Baseball has its A-Rod, Alex Rodriguez, and skateboarding has its P-Rod, Paul Rodriguez Jr.

P-Rod, 23, grew up in Chatsworth, Calif., near East Los Angeles and used to sleep with his skateboard as a child. He doesn't consider himself the most naturally gifted athlete, but he says he thinks about his tricks and practices for hours until he gets them right.

"Talent isn't some unforeseen ability that a person has," P-Rod believes. "Talent isn't in your arms or your legs. It's the way your mind views it. I was so obsessed with skating as a kid; it's all I thought about."

Yes, P-Rod's father is the comic, Paul Rodriguez Sr. - one of the Latin Kings of Comedy. And on sites such as YouTube, you can still find plenty of the old man's work. But P-Rod dominates the proceedings. There's one site of the elder Paul Rodriguez that apparently young blogger types commented on, saying, "That's not Paul Rodriguez; P-Rod is a skateboarder." Someone else on the blog corrected them. We can only wonder if P-Rod found it and showed it to his pop. Apparently, the two of them didn't see much of one another when P-Rod was a kid, but now they're much closer.

Paul Rodriguez Jr. is a trim 5-foot-7 and 150 pounds, but he is really busy with his feet through a "Goofy Stance" with the right foot forward and the left foot pushing. P-Rod does many of his tricks with a switch stance maneuver. He won a bunch of pro-rookie awards as a 17-year-old in 2002. Unlike some other young skateboarders, he has not gradually lost his love or enthusiasm.

P-Rod's grandparents were born in Mexico and came to the United States during the 1950s as migrant workers, before immigration became such a big issue. One of his ethnic distinctions is that he is the first and only Hispanic skateboarder to land a pro-model Nike shoe contract. The third edition, Paul Rodriguez Zoom Air Three, is due out in 2009. He also has appeared in three of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater video games.

Sources:
http://www.robbrink.com/2007/08/28/paul-rodriguez
http://www.lgactionsports.com/2008/events/asc/cov_skatestreet.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Rodriguez_Jr

The American South has a rich history that makes it a great place to visit. If you are a skateboarder, you will find that the South has the perfect skating weather and a great selection of outdoor skate parks for you to try out. One of the cities that you will want to add to your travel itinerary is New Iberia, Louisiana. Here you will find historical attractions and a great little skate park to explore.

New Iberia, Louisiana Skate Park - Bayou Wheels Skate Park
If you are a skateboarder, you will want to bring your board and skateboarding gear with you on your New Iberia vacation. This is because in New Iberia there is a great family friendly skate park called the Bayou Wheels Skate Park. It is located at 300 Parkview Drive and is open during the summer from noon until seven at night and during the rest of the year between noon and at least five at night. This park costs a dollar to get into, and you will be required to wear a helmet. If you are 15 or younger, you will be required to also wear padding. This park is stocked with quarter and half pipes and street course obstacles and features.

New Iberia, Louisiana - Other Attractions
New Iberia is in the heart of Louisiana's Cajun Country. This means that the city is filled with a rich blend of cultural attractions. Some of the attractions that you won't want to miss are the Farmer's Market on Main Street, the Konriko Rice Mill and Company Store and the Shadows on the Teche. The Konriko Rice Mill is located at 301 Ann Street, and tours of the mill are offered daily. Shadows on the Teche can be found at 317 East Main Street and offers tours daily. This attraction is open from nine in the morning until four-thirty in the afternoon.

In addition to visiting the in-town attractions, you will also want to travel a little outside of New Iberia to see a few notable attractions in nearby communities. The first attraction you won't want to miss is the Jungle Gardens. These gardens encompass over 200 acres and are great for naturists. Other attractions that are found nearby include St. Martinville and the McIlhenny Company Tabasco Factory and Company Store.

Living in a beautiful city like San Diego and being near the best surfing in the world is a blessing to avid surfers. One of the top spots to surf in San Diego is Sunset Cliffs National Park. The end of the day at sundown has got to be one of the prettiest things in the world to see, but experienced surfers at Sunset Cliffs know that surfing the area is not for the faint of heart.

