Know your History

First Push Syndicate has roots that go all the way back to the 1990’s when two different groups of people were working towards similar goals but had not met yet. On one side there was the Rickert family and their foundation, filling needs in their local community through generous philanthropy and dedication to causes. Charging towards them from the other direction was Beau Lambert, an energized action sports enthusiast with big ideas on getting kids opportunities to skateboard and ride bikes.

The Rickert’s were both pilots with an ancestry that includes a 1930’s barnstormer and they were looking to help a small local skatepark create something new on a whole different scale. Beau was a lifelong lover of anything with wheels and he had just concluded a successful stint as a mountain bike racer with multiple state, regional and national wins along with some World Cup podium finishes.  He was beginning to focus more on his Jr. Development program Team Grimace, which had just taken the US cycling scene by surprise when they captured six of the top 10 spots at the National Championships.

They first met in January 2000 after a mutual colleague said “I know a guy…” Rye Airfield was born soon after. The quick story about the name is that the property the park sat on was once a private air strip known as Rye Airfield. The name stuck because the circus was held there for more than thirty years and it had become a well known landmark throughout northern New England.

Rye Airfield opened its doors on April 13, 2002 and never looked back. An immediate success, the park was driven by Beau in a way that skateparks had never been run before. The focus was on growing skateboarding and BMX before capitulating to an outdated industry model that was slow to change. Even though the doors closed after 19 year, Rye Airfield is still considered by many to be the standard for how parks could be run in the country. Over the years they could be found on Top 5 favorite park lists for skaters, bikers and scooter fans while most parks would feel fortunate to be on just one of those lists. 

While the park had a vibrant general admission customer base that enjoys riding at their own pace, along with a pro shop that boasted the best skateboard selection in New England, the true pride fell on its’ programming.  Beau built Rye Airfield with the same passion that saw Team Grimace become a national model and turn more than 100 regular Maine kids into state champions, national champions, teachers, farmers, engineers, travelers, Olympians and all around good people. 

Rye Airfield offered everything from private and group lessons to day and overnight camps.  Nearly 100 libraries participated in their Read To Ride program that allowed kids to ride just by reading books. The park fulfilled a massive number of donation requests annually and fulfilled more than 1000 before closing in 2020.  A key component of Rye Airfield’s programming and success was community outreach.  They sponsored local events, attended career days, submitted entries for the Festival of Trees and Scarecrow Days, presented at conferences, lectured at public schools and colleges, walked in parades and even hosted local schools for career days and job shadows.  Most businesses would take pride in participating in just one of the aforementioned activities but leaders only start there.

The true backbone of Rye Airfield’s programming was Get On Board, now the #1 program offered by First Push Syndicate.  Boasting nearly 100 schools that have participated since its creation, First Push Syndicate will be the experiential education model for the action sports industry. The program was built from the ground up with a focus of creating opportunities for school age kids to learn how to skateboard in a fun safe environment with a proven curriculum. Every subject area has lesson ideas so skateboarding can be in everything from PE and art to music, science, math and english.  First Push Syndicate has rebooted the Team Grimace style of bike programming for 2022 with plans to add in as many experiences as possible in the coming years. At the end of the day, it’s not about creating skateboarders and bikers, it’s about being there to create, provide & support programs focused on lifelong activities that foster opportunities for the development of leadership and grit..