AUSTINTOWN Bout will ramp up boarding interest

Skateboarding is a rush that fosters friendships, one skateboarder says.
By IAN HILL
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
AUSTINTOWN -- Paco Calo kicks hard at the ground, trying to gain momentum as he glides toward the 6-foot-tall wooden ramp at Gravity House Skatepark in Wedgewood Plaza.
By the time he reaches the ramp, he's moving so fast that he's nearly a blur. Calo flies up the ramp and is launched into the air. He hangs for a moment in front of green graffiti letters painted on the yellow wall.
Then he turns, flies horizontally over a 2-foot-wide gap, and lands so he's rolling down another ramp. During the entire trick, his skateboard never leaves his feet.
As Calo skates away, a group of skateboarders on the other side of the room shout their approval.
A great feeling
Calo, 23, of Youngstown, said the adrenaline rush he feels while skateboarding is "better than anything in the world." He expects to be one of the skateboarders competing in today's skateboard contest at Gravity House.
The contest starts at noon and runs till 8 p.m. and is to feature 50 to 200 skateboarders of different ages and skill levels. Registration begins at 9 a.m. Each skateboarder will compete in one of four classes: Beginner, intermediate one and two, and sponsored. The entry fee for the beginner class is $10; intermediate, $20; and sponsored, $35.
Skateboarders will be judged on their performances during one-minute sessions on Gravity House's skate course, which includes ramps, metal rails and half-pipes. Prizes include skateboarding equipment and cash.
Benefits of contest
Gravity House co-owner Bill Cartwright said he believes the contest will give young skateboarders the opportunity to demonstrate their talents.
"It's a chance for the kids to express themselves and show what they can do," he said.
Calo said he thinks the contest can introduce local residents to the Mahoning Valley's skateboarding scene. Scott Weitzman, a 19-year-old skateboarder from Canfield who helped organize the contest, added that the local scene has grown since Gravity House first opened as Halfpipe Mike's in October 2001.
Cartwright bought the park in August and changed the name to Gravity House.
About 30 skateboarders and rollerbladers were at the park Friday night. Each wore a helmet.
Some looked to be about 10 years old. They practiced jumping and flipping their skateboards in the air.
Others were in their teens. They sped up and down the park's ramps and slid across its rails.
The fun in it
When they weren't skateboarding, they would watch others in the park and talk about tricks they want to learn.
Weitzman said learning a new trick is part of the fun of skateboarding.
"It's a rush when you're working on one trick, and that's all you're focused on," he said.
Weitzman added that skateboarding also creates a common bond among people from across the country and world.
"You could go to Idaho, meet skateboarders there, and hang out with them like you've known them for years," he said.
hill@vindy.com