Visitors to Sunset Cliffs National Park bent on experiencing the best surfing in the world need to be aware of the soft, eroding conditions of the cliffs in the area. The area is very popular and is usually occupied by bikers, surfers, hikers and more. Geared up surfers rant about Sunset Cliffs offering the best surfing in the world.

Sunset Cliffs National Park may not be ideal for beginners, but there are several surfing spots, which offer a somewhat mellow break, including Garbage Beach. There are other places to surf at Sunset Cliffs where the locals hang out like Newbreak. If you visit the area, expect to be challenged as surfers are definitely territorial in this area.

Surfers to Sunset Cliffs can expect west to northwest swells with waves as high as waist to shoulder, depending on the time of year. The average temperature is usually around 60 degrees with a water temperature of 65 degrees.

Because of the topography of the area, paddling out can be a challenge. Surfers should be careful around the jagged cliffs and the rocky bottom in the area. Additionally, there are no lifeguards or public restrooms at Sunset Cliffs. Street parking is available on Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, and there are four public parking areas along the Cliffs area, although they are small. The Inn at Sunset Cliffs is a great place to stay during a visit.

On a good day, depending on the time of year, surfers might just see the California Gray Whale migrating to Baja. Then again, when is there a bad day in beautiful San Diego?

One of the greatest thrills a skateboarder can have is racking up new skateboarding experiences. If you have a goal to skate at as many skate parks as possible, consider trying out some of the smaller city skate parks. If you happen to be in the state of Washington, you will have dozens of these smaller skate parks to work your way through. One skate park that you will not want to miss out on is the ever-expanding Edge Skate Park found in Redmond, Washington.

Edge Skate Park - The Basics
The Edge Skate Park is located at 8420 161st Avenue NW in downtown Redmond. It offers about 7,700 square feet of concrete skating terrain. It is primarily a street-course skate park with features like stairs, rails, platforms and edges. However, there are also a couple of quirky quarter pipes that you can practice tricks on.

Edge Skate Park - The Rules
Since this is a public skate park, you are responsible for your own actions and your own safety. To protect yourself you will want to wear a helmet, padding, proper skateboarding shoes and clothing. You will also want to make sure you don't bring glass, food or beverages into the skateboarding area.

Other Amenities Offered by Edge Skate Park
The Edge Skate Park is a part of a larger city park that serves Redmond's downtown area. This park sits on nearly an acre and a half of land and has plenty of space to skateboard and set up an impromptu soccer game. This park also offers you an information kiosk and an art wall. If you use this park, remember to pack out everything you pack in or at least use the garbage cans if you have items that need to be thrown away.

Setting Boarding Goals
Setting goals can help you focus the development of your skateboarding career. If your goal is to skate at as many skate parks as possible, start a list of parks that are available and a list of skate parks that you have used. As you skate at different skate parks, move the parks from the available list to the skated-at list. You can also add a third column for remarks and comments about the park. To keep your fans up to date about your skating adventures, post your lists and comments on your social networking page.

Surfer videos often feature the pros making heart-stopping rides on tremendous waves, but there's more to "Sofia: A Documentary."

This video is the life story of Sofia Mulanovich of Peru, who took an unlikely path to top rankings on the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Women's World Tour.

Sofia, 25, is a child of Croatian ancestry who grew up in Lima, Peru. In terms of economics, her family was more fortunate than most, but that's not saying much in a nation as poor as Peru.

Sofia Mulanovich grew up along the South Pacific Ocean and took to the water almost immediately, learning to swim at the age of three. She was so little that she began riding waves on a Morey Boogie Bodyboard before advancing to a surfboard, but by her mid-teen years she had advanced to world competitions as a young phenomenon.

These childhood events are captured on "Sofia: A Documentary." Most biographies of athletes focus only a tiny amount of time on childhood, but for Sofia Mulanovich, that's the heart of the story.

Sofia's childhood was a time of horrific political upheaval in Peru. While terrorists fought in the city, she would escape to the beach. Others would do the same, but Sofia took her surfing seriously. Therefore, she ranks as the best competitive surfer ever to come out of South America, male or female. She is a national hero in Peru, where citizens are looking for role models after so many years of political corruption.

Sofia Mulanovich lacked confidence in her surfing, as shown on "Sofia: A Documentary." She figured that she could not be as good as the established surfers from Australia and the United States. Instead, Sophia Mulanovich proved she was the best in 2004 when she won the ASP Women's World Title. She captured second place in 2005, fifth place in 2006 and second place again a year ago. This year, Sofia is in second place behind Stephanie Gilmore of Australia with two ASP events remaining.

"Sofia: A Documentary" also is a winner, with a first place victory in the 2006 Surfer Poll Awards, and beyond the surfing world, the film took first place at the prestigious Newport Beach Film Festival. It's an hour-long flick in Spanish with some English. To learn more, see sofiadoco.com

Already, Sofia Mulanovich is in the Association of Surfing Professionals Hall of Fame. She's a Cinderella story, but she goes far beyond ballroom dancing. Sofia Mulanovich rocks on her surfboard!

Sources:
http://sofiadoco.com
http://www.lat34.com/surf/sofia_mulanovich
http://www.surfline.com/womens/story_bamp.cfm?id=3728
www.aspworldtour.com

In the land of cheese, bratwursts and beer - Wisconsin - there is more than heavy food and drink. Snowboarding enthusiasts will be delighted with a less-publicized product of Wisconsin that is light and fluffy.

So-called "lake-effect" snow constantly falls near Wisconsin's coastlines along Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. This is different than the lake nearest you, because you need a really big lake to get lake-effect snow. Such as a Great Lake.

Skies can be clear in other places, but lake-effect snow still will be falling in these areas. Don't worry, snowboarders, this doesn't mean that you're going daffy. This happens because the water quantity is so great on the Great Lakes that the water stays warmer compared to inland lakes, ponds and rivers, which freeze over. The frigid winter air hits this warmer Great Lakes' water, and there you have it: lake-effect snow.

Buffalo, Syracuse and New York's entire northwest, upstate areas get socked for a similar reason, but Wisconsin gets less attention for its prodigious snowfalls. For example, Crystal Ridge Ski Area and Wilmot Mountain are located just a few miles from downtown Milwaukee, and Milwaukee = lake effect (as well as beer). If you head 35 north of Milwaukee, you will encounter Sunburst Ski Area, where the lake effect is in full effect. Then there's Hidden Valley Ski Area near Green Bay, but don't try to get Packers' football tickets, because there is something like a 20-year waiting list, and Packers fans generally aren't into scalping.

You can find great Wisconsin inland locations as well for a day of snowboarding, a weekend, a full vacation or even a reasonably priced season pass for just a few hundred bucks. Wisconsin is by no means a mountainous state, but the glaciers left behind some really neat gorges and long sloping hills. For example, there's Granite Peak, which is smack dab in the center of the state. You can get a 700-foot vertical at Granite Peak, which is virtually unheard of in the Midwest.

The snowboarding culture is fully alive in Wisconsin, sparked in part by the presence of the University of Wisconsin's main campus at Madison and other campuses that dot the state. UW is known both as a liberal school and a party school. Hey, what can you say about a school that had its marching band suspended this fall for hazing?

Also recommended: Tyrol Basin, Alpine Valley and Mt. La Crosse.

Sources:
http://www.travelwisconsin.com/Snowboarding_Wisconsin.aspx
http://www.snowboardingwisconsin.com

Rutland, Ohio is one of the best cities to visit if you are a diehard fan of skateboarding. Not only does Rutland have one of the best private skate parks in the world, but it is also the home of the Museum of Skateboard History. If you are ready for a great vacation, then plan to visit Rutland.

