Go ahead and make Mike Vallely's day. The pro skateboarding legend is helping "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" successfully go head-to-head at movie box offices with Clint Eastwood's more hyped "Gran Torino."

Mike Vallely is one of the bad guys who gives Paul Blart bad days, but audiences love him. Vallely is among a group of extreme sports athletes who double as terrorists at the West Orange County Shopping Mall. The terrorists are named after Santa's reindeer. Mike Vallely is Rudolph.

"This is the first real movie I've worked on. I did some stunts and cameos before, but this one, I really feel that I was part of the production," says the 38-year-old Vallely. "We were part of the story," he says, referring to the X-gamer ensemble. "Our characters were integral to the plot." What exactly does Mike Vallely do in "Paul Blart: Mall Cop?" We won't spoil it for you, although you can get some clues on the web if you are nosy enough.

Movie producers were looking for a skateboarder who could act as well as shred. Mike Vallely perfectly fit the bill, not just because he sports shoulder length locks with a full beard, and not just because he hangs out with Tony Hawk sometimes. Mike Vallely is a hard rock vocalist who is touring with his latest band, the 4-year-old Revolution Mother, so he is no stranger to the stage or the camera.

Skateboarder? Terrorist (in movie life)? Rock singer? There's more. Mike Vallely is a Long Beach transplant from Edison, New Jersey, who also is into ice hockey; in fact, the National Hockey League's Anaheim Ducks have asked him to maintain a blog on their web site. He's a television personality with DRIVE on Fuel TV. He's done Hollywood stunts now and then. He even thought about going into pro wrestling.

But skateboarder Mike Vallely also has a softer side. He writes poetry. He has done charity work for the NHL via the Anaheim Ducks. He's a board member with the Tony Hawk Foundation, which gives grants to build skate parks in low income areas, and with the Patrick Kerr Skateboard Scholarship Fund, which supports college aid for young skateboarders.

Mike Vallely also is a family man, married for 16 years with two children. Talk about somebody having it all!

Sources:
http://mikevallely.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Vallely
http://www.shredordie.com/mikevallely

CastleRock, Colorado is a great city to visit if you enjoy skateboarding. Not only does it have one of the best street courses in the state, but it is also close to the attractions offered by Colorado Springs and Denver. Whether you are interested in wild outdoor adventures or great sporting events, this city is the place to be.

Castle Rock Skate Park
The Castle Rock Skate Park offers both a great selection of bowls and a world class street course. The bowl park includes a large bowl, a fish bowl, roll-in transitions, a mogul bowl and several others. The street course is really the main attraction for this park. It is absolutely huge. It includes features like banks, curbs, stairs, a snake run, trannies, planters and banks.

Shopping in Castle Rock
While the skating in Castle Rock is fierce, there are plenty of other things to do here. Many people come to Castle Rock for the shopping. There are several shopping districts including Wilcox Square, the Plum Creek Center, the Village Shopping Center, Mile-Stone Center and the Outlets at Castle Rock. You can shop for great deals on designer clothing, sports gear, local artwork or Western jewelry.

Local Attractions Not to Miss
Castle Rock is situated in the center of a great region of tourist attractions. Less than an hour to north sits Denver, Colorado, the largest city in the state. This city is a great place to explore if you want to shop, attend a professional sporting event or explore great tourist attractions like museums and art centers. Less than an hour to the south of Castle Rock is Colorado Springs, Colorado. This city offers some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world, such as those found in the Garden of the Gods. Other popular attractions include the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Olympic Training Center and Pikes Peak.

Planning a Castle Rock Vacation
Castle Rock is a great city to stay in if you are interested in touring Denver, Colorado Springs or both cities. Its location not only makes it a convenient place to stay, but it can also be a great option if there are large events scheduled in Denver or Colorado Springs. The weather is a bit erratic in this part of the country. You can expect strong wind storms and thunderstorms during the summer months and infrequent heavy snowfall in the winter. However, what is great about this region is that it is far enough south that snow in the valleys tend to clear away within a few days of falling. This makes getting into and out of the area relatively easy for most of the year.

Ohio is filled with hidden skateboarding treasures. This state has a few big cities and a lot of suburbs to explore. If you are looking for skate parks, you will have the best luck by looking in the suburban regions of the state. One skate park that you will not want to pass by is the Stomping Grounds. This skate park is found in Austintown, Ohio, which is just outside of Youngstown, Ohio.

The Basics
Stomping Grounds is a great indoor park that offers nearly everything that you need to develop your skateboarding skills. It can be found at 1379 S. Raccoon Road in Austintown, Ohio. Here you will find quarter pipes and half pipes, ramps, stairs, rails, boxes and other great street and vert park features. This is a concrete and wood park, so you will want to wear long pants to protect your legs from slivers and road rash if you fall.

Schedule and Fees
Stomping Grounds has two schedules: a winter schedule and a summer schedule. The summer schedule is in effect from June 15 through Labor Day. During this time, the park is open Wednesday and Thursday from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m., Friday 6 p.m. until midnight and Saturday from noon until 5 p.m. with a second session from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m.

Winter sessions run Sundays from 1 p.m. until 6 p.m., Monday through Friday from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. and again from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m.

Generally you will pay about $10 per session. The only exceptions are Monday and Saturdays. Monday is Cheap Monday and your session is only $5. If you want to skate all day on Saturday, your session fee will be about $20.

Rules and Tips
In order to skate at the Stomping Grounds, you will first need to fill out a liability waiver. A lot of skate parks currently requiring this. Next, if you are under 18 years of age, you will need to wear a helmet at all times while skating at this park. However, if you are over 18, wearing a helmet is up to you.

Benji Galloway, 30, is among the world's best contest pro skateboard competitors. The past season was one of his best.

But Benji Galloway is almost among the least popular pro skateboarders in some circles. Some rivals say he is overly competitive. Others believe he is conceited. Somebody even spray-painted a pair of huge bacon strips on Benji Galloway's van one time, in an apparent reference to his connection with Bacon Skateboards.

Benji Galloway first insists he has plenty of friends on pro skateboardingbut acknowledges he has some detractors as well. Omar Hassan, Brian Patch and Frank Gerwer are among them.

Benji Galloway perceives that he may be viewed as an outsider because he grew up in the Deep South near Charleston, South Carolina, so he's not exactly a skateboard/surfer beach dude. He learned to skate in a facility called the Charleston Hanger Bowl, which he describes as "all wood and metal ramps with flesh eating screws sticking out." Therefore, he wore knee pads; in fact, he had basketball knee pads before he begged his strict father to borrow $9 for skateboarder knee pads. When Benji Galloway began entering competitions, he was the only guy in knee pads, so he figures other skaters saw him as either a showboat or a dork.

Benji Galloway also doesn't shy away from the fact that he concentrates on contest skating and racking up World Cup points. He says he needs to make some money. He's not the most popular guy with sponsors, and he doesn't appear in skateboard magazines as often as many of his peers. He does work as a carpenter, including construction of skateboarding ramps, in order to make a living. Not too many pro skateboarders are carpenters from South Carolina.

His rivalry with Omar Hassan, says Benji Galloway, started when Omar "felt he got the short end of the stick" from judges at a contest. Omar Hassan and Brian Patch then reportedly began calling Benji Galloway "Session Killer," because they didn't want to skate with him.

Frank Gerwer reportedly has a different nickname for Benji Galloway, "Content Point Guy." Galloway simply answers, "Well, I don't want to go to a contest and get last."

Sources:
http://www.automaticmag.com/issue59/issue59_benji.php
http://www.juicemagazine.com/Juice_store.html
http://www.skateboardermag.com/av/scmbnjgllwy/
http://www.bnqt.com/article.php?id=5933

You might be considering a snowboarding trip to Cypress Mountain in North Vancouver, British Columbia, before the winter breaks in March or April. After all, Cypress Mountain will host 2010 Olympic snowboarding events. The Olympic Alpine skiers, unlike the lowly snowboarders, get to head north to Whistler. Cypress Mountain is no Whistler, but still, it's a neat and high-class place.

Your question, in considering a 2009 snowboarding visit to Cypress Mountain, is double-edged.

The pro side: Cypress Mountain will be an exciting place to go in coming months, crackling with Olympic snowboarding preparations. Wouldn't it be great to have a chance to see what the world's best, the Olympians, will see in 2010?

The con side: Cypress Mountain will be all messed up because they are getting ready for the Olympics, carving up the grounds with bulldozers and making a cool vacation seem merely inconvenient instead.

The short answer seems to be, for snowboarders, that the "pro" side seems superior, and that you should consider a Cypress Mountain visit.

You would feel differently if you were a freestyle skier, because the Cypress Mountain freestyle venue is closed this winter, except for Feb. 9-10, when the Canada Post Freestyle Grand Prix will take place. This is a major World Cup event, and so the first half of February would not be a good time to schedule your snowboarding vacation.

However, Cypress Mountain snowboarding facilities are not closed in a similar fashion, except for April 2-6, when the Canadian Nationals Snowboard Championships are slated.

Leaders of Cypress Point had mixed thoughts early in the decade, when the chance to serve as an Olympics venue was offered. A $6 million grant from the International Olympic Committee helped answer that question, putting new lifts and tows in place. Meanwhile, Cypress Mountain has used its own money for a new 45,000-square-foot lodge.

Snowboarding at Cypress Mountain in 2009? Seems that it's worth a try, expecially if you wait until after mid-February.

As for attending those 2010 Winter Olympics at Cypress Mountain, they're from Feb. 15-27. Events for both women and men are halfpipe, cross and parallel giant slalom.

Sources:
http://www.cypressmountain.com/dh.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22995132/
http://www.thenewstribune.com/adventure/v-printerfriendly/story/280156.html
http://nsbsg.com/weeklywindow/?cat=25

Youngstown, Ohio, is a great place to plan a vacation. It is in the center of all the Midwest action. It is only about an hour from both Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Cleveland, Ohio. It is also the halfway point between New York City and Chicago. If you are passing through Youngstown on your way to one of these larger cities, stop over for a day or two to see what it has to offer.

Stomping Grounds - Local Skate Park
If you want to stretch your legs and get some riding time in during your vacation or business trip, drive to the Youngstown suburb of Austintown. This is where you will find a great skate park called Stomping Grounds. It is open all year; however, it has two seasonal schedules, a winter schedule and a summer schedule. Saturday the park is always open from noon until 10 p.m. regardless of when you visit the area. The owners of this skate park also open the park when the outside weather is bad, so call ahead if you are stuck indoors and want something fun to do.

Youngstown, Ohio Attractions
When you are not skateboarding, you will want to explore the local tourist attractions. One of the must see attractions is the Butler Institute of American Art. It is located on Wick Avenue. The Mahoning Valley Historical Society is also found on Wick Avenue at 648 Wick Avenue.

If you are interested in nature, consider touring the Ford Nature Education Center, which is located at 840 Old Furnace Road. On the other hand, if you are interested in catching some air instead of getting your shoes dirty, plan to take a hot air balloon ride offered by the Sky Dancer Hot Air Balloon Flight. This ballooning company can be found at 3110 E. Western Reserve Road.

If you are looking for a place to go to school next year, stop by the Youngstown State University campus. Take a tour, talk to an admissions counselor and explore the campus. You can also try out the food, do a little shopping at the University Center and become familiar with the vibe of the school.

The great northwest in the United States is beautiful country and also one of the many places offering some of the best surfing in the world. There are a wide variety of beautiful surf spots along the Oregon coastline including the central and south regions; however, some of the most popular surf spots are located in the northwest area of Oregon, which offers the best surfing in the world.

Located near Portland, Oregon, Cannon Beach is beautiful and has easily accessible surf breaks that appeal to surfers of all skill levels. Some of the top surf spots include Oceanside, Cape Kiwanda in Pacific City, Short Sands located in Oswald West State Park, Indian Beach and Seaside Cove. Short Sands, located off of Highway 101, is the ideal surf spot for beginners. Generally crowded, Short Sands has three parking lots, a campground and public restrooms. This is one of the top spots for beginners to practice. For intermediate to advanced surfers, Seaside Cove is highly recommended. This particular location has a north to southwest swell and is a favorite of long boarders. Surfers to Seaside Cove should take care of boulders and closeout sets.

For beginning surfers, there is a surf camp that provides a well organized and structured but fun curriculum for visitors or locals wanting to take professional surf lessons. One of the top surf camps in the northwest, Oregon Surf Adventures sponsored by Roxy and Quiksilver, offers a Learn to Surf Program. This program is ideal for kids and teens interested in learning to surf as well as amateur surfers looking to hone their skills. Oregon Surf Adventures offers one-day and two-day classes with a well-trained, experienced staff that is trained in CPR and first aid. Oregon Surf Adventures also offers private and custom surf lessons as well as surf groups.

For surfers headed to Oregon to enjoy some of the best surfing in the world, come geared up for the chilled water, swells generated by storms and white sharks. Surfers should also be prepared for some of the most accessible surfing spots and the beauty of Oregon.

New York is a state this has just about everything you could ever want from urban attractions to wildlife adventures. If you are a skater and touring the Catskill Region of New York then stop by the infamous Skate Time 209 for a great time. This skating site not only offers a 10,000-square foot skate park, but it offers a retro roller rink, an arcade and a snack bar. If you are ready for a skating caper, pull on your hoodie and head to Skate Time 209.

Skate Time 209 - the Basics
You can find Skate Time 209 at 5164 Route 209, Mettacahonts Road in Accord, New York. This is in the Catskill Region of New York. It is a little off the beaten trail but well worth the effort to get there. The fee for using the skate park will be about $9 for a single session or about $20 for a day pass.

The schedule for Skate Time 209 is broken up by season. The winter schedule will generally offer two sessions, an afternoon session, which runs from 1:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m., and an evening session, which runs from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. The summer season will generally offer three sessions. It is a good idea to call ahead to see if a session is open to the public or if it has been rented for a party, which is particularly important during the summer season.

In order to skate at Skate Time 209 you will be required to wear a helmet. You can rent helmets at the rental counter. Also this is a BYOB (bring your own board) skate park. However, if you want to use the roller rink, you can rent roller skates (the old fashion kind) at the rental counter.

Skate Time 209 - Features
Skate Time 209 has both vert features and street course features. Its top attractions include a half pipe with a berm and drops of six feet and eight feet. The street course features include things like rails, lots of great boxes, stairs and hubbas.

Ellery Hollingsworth of Connecticut is sort of quietly making her mark on the TTR (Ticket To Ride) World Snowboarding Tour. Consider this: Ellery Hollingsworth says one of her pro snowboarding role models is Aussie Torah Bright, the world champ three years ago. Ellery Hollingsworth ranks sixth this season; Torah Bright, 22 years old, ranks 30th as she focuses more on winter sportswear fashion design.

Despite being the brightest star among pre-high school grads in women's snowboarding and the increasing opportunities for female snowboarders to make some decent money, Ellery Hollingsworth isn't even sure she wants to continue her sports career for very long. She is thinking about a career as a doctor.

Ellery Hollingsworth started on the snowboard in first grade, but it wasn't her first sport. Being a born and bred New Englander, she played hockey but says she didn't like all the collisions. In other words, the half pipe and the slope (she does both) are comparatively safe? We guess so, if you're as good as Ellery Hollingsworth. She's also a skateboarder and learning to surf.

But Ellery Hollingsworth isn't one of those young snowboard/skateboard/surf brats. She still thanks her mother for providing resources so that she can compete in the Ticket To Ride World Snowboarding Tour, and she sums up her three lessons in life as, "1. Be polite. 2. Happy. 3. Everything happens for a reason."

This shouldn't be meant to paint a totally innocent picture. When Ellery Hollingsworth was 10, on a family vacation in California, she snuck into a closed skate park with older brothers Jeb and Kyle. The cops caught them: "It wasn't funny at the time, but now we laugh." She also says she wouldn't be a world-class pro skateboarder if not for the influence of Jeb and Kyle.

Ellery Hollingsworth says her favorite high school subject is math. Even without numbers, she seems to have added up a lot of things in her young life.

Sources:
http://www.grindtv.com/athlete/Ellery_Hollingsworth/bio/
http://oakley.com/sports/snowboard/athletes/231
http://snowboardermag.com/features/news/trick-tip-backflip-ellery-hollingsworth/
http://snowboardermag.com/features/news/ellery-hollingsworth-minor-threat/

When most people think about vacationing in New York they think about the urban centers of the state like New York City. However, the metropolitan areas of the state are not the only hot spots for tourists. Another great spot to consider for a vacation are the world renowned Catskills of New York. Here you will find great natural wonder, interesting roadside attractions, historical sites, charming B&Bs and even a great place to skateboard, roller skate and just have fun.

Skate Time 209 - Catskill Skate Park
If you are a skateboarder or a roller skater, Skate Time 209 is the place you want to go. It can be found at 5164 Route 209, Mettacahonts Road in Accord, New York. Skate Time 209 is a multi-activity destination. Here you will find a super cool maple roller rink, an awesome arcade with prizes, a 10,000-square foot skate park with vert and street course features, a snack bar and an ultra modern multimedia system that includes a 14-foot TV screen, sounds and lights.

Catskill Attractions
After spending a couple of days skateboarding and roller skating at Skate Time 209, don't forget to see what else the Catskills have to offer tourists. This region of New York is known for many things. Here you can go antiquing, observe the amazing fall foliage or tour local historical sites.

There are several notable attractions that you won't want to miss. The first attraction is the Shellybark Farm, which can be found on Route 209 in Accord, New York. This is a historical working farm with animals, so wear boots when visiting this attraction if you plan on touring the animal areas of the farm. It is open from May through September on the weekends from noon until 4 p.m.

While in the Catskills, remember to tour the numerous historical sites. These sites include the Thomas Cole House it Catskill, New York and the Tewilliger Homestead and Bird Sanctuary. Make sure you call ahead to see when their hours of operation are. The Thomas Cole House is free to visit and open to visitors from July through Labor Day, and the Tewillger Homestead is open from June through September.

Maryland is an interesting state if you are a skateboarder. It contains several opportunities to skateboard; however, your best bet is always going to be a local skate park. If you live in Ocean City, Maryland, or if you will be visiting this city, grab your board and skateboard shoes and head to the Ocean City Skate Park.

Ocean City Skate Park - The Basics
The Ocean City Skate Park can be found on the corner of St. Louis Avenue and 3rd Street in Ocean City, Maryland. It is a good sized concrete skate park with about 17,000 square feet of terrain to explore. Four thousand square feet of this park are dedicated to a bowl park. Here you will find smooth transitions, a pool bowl, a large vert ramp and a mini vert ramp. The remaining 13,000 square feet of this park are dedicated to a street course that contains everything that street skaters enjoy such as hips and hit walls. This park was designed by the well-known skate park designer Tim Payne, so you know the layout is going to be skater-friendly.

Ocean City Skate Park - Hours and Fees
This is not a free skate park so you will have to scrounge together some dough before skating here. However, the fees are reasonably affordable. Your best deal is an annual membership which costs $45 for local residents and $90 for everyone else. To get the most from this membership buy it as close to July 1 as possible. Daily passes range between $10 and $12, and weekly passes cost around $40.

The Ocean City Skate Park has two skateboarding seasons. The spring season runs from March until May. During this season, the park will be open Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. until it gets dark, on the weekend from 9:30 a.m. until dark and on "no-school days" from 9:30 a.m. until dark. The summer season runs from June until the end of August. During this season the park is open everyday from 9:30 a.m. until dark.

