 "Photo: Bruno Morlan")
 "Photo: Bruno Morlan")
The loud beats of the disc jockey did little to drown out the claps of boards and wheels hitting the concrete, as skateboarders competed at the Fourth Annual Summer SkateFest at Mabel Davis Skate Park in Southeast Austin Saturday.
The event, hosted by the Austin Parks and Recreation Department and Tekgnar Skate Shop, drew approximately 100 contestants despite the ominous dark clouds and muggy weather.
The event started because of demand from the Austin skateboarding community, said Gina Saenz, program manager for the parks and recreation department.
"It is something that kids want, and it's a healthy way to keep them out of crime," she said. "Yeah, there is some risk involved, but to me, it is worth it."
Saenz, who used to work in the juvenile justice system, said most of the young offenders she used to work with simply were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The young teens are in critical ages, when kids are beginning to make life decisions. Those with constructive activities to engage in are less likely to get in trouble, she said.
"I think about those people, and I think about those, kids and I think we have to do all we that we can," she said.
The skateboarders‚ their families and friends flanked the chain-linked fence outlining the park as the contestants took turns coasting down railings and performing tricks.
Occasionally participants faltered, sending their boards shooting out from underneath them. The skateboarders would brush themselves off and get in line to try again.
Del Valle resident Deirda Whiteside watched and cheered as her 13-year-old son, Devonere, participated with the event's 14-and-under division.
She said the bumps and bruises Devonere receives from the sport teach him important lessons in perseverance.
Devonere learns a great deal of respect from the sport, she said. He and the other skateboarders are mindful of one another, patiently waiting for each to finish skating. This behavior, Deirda said, is uncommon among most junior high and high school students.
The park creates a positive environment for the kids to be creative, she said.
Anticipating the day of skating that lay ahead, Devonere said he woke up at 6:45 a.m., hours before the event began at 10 a.m.
Although he did not make it to the next round, the young boarder wore a big smile as he watched the older skateboarders.
His board, resting at his feet, was scratched and worn, paint chipping off the bottom. It was a gift from one of the older boarders after he completed a difficult trick at the park one afternoon, Devonere said.
More advanced boarders are always helping him at the park, he added.
Part of what makes skateboarding so great for kids is that it teaches them to set goals to improve their abilities, said Laurie Pevey, owner of Austin Tekgnar and a SkateFest organizer.
Pevey said she has witnessed the Austin skateboarding community not only grow but become increasingly diverse since she became involved with the industry 20 years ago. The sport encompasses people of all ethnicities and economic backgrounds, she said.
Nowadays, Pevey said, the skateboard is considered part of a sport instead of being thought of as a toy, as it was in the past.
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