Rutland, Ohio - Star Attractions
For skateboarders, the two star attractions in Rutland, Ohio are Skatopia and the Museum of Skateboard History. Fortunately, they are both located at 34961 Hutton Road, Rutland, Ohio so you can experience both attractions at once. The Museum of Skateboard History has a fabulous collection of vintage skateboards, and if you count them, you will find about 12,000 examples of historic boards. After browsing through the museum, you will want to put on your safety gear and hit the skate park section of the complex. Here you will find both indoor and outdoor segment, so you can basically skate here regardless of the weather. Make sure you check out what is going on at the park during your vacation, as this is the site of numerous skateboarding events, like the Backwoods Blowout.

Athens County Attractions
If you are interested in doing a little site seeing while visiting Rutland, Ohio you will need to expand your search to Athens County. Athens County, Ohio has a lot of great historical and cultural attractions. First, however, grab a slice of pizza at Pizza Dan's, located at 244 Main Street, Rutland, Ohio. Once you have a great meal in your stomach, pull on your hoodie and hit the road.

To get the history of the area, visit Athens Country Historical Museum found at 65 North Court Street. If you are interested in military history, you will want to visit the Athens County Military Museum, which can be found at 145 West Columbus Street in Nelson, Ohio. Finally, as you travel through Athens County, keep your eyes open for historical sites like the Adena Indian Mounds and historical, covered bridges. There are a lot of great attractions scattered throughout this county so stop by the local chambers of commerce and visitors' centers of the cities you drive through for information on what to see and do in that city.

One of the coolest skate parks in the world is the Black Pearl Skate and Surf Park found in the Grand Cayman Islands. This skate park is considered to be the largest concrete skate park in the world. It also offers one of the largest, standing artificial waves in the world. So, if you are into surfing, skateboarding or both, this is a great park to visit.

The Black Pearl Skate Park
The Black Pearl Skate Park offers skaters about 52,000 square feet of skating terrain to work over. There are three different courses that you can ride on: a beginners' course, an intermediate level course and an advanced skaters' course. Each of these courses offers a selection of bowls, transition zones, flow terrain and street terrain. This park also offers quarter pipes and half pipes. If you want to skate in this park, you are required to wear a helmet and the appropriate padding. If you are on vacation or if you don't have the appropriate equipment or padding, you can rent it at the onsite skate shop.

This park is open Monday through Saturday from nine in the morning until dusk and on Sunday from ten in the morning until dusk. The entry fee is CI $16 for the day, CI $50 for the week or CI $100 for the month. In U.S. dollars, this is about $24 for the day, $75 for the week or $150 for the month.

The Black Pearl Surf Park
The Black Pearl Surf Park is a record breaker in its own right. It has a machine that is capable of producing a standing wave of up to eleven feet tall. It also has the ability to move 150,000 gallons of water in a minute, and it produces a surfing zone that covers about 1,280 square feet. This park provides both surfing instructions and equipment, so you don't have to pack a surfboard with you on the plane or in your car. This is a great place to go to learn the basics of surfing or to just have a bit of fun on a hot day. Parents will love this park too, because there is a restaurant onsite where they can enjoy a nice meal and relax while their kids play at the surf park or skate park.

British-born Geoff Rowleyis one of pro skateboarding's more daring and acrobatic athletes. Somehow he's still going strong at age 32, after all the thrills and more than his share of bone-rattling spills. If you watch Geoff Rowley's various high-octane videos, which include both his hits and some occasional misses, you will wonder how he's not in a full-body cast.

Furthermore, Geoff Rowley continues to up his street-skating ante. If he sees a handrail that looks similar to one that he has previously conquered, he's not much interested.

"Show me an S-shaped one that goes around corners and over buildings, and I might be interested," Rowley says.

British towns such as Rowley's Liverpool have far tighter confines than most American cities, which explains why Rowley finds himself attracted to places such as parking ramps and steep front stair steps.

Geoff Rowley was 12-years-old when he first skated, borrowing his friends' boards.