In order to skate here you will need to sign up for membership. This will include a liability waiver. If you are under 18 years of age, your parents or legal guardians will need to fill out your paper work for you so you can skate at the Ocean City Skate Park.

Pro surfer Kelly Slater, who won his ninth world title in 2008, is often described as "the Michael Jordan of surfing." This is not just a simple comparison. The comparison goes far beyond both being known as the all-time bests in their respective sports.

Kelly Slater and Michael Jordan both took breaks in the middle of their careers and then surprised fans when they returned at even higher levels of excellence. But in the comeback department, Slater has been even more amazing than Jordan. The time gap for Michael Jordan was less than two years. For Kelly Slater, it was five years.

Both Kelly Slater and Michael Jordan coped, at mid-career, with the loss of their fathers. James Jordan was murdered in 1993, and Steve Slater died of cancer in 2002.

Another common factor is that Michael Jordan (2-17-63) and Kelly Slater (2-11-72) both are Aquarians, for what that may or may not be worth.

Despite the nine-year age difference, they became champions only one year apart. Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls won the first of their six championships in 1991, when Jordan was 28. Kelly Slater captured the first of his nine titles during 1992, when Slater was a mere 20.

Jordan "retired" after winning his third consecutive NBA (National Basketball Association) title in 1993. Slater stopped competing after he captured his sixth crown, including five in a row, in 1998.

Jordan's absence ended when he rejoined the Chicago Bulls near the end of the 1995 season. The Bulls were defeated that year, as Jordan fought to rediscover his game, but they won another three in a row in 1996, 1997 and 1998.

Slater came back for the 2003 season of the ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals) but barely lost the season championship to Andy Irons. He says his frustration with the defeat caused him to slump during 2004, but he won championships in 2005 and 2006, and again in 2008. Slater says he remains undecided regarding the 2009 season, but competitors such as 2007 champ Mick Fanning have encouraged him to stay on tour.

Michael Jordan adjusted during his comeback career by shooting more jump shots, rather than driving so often for dazzling dunks. Kelly Slater has shifted to a smaller board, more than a foot shorter than his foes.

Kelly Slater says that 2008 was his best season ever. The surfer once was a mate of celebrities such as Pamela Anderson and Cameron Diaz, but he keeps private the name of his current significant other.

Kelly Slater explains: "It's probably my personal life. That's the biggest change in my life. I'm happy and settled, and I've got the support there that just feels amazing."

Sources:
http://www.aspworldtour.com/2008/news_show.asp?rEvent=aspwct&rcode=11547
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1860698,00.html?xid=rss-nation
http://surfermag.com/features/onlineexclusives/slater05/index1.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly_Slater

Snowboarders have options, and one of the main ones is whether to go off the main trails, or off-piste.

British snowboarder and freelance writer Daniel Elkan explains on timesonline.co.uk: "There's a common misconception - held by skiers, mostly - that snowboarders are happiest when larking about in the terrain park, launching themselves off huge snow ramps and skidding along hard-edged metal railings. Well, that may be true of snowboarders under the age of 20, but it certainly isn't true of me, and of many like me." Elkan goes on to explain how he can do without the deep bruises and broken bones.

If it sounds like Daniel Elkan isn't too hot in the half pipe, draw your own conclusions. Still, many other snowboarders are following his path toward getting away from the beaten path. This is enough of a phenomenon that the folks at the legendary Chamonix resort in eastern France have felt compelled to issue due warnings.

The most importance sentence from Chamonix is: "There is an extremely high number of deaths in Chamonix each year, don't ski stupidly, your life depends on it."

Equally ominous is the urging at Chamonix to hire a guide if you desire to go off-piste: "If you think the price is a bit steep, just consider the price of a rescue and/or a coffin, and the decision will be obvious."

Ho-key, doe-key, we get the point!

Our advisers at Chamonix further tell us that off-piste snowboarding should not mean that you duck under the ropes and go outside of the resort's official area. Instead, off-piste means that you go off of the regular trails within the bounds of those ropes. At any major resort, there are plenty of places with this so-called virgin snow, and the resort's ski patrol will be looking out. In fact, you should tell the ski patrol what you're doing ahead of time.

