Skateboarding Summer Camp

Skateboarding Camp

By Philip Ayers, cabin 5

In skateboarding the counselors are Jamie Ayers, Jon Bookstein and Kevin Powell. During work camp they made lots of ramps and Jamie also donated some of his ramps from home. We have a quarter pipe, a box, a bank, and a rail. They are also going to make two launch ramps in the future. On the box, you can do lots of grinds and you can do tricks off the side of it. On the quarter pipe, you can do stalls, airs, and grabs. On the bank, you can do lots of flip tricks. And on the rail you can do grinds too. The class is relaxed and you get a lot of time to skate. If you have any question about learning how to skate, you can ask Jamie Ayers for advice. It is always very frustrating learning the basics. But once you learn them, it is very fun!!!! Skateboarding is a lot of fun and if you didn’t take it this year, you definitely should take it next year!

Skateboarding Summer Camp

By: Trey Dixon, W.S.

This month in camp, skateboarding has really taken an effect on the kids and all of them really want to try and not just goof around. Skateboarding to me is like being able to just ride on your board and just have fun with your friends while learning new things each day. I have been skateboarding for about 10 years now and it has really has affected my life and others as well. All the kids in the class this month have improved more and more each day. They come to class and they always want us to teach them something everyday. I think it's safe to say skateboarding is here to stay for all boys and girls all around the world.

Skateboarding Camp

By: Julian Smith, W.S.

To me, skateboarding is a passion or a way of life. It displays confidence,ability and dedication in a diverse way. The feeling of riding my skateboard is amazing. When I'm upset or tired I can ride my skateboard and forget my problems. I got into skateboarding by watching the X Games and just seeing people around my way just skateboarding. I thought it was stupid at first but when i did my first kick flip I was happy and wanted to do it more. Over the years I have learned many different tricks including flips and grinds and grabs and just other fun tricks. There are many different types of skateboarding including vert, street or flat ground. My style of skating is street. I like it because there are many different varieties of tricks and combos. Vert is done on a half pipe, and is used to get lots of speed and time for big spin tricks and grabs. Flatground is very tricky with complex flip tricks and making the skateboard turn in different directions. Over the years skateboarding has dramatically changed my life and the life of others. It keeps me out of trouble and it makes me happy everyday. I love skateboarding and I encourage people to try it. I also have made lots of new friends skateboarding. When you have a gang of skaters going big and having fun, nothing can go wrong. Nobody really understand the point of skateboarding until you get good at it. Once you're good, it can be really easy. I think that if you start skateboarding you will definitely get hooked and fall in love with it. When you progress, tricks become easier and you learn more variations and combos. One of my favorite skaters is Stevie Williams. He is my inspiration and he takes skateboarding and helps out other people. He gives to charity and makes new skate parks. Now skateboarding has gone world wide and it's helping our world come closer together. People make new friends, support other countries and spread skateboarding. Another skater, Mike V has gone to many different countries such as Africa to spread skateboarding and get more people into it. He has raised money to build skate parks. At Shohola all of the ramps were hand made. That's a very big project to make an entire skate park with just planks of wood and metal. In the skateboarding class there is not a teacher but its just a class to chill and skate with your friends. Next year if I get invited back I would be happy to actually teach the art of skateboarding and try and improve the skate park. Me and my friends have even made a skate team, which consists of 5 riders. A skate team is just a company that sponsors skateboarders and sells products like skateboards, shoes, shirts, pants or whatever else you can think of. Another good aspect of skateboarding is if you get good enough, you could get sponsored. When you get sponsored you can get free gear and get paid and live good. At first it can be rough but if you keep skateboarding and get tricks done you could be a legend. Some skaters are good yet they only do it for the money. To me skateboarding is about fun but no doubt i would like to ride my skateboard for 2 million dollars. For example, there is a skateboarder named Bam Margera, who is an excellent skateboarder but he just does it for money. Also since he got his own show on MTV he doesn't have to ride a skateboard for the rest of his life. Bam's sponsors keep him on the teams because all of his products sell very well and brings in lots of money. I would love to be a skateboarder for a living because I could do what I love to do and make a career out of it. I'd get to travel to different places and skate with different people. In conclusion, it's funny how a piece of wood and a turning system make so many people so happy...

Summer Camp Skateboarding

By: Jamie Ayers

I remember my first skateboarding experience at Camp Shohola. It was six years ago when I was in Cabin eight. It was this experience that led to me discovering my own love of skating. I remember one night when I was walking past the pavilion, the lights were on and there were three kids skating… I sat and watched for a time and an interest sparked in me. In following years skateboarding at camp progressed. We set up logs, old beds and bed boards on top of mats. We skated anything we could find. We were based in the pavilion but every chance we got we would sneak over to the hockey or basketball courts and set up shop. Working Senior year for me (2001) was when things really took off. I had the idea of taking a trip to the local skate park. Little did I know I would be the one planning it! It was a huge success. My first year as a Counselor I got some more things done. This was the first year (2002) that there was a skating class, a huge leap for Camp Shohola. We got the pavilion and we had a quarter pipe, a bank and a rail to work with. We used our imaginations and made other elements and obstacles. We also averaged one skate park trip a.week. This year the class is huge and with over 40 participants it has matched ranks with the most popular activities at camp. With the addition of a mini ramp, a rail, two launch ramps and coping on elements things are looking up. For the future I envision a large-scale expansion at the park and hopefully one day it will achieve the status that it deserves in the same way that Ropes once did. I thank every person who helped me do all of this and I pray that it will be kept up in the future whether I am here to do it or not. We've come a long way from what I have seen in seven years and it is good to know that all of the hard work has paid off.

Skateboarding Kids Camp

By Phil Ayers

This year when I arrived at camp I saw that there was a new skate park. It is very nice and is located next to the pavilion, where the old double tennis courts used to be. The park includes a new mini ramp. The class is taught by Jamie Ayers and is offered Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for three periods. During class time, we are all allowed to skate on our skateboards or roller blades. I like skateboarding class because it is nice and relaxing, I think it is the best activity offered at camp!

Kids Summer Camp Skateboarding

Cody Umbel

In skateboarding Jamie Ayers teaches us a lot of new tricks. Skateboarding this year is ten times better than last year. Instead of being in the pavilion, Shohola now has a Skate Park on the old tennis courts. We also have some new great ramps. I am spending a lot of time at the Skate Park since I take the class for 3 periods every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. With all my skateboarding classes, I have learnt more tricks than I ever imagined. This is by far the coolest class and I recommend any beginner or expert skateboarder to join this class because there are many trips and of course, fun filled fun.