"Happiness came forth," he describes the experience simply. In his early 20s, he decided to go for the big time and moved to Southern California. He remains single and makes his home in Huntington Beach.

It's common to say that someone with Rowley's modest and quiet nature "would let his skating do the talking." One fan says in Rowley's case "talking" should be replaced by "screaming," because he always is ready to attack a challenge.

In Orange County, sometimes he tackles these challenges without the permission of the property owner.

"Everyone gets booted out of everywhere," Geoff Rowley says. "You're in, you're out. But there's a lot of concrete ditches ... I'm having fun skating locally because I've found all this different stuff that (other) people aren't really looking at. That's fun for me, to skate stuff that everyone's not interested in."

Despite his street sense, Rowley also is a champion in regular competition, and he protests against being typecast.

"I've always tried to learn new things and constantly do different things," Geoff Rowley says. "I'm not a handrail skater. I'm not a rail pro. It's a non-issue. Skate whatever you want."

Geoff Rowley has not forgotten about back home. He is pushing for the Liverpool City Council to build a top-notch skate park.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoff_Rowley
http://skateboard.about.com/od/proskaterbios/p/ProfileRowley.htm
http://www.late34.com/skate/geoff_rowley
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_mOJSE/is_292/ai_n12416784/pg_6?tag=artBody;col1

One of the best tropical vacation destinations for skaters to visit is Grand Cayman. This Caribbean island is easy to get to by plane or cruise ship. However, the biggest attraction for skaters is going to be the Black Pearl Skate and Surf Park. While this park offers some of the best surfing and skating options in the Caribbean, don't spend all your time at the park, because Grand Cayman offers amazing natural and cultural attractions. If you are ready for the vacation of a lifetime, pack your skateboarding shoes and head for Grand Cayman.

The Black Pearl Skate and Surf Park
The Black Pearl Skate and Surf Park is both the largest concrete skate park in the world as well as the home of one of the largest, artificially produced, standing waves in the world. If you are a skater then you will enjoy the 52,000 square feet of skating terrain offered by this park, as well as its great collection of beginner, intermediate and advanced skating features. The surfing section of this park offers a Wavelock Surf Machine, which is capable of producing standing waves up to eleven feet tall in a surfing area of over 1,200 square feet. Both sections of the park are serviced by a pro shop that offers equipment rentals and instruction in surfing and skateboarding.

Grand Cayman's Attractions
While you are in paradise, don't forget to try out some of the other tourist attractions. First of all, stop by the city of Hell and send a letter or postcard to your friends. The postmark will show that the letter was sent from Hell. The novelty postmark is about all that is offered by this little outpost, so you will need other plans to fill your day.

Stingray City is a must see attraction. You will need to charter a boat or guided tour to get to this attraction. However, the effort is well worth it, as the diving here is considered to be world class. Here, you will be able to interact with stingrays and other marine life. Plan this adventure on Monday, Wednesday or Friday to avoid cruise ship traffic and crowds.

Other attractions you won't want to miss include the Mastic Trail, the blowholes, the six beaches and Rum Point.

There are dozens of cool skate parks in the United States. One of the coolest is the Rotary Club Skate Park in Lunda Community Park, found at 1400 Tyler St., Black River Falls, Wisconsin, 54615. This hybrid skate park was completed in July 2006 and offers about 9,500 square feet of skating terrain.

Rotary Club Skate Park - Basic Features
The Rotary Club Skate Park is a very unique skate park. It utilizes a hybrid technique which pairs ramp equipment, normally used above ground, with concrete block retaining walls. This combination has several advantages including no seams, no gaps and no guard rails. This is great if you are just learning how to ride a ramp or trick off a ramp, because you don't have to worry about tripping over gaps and other design imperfections.

In addition to a hybrid ramp design, the Rotary Club Skate Park offers several great skateboarding features. Some of the features that you can find here include a half bowl, ramps and a multi-tiered plaza. The advantage of skating here is that you can find skating features to fit your skill level if you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced skater. The only real drawback of this skate park is that it doesn't offer skate-box formations. This is a real drag that many skateboarders hope will eventually be fixed.