Daniel Elkan wrote about his off-piste experience at Ischgl, in Austria, with one of his buddies. Chamonix says you should have at least two pals with you. Each should have a transceiver, which helps people find you if you are buried in an avalanche. The group should also bring shovels.

You also should check regularly on snow conditions, not just in the morning, because they can change by the hour.

Don't follow somebody else to a location just because you think they know what they're doing.

Our Chamonix author concludes with a somewhat political flourish: "Remember that skiing on- and off-piste in Europe is at your own risk. You will not be able to sue anybody for anything; this is Europe, judges have brains. You will be charged a hefty fee for any type of rescue, so ski safely."

Sources:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/specials/ski0809/article4744804.ece
http://www.absolutemotions.com/Newsletter/Cham/off_piste.htm

Ocean City is known for many things including its boardwalk and its surfing. However, it is also a great city to visit if you are a skateboarder. If you are looking for a great vacation destination and you are a skater, pack your bag, board and head to Ocean City, Maryland.

Ocean City Skate Park
As a skater, you naturally want to know where you can skate on your vacation. In Ocean City the premiere skate park is the Ocean City Skate Park. This skate park can be found on the corner of 3rd Street and St. Louis Avenue. It is a concrete park that offers 17,000 square feet of obstacles, bowls and ramps for you to shred. This is a dual skate park, with one section dedication to a bowl park (pool bowl design), and one section dedicated to a street course. This park requires you to pay a fee and wear safety equipment; however, the rules and fees are both reasonable.

In order to skate at the Ocean City Skate Park you will need to visit the city between March and August. These are the only months when it is open. If you visit the park between March and May you can get into the park weekdays between 11:30 a.m. and dark and on the weekends from 9:30 a.m. until dark, and if you visit the park between June and August you can get into the park any day from 9:30 a.m. until dark.

Ocean City Skate Shops
When you aren't skating at the local skate park, you can spend some time shopping at the local skate shops. There are at least two spots in Ocean City where you can find great gear and clothing for skaters. They are the Atlantic Skate, Inc., found at 12632 Sunset Avenue and Chat Street, found at 1215 Atlantic Avenue.

Ocean City Attractions
While skateboard themed attractions are going to occupy most of your time, don't forget to check out the other tourist attractions offered by Ocean City, Maryland. The most popular attractions in the city include the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum, the Ocean City Boardwalk, the Jolly Roger's Amusement Park, the DiscoverSea Shipwreck Museum and the 65th Street Slide and Ride. You will also want to check out the local seafood restaurants, stands and eateries.

El Salvador, a unique and exotic country, is home to some of the best surfing in the world. El Salvador is located in Central America along the west coast in a beautiful, yet challenging geographical area that offers a great number of spots to surf. The country is quite versatile and is comprised of three different types of topography including the central area, which is made up of valleys, volcanoes, and mountains; the southern area, which is made up of a flat coastal plain; and the Sierra Madre and the Lempa River, which makes up the northern area.

The surf spots in El Salvador range anywhere from beginner to advanced with a variety of point and beach breaks to enjoy. Surfers will not have to fight for breaks in El Salvador, because many of the popular spots are not crowded. There are also several secluded beaches that surfers flock to particularly from May to September. Wake surfing is popular in the months of October to April in areas that have sheltered lagoons.

One of El Salvador's attractions that make it one of the spots offering the best surfing in the world is the tropical climate and warm water. Beginners generally do well surfing along the beaches of Costa del Sol; whereas experienced surfers choose to surf the areas accessible by boat such as those along the east coast beaches. Other great surf spots for all levels include El Sunzal, Las Flores, Punta Roca, Zunsal, Bocana, Conchalio, Cocal, Punta Mango, Flor, La Ventana and K59, to name a few. El Salvador is also famous for its right point breaks and awesome waves that break up to 6.5 feet, though certain areas offer gentler breaks that are perfect for beginners just learning to surf.

