
Tim Del Rosario, USA
Daniel Engel, USA
Chase Hiller, USA
Women’s Skate
Alicia Fillback (center) poses with the other women’s skate finalists. Photo Credit: Maryhill Ratz
Alicia Fillback, USA
Julia Barboza, USA
Loryn Robertson, USA
Open Luge
Mikel Echegarah, Spain
Ryan Farmer, USA
Frank Williams, USA
Women’s Luge
Sabrina Riffenburgh, USA
Sam Marsteller, USA
Angelica Jones, USA
Open Inline
Gabe Holm, USA
Derek Macias, USA
Beatriz Almeida, Brazil
Full results can be found here. The Maryhill Ratz awarded $6,000 in prize money to the winning racers.
Skate school is in session! Contributed photo.
Like the race, the event's skate school was open to skaters of all levels. The “University of Maryhill” skate school was led by X-games gold medalist Lee Dansie. Dansie is one of two people who have won three x games gold medals in the three different disciplines.
Dansie shed some blood on the course this year and posted a picture showing his banged up hand on facebook.
A facebook post from Dansie reads:
“So probably the worst maryhill I've been to in 7 years I had a couple accidents got beat up pretty good that's on me but at the same time it was the best maryhill I've ever been to because I got to teach the luge School and get to watch my students progress over the weekend and see the smiles on their faces made all my aches and pains go away it was extremely rewarding I had a blast with all my students and will be doing it again much love class of 2023 thank you to all the volunteers and the Maryhill Ratz and a special thank you to my beautiful girlfriend Trudy Brodie for putting up with me.”
Photo Credit: Lee Dansie Facebook page
In addition to celebrating all things skating, the event also worked to raise mental health awareness in honor of the tenth anniversary of Ryan Vanderveen’s suicide. A well loved longboarding enthusiast, Vanderveen, a.k.a. Ryan-Vanderveen-Or-Die (RVOD)’s absence at the event continues to leave a hole in people’s hearts a decade later.
“He really made an impression on us,” said Ozuna. “So, we wanted to remind people we’re there for them and promote mental health awareness.”
Vanderveen’s family said his nickname, Ryan-Vanderveen-Or-Die was a reflection of his “always try to improve” attitude towards boarding and carries no negative connotation for them even following his death.
Vanderveen’s family and Maryhill Ratz encouraged all participants to embrace life’s joys, and reach out if they are in need of help.
Ozuna said that his favorite overall thing about Maryhill Ratz events is “the family aspect”.
“It attracts children three to seventy-five years old,” joked Ozuna. “Our youngest on the hill has been six years and our oldest has been seventy years old.”
Event organizers celebrating another successful event. Contributed photo.
Ozuna said the sense of fun and community was an important part of the event and that during the evenings attendees gathered at the campground at the bottom of the hill, to enjoy dancing, karaoke and movies together.
Next year Ozuna hopes to have a designated kid’s activity space for the younger generation of attendees to enjoy.
Ozuna expressed gratitude to Maryhill Museum of Art for their support of the event.
Registration for Maryhill Ratz upcoming free ride event in April, and next September’s race will open up in January of 2024 at Maryhillratz.com.
Photo Gallery