Rotary Club Skate Park - Having Fun at the Skate Park
In order to have a great time at the Rotary Club Skate Park, you need to come prepared to have a good time. To start with, you need the proper skater clothing to (1) look cook and (2) protect your skin from road rash. Next, you need to bring the proper safety gear. This means bringing a properly fitted helmet, elbow and knee pads and a pair of shoes that have enough grip on the soles to keep you from skidding off your board. The final accessory you need to bring to the skate park is a good attitude. If you come to the park in a funky mood, you are not only going to prevent yourself from having a great time, but you are going to increase your chances of bringing other skaters down with you.

There are many great places to surf in the world, including those that provide a retreat from the daily grind of life and others that offer an edge and excitement with just a hint of danger. Such is the case with surfing Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. There are many excellent spots to surf in the area that have breaks that are awesome enough to handle swell from all directions and all sizes, but there are also a few spots that are famous for forceful, challenging waves.

Located midway along the East Coast is a strip of beach that extends into the Atlantic Ocean and into some of the most incredible waves is the world. This is known as the "Graveyard of the Atlantic," due to the unpredictable currents and full-force swells. It is these same characteristics that draw surfers from all over the world. The area of Cape Hatteras is one of the main attractions for East Coast surfers.

Cape Hatteras consists of approximately 70 miles of barrier islands, which are positioned perfectly to receive swells from the north and south. North swells on Cape Hatteras provide surfers in wetsuits fast and powerful long lefts, where the south swells generate beach break rights, which are somewhat hollow along the north side. Avon and Buxton, located off Highway 12, are particularly popular surfing spots along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Those seeking the best surfing in the world will find solid swells and empty, yet hollow peaks along the stretch of island.

Hatteras Lighthouse, the world's largest brick lighthouse, overlooks the surf and is the destination for surfers descending upon Cape Hatteras. Summer months are the busiest. The rest of the year Cape Hatteras is fairly isolated. Housing accommodations for surfers headed to Cape Hatteras include vacation homes, condos and hotels. To get to Cape Hatteras, fly into either Raleigh-Durham or Charlotte, North Carolina and drive to Cape Hatteras. Other options include flying into Virginia Beach or Norfolk and driving from there.

Skate parks come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Public skate parks tend to be free and offer a few features that you can practice on. However, if you are a hardcore skateboarder looking for something a bit edgier than your local concrete skater pond, then visit Skatopia. This private skate park was referred to as "88 Acres of Anarchy" by Rolling Stone Magazine, and after visiting this mega-skate park it is easy to see where the nickname came from.

Skatetopia - The Basics
Skatopia is located at 34961 Hutton Road in Rutland, Ohio. It first opened its doors back in 1995 and was the brainchild of Brewce Martin, who still owns and operates this wild skate park. The park itself sits on about 88 acres of land. It includes both indoor and outdoor skateboarding features like an outdoor bowl made from concrete, a couple of indoor bowls and an interesting pipe-ramp complex comprised from a vert ramp and a full pipe.

Skatopia - The Extras
In addition to being a cool place to skateboard, Skatopia is also the home to the Museum of Skateboard History. This museum has a huge display of vintage skateboards that contains about 12,000 specimens. If you are interested in the evolution of skateboard design, take time to stop by this museum.

Skatopia - Events
The final attraction of Skatopia isn't a physical feature. It is the events that are hosted at Skatopia. This skate park is a great place to host your own events like birthday parties, graduation celebrations and even your band's gigs. This destination also offers you a great selection of planned events like the Backwoods Blowout.

Dressing for a Trip to Skatopia
Skatopia offers both indoor and outdoor skating, because of this you need to make sure you dress in layers so you don't freeze when you are outside or roast while skating indoors. Also remember to bring the proper safety equipment with you, such as padding and a helmet. Finally, bring your board with you. Working with a board you are familiar with will help you to navigate the various features of this park safely.

If you are ready for an awesome and unique skateboarding adventure, grab your skateboarding shoes and head to Rutland.

Eddie Wall is one of the hardest-practicing technical experts in professional snowboarding and one of the most fun-loving free spirits. His background demonstrates why these seemingly opposite traits go together.

Born in Pennsylvania, Eddie Wall managed to land in the state's definitely non-Allegheny flat portion. He grew up in the small town of Rome, which he describes as two hours from "the smallest hill imaginable."

Still, he found his way to enough places to gain some skills. His main accomplice and friend was his father, Eddie Wall Sr., who was also into boarding as one of the sport's elder statesmen. Eddie Wall Jr. worked construction with his father from the time he was 13-years-old.

"My dad and I started snowboarding together, which is really cool," says the younger Eddie. "We always used to go up and poach pipes, just hike up the mountain and ride the pipe." On one occasion, at Camelback in the Pocono Mountains, they got busted by ski patrol officers.

Eddie knew what he wanted. Upon graduation, he headed for California and Mt. Nebo, where he supported himself for two years as a dishwasher and night janitor. With gradual practice, he became one of the world's best and best-known snowboarders.

This experience sort of makes Eddie Wall an older scolder, as he observes younger snowboarders who follow an easier path.

"The money and fame that these kids are chasing is taking a lot of the purity out of the sport," he laments. "In a few years, it may be similar to baseball and football, soccer moms yelling at their kids for not landing a 1080 ... Snowboarding was never supposed to be like that."

Eddie Wall says his crib in San Clemente is filled with so many loose surfboards and skateboards that "it's such a ghetto." He lists his favorite places to party as "Europe, L.A., premier tours, Whistler, Quebec, my house, pretty much anywhere."

That covers a lot of ground, but if anyone has earned it, it's Eddie Wall.

Sources:
http://snowboardermag.com/features/snowboarder-vital-20-eddie-wall/
http://fueltv.fuel.tv/FUELTVED/blogs/view/3446?item=25774&type=Blog
http://snowboardermag.com/features/online-exclusives/eddie-wall-interview/
http://www.grindtv.com/athlete/eddie_wall/bio/

Calgary, Alberta is a Canadian city that skateboarders will enjoy visiting. This city has one of the largest outdoor skate parks in the country, as well as an amazing collection of tourist attractions. This combination of attractions will allow you to plan one of the best vacations of your life.

The Plaza at the Forks - Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Located in downtown Calgary, the Plaza at the Forks is an amazing skate park that covers over 44,000 square feet. Within this park, you will find over 8,000 square feet of bowl features to ride as well as over 30,000 square feet of street course and plaza skating terrains. In this park, you will find stair sets, rails, bowls, obstacles and super cool wave ramps. This park is very open and very organic in the urban jungle of Calgary. You won't want to miss visiting and skating in this park.

Visiting Calgary, Alberta - Local Attractions
While the Plaza at the Forks is reason enough to visit Calgary, Alberta, it is not the only site you will want to visit. If you are interested in animals, living or prehistoric, you will want to visit the Calgary Zoo and Prehistoric Park located at 1300 Zoo Road, N.E. This park has three sections: the zoo, a botanical garden and a prehistoric theme park. This is an outdoor attraction so bring your hoodie or jacket.

Another great outdoor attraction is the Bow Habitat Station. The Bow Habitat Station is unique, because it was the first eco-park established in Canada. Here you will find a wetland park, as well as the Alberta fishery, which is responsible for producing over three million trout a year for local rivers, streams and lakes.

If you are more interested in urban attractions, you will want to make your way to the city center. Here you will find Calgary City Hall, the Calgary Tower, the Olympic Plaza, the TELUS World of Science, the Calgary Devonian Garden, the Eau Claire Festival Market and the Palliser Square. Have fun exploring these attractions!

Finally, do a little shopping in Calgary. One of the best skate shops in the city is the Calgary Skate Shoppe. This shop is located at #2-2610 Centre Street, N.E. It has a great selection of skater clothing, shoes and gear.