Surfers planning to enjoy the best surfing in the world should come prepared with board shorts, dry wet bags, boards and other necessary surfing equipment to jump right into form and enjoy the fabulous breaks of El Salvador. Surfers looking for adventure, natural beauty and the versatility of El Salvador will find the country a great choice.

Virginia is a great state to be in if you enjoy skateboarding. Throughout the state you will find skate parks that offer the usual fair of ramps, bowls and boxes. However, if you are looking for a unique skating experience on a Sunday night, make your way to Fairfax, Virginia for two hours of skateboarding fun.

Skate Night - Fairfax, Virginia
Skate Night is a unique skate park found at 4601 West Ox Road in Fairfax, Virginia. It is only open two hours a week, on Sundays from 7:30 p.m. until 9:30 a.m. This skate park offers a quaint collection of obstacles and skateboarding features such as a quarter pipe, a grind box, a manual box, a launch ramp, a handrail and various other types of obstacles. This skate park also offers a grind box, which has a rising height that goes from knee height down to about curb height. While not the best skate park in the country, it does offer you a place to skate in Fairfax.

Skateboard Safety at Skate Night
Like most skateboarding parks in the United States, Skate Night is a skate-at-your-own-risk park. This means that your safety is in your own hands. To make sure you stay safe, you need to wear a helmet with a chin strap, elbow pads and knee pads. You will also want to wear a decent pair of skateboarding shoes so that you have proper grip on your board.

While skating at Skate Night, you should make sure that you stay in control of your board. Lots of people use this park at the same time, and you never know what or who is going to cross your path. Finally, wear clothes that will keep you dry and warm or dry and cool, depending on the time of the year. Dressing in layers is a good idea, as you can strip off layers as your body temperature rises, or you can add layers as your body temperature drops. If you will be trying rail tricks at this park, you may also want to wear a cup for protection in case you end up straddling the rail or your board.

Australian skateboarding sensation Jackson Pilz has assembled quite a life story already, even though he just turned 17 in October.

Here's how Jackson Pilz describes the first five years of his life: "I was born in Sydney at the Royal North Shore Hospital ... I moved to Coolum Beach on the Sunshine Coast when I was around 5 months old ... Not really sure what happened in between 5 months and 5 years. Then I found skateboarding."

Okay, young man, you're forgiven for forgetting all those preschool events. It can be kind of tough to remember your second or third birthday party. But to get on a skateboard at the age of 5, that's an earlier start than most skateboarders enjoy.

By the time Jackson Pilz turned 7, he was already entering competitions. He had the benefit of a family that would take him all across Australia.

"This was really a fun time for a young kid," Jackson understates.

At age 11, Jackson Pilz was already competing alongside the men. He finished eighth in the Australian nationals, making his debut in Melbourne in front of thousands of fans in Rod Laver Arena, named for one of the top tennis stars of all time.

"It was hard to imagine that things would get better than that, but then at the age of 13, I made my first overseas trip," says Jackson Pilz, describing a visit to England and then to the United States, where he practiced his craft at Woodward West Skate Camp in southern California. His skateboarding skills have also taken him to Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, Germany, Austria, Sweden and Denmark.

Jackson Pilz, unlike many skateboarders, does not express a preference for street or vert.

"I find that doing a bit of everything keeps you really well-rounded and opens so many more doors when it comes to finding people to skate with. I've skated with some of my biggest idols including Bucky Lasek, Colin McKay, Bob Burnquist, Rune Glifberg and heaps more," Jackson says.

Jackson Pilz keeps up with his schooling, but he explains, "If I can't skate, I go stir crazy." The local skate park at Coolum Beach is on the ocean, and Jackson says, "Life's pretty good in Coolum." Jackson Pilz just may wish that he could remain a teenager forever.

Sources:
www.billabong.com/au/html_gl/text_rider.php?pid=2&rid=44
411vm.com/skaters/Jackson_Pilz/1136/
www.fkdbearings.com/australia/fkd_australia_team_pilz.html