Up goes the big top of the fair

James Clement, Shawn Ruddy and Raul Gomez of Clemco, along with more than a dozen Job Corps students, raised the big top near the Alaska State Fair grandstand Friday. The 100-foot tent, just inside the yellow gate, will be the location of the Alaska X-jam exhibition featuring skateboard and BMX pros such as Benji Galloway and Amber Cangilose.

Clement, the owner of Clemco and the tent, said the tent was previously used for his now-defunct business, Circus Boreal.

"The circus is gone, but the tent's still here," Clement said.

He's been putting it to good use, though. Clement said the tent just came back from use in Fairbanks, and before that it was being used in British Columbia for a movie shoot. Raising the tent is no easy task, and it doesn't come with an instruction booklet, Clement said. He's raised the Italian-built tent about 20 times. He gained his tent-raising knowledge from "hanging out at the circus," he said.