On Easter Sunday last year, Bruce and Janell Zurschmeide were surprised to find a small group of skateboarders flying down the steep driveway leading to their mountaintop tasting room at Dirt Farm Brewing near Bluemont. 

This weekend, 135 downhill longboarders will converge on the property for a “freeride” event, attracting some of the sport’s top athletes.

Bruce Zurschmeide said the group of three or four skaters he met at the brewery last year spent the whole day on the hill and raved about the ride afforded by the long, paved, steep driveway. During their conversations, it became clear that their fellow downhill enthusiasts would jump at the chance to experience the ride.

Zurschmeide gave them the green light.

From there, Mark Stapperfenne, a boarder from the Virginia Beach area, started putting an event together. 

Not only is Dirt Farm an ideal venue for a downhill event, he said, its location within an easy drive for most East Coast participants and proximity to Dulles Airport was a huge plus. At least one skater is flying in from Nashville, he said.

Typically skaters have to gather at remote locations in the woods for their freerides, he said. Dirt Farm checked all the essential boxes for event planning: affordable, accessible, safe (yes, Round Hill Volunteer Fire-Rescue will be onsite) and fun.

Participants will be arriving today and camping for the weekend on the property. Among the registered participants are Emily Pross, the world’s fastest female downhiller, and Chase Hiller, who ranks second among men. 

However, it’s not a race or a competition. Some participants will be going for speed, others for style as they glide down the hill at speeds between 20 and 45 miles per hour.

And it’s not just for the pros. It’s also for “guys like me who don’t want to stop riding their skateboard yet,” Stapperfenne said.

One person who won’t be joining in the extreme sport is Bruce Zurschmeide.

“I’m just a country boy. I was raised on gravel. I don’t dare set foot on a skateboard,” he said.

The event runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 25.  Spectators are welcome. 

Learn more at dirtfarmbrewing.com.