summer sports & fitness
Zach Wilson, Anna Eiele-Sullivan, Griffin Golby and Elliot Hensley, from left, take a break from skateboarding at the Food Lion SkatePark. DILLON DEATON/DDEATON1@CITIZEN-TIMES.COM
across from the U.S. Cellular Center at the corner of Flint and Cherry streets. Camps are offered for skaters ages 6-15 of all levels. The cost is $75 per session with the camp running daily from 9 a.m.-noon. Registration is offered at Push Skate Shop at 25 Patton Ave., or by calling 225-5509. “We’ve also encouraged him to do Parkour,” says Hensley. “It’s tumbling and free running. He takes those classes at the gymnastics center downtown. It helps him learn to use his body strength and teaches him how to land properly.”
Flipping for thrills
Cory Governo, a 16-year-old North Buncombe High School student, enjoys going to downtown Asheville with friends and amazing others by doing front flips and back flips. It’s part of the skills he’s learned taking Parkour classes at Asheville Gymnastics. “It’s kind of like urban gymnastics,” says Governo. “It’s all about getting from point A to point B as fast and efficiently as possible. It’s basically like a free movement of expression. If you want to climb something, you do it. Even walking can be Parkour. There’s also a subset called free running.” Parkour can involve running, climbing, flipping, swinging, jumping, rolling, vaulting and other movements to get around obstacles. Asheville Gymnastics
describes Parkour this way: “Participants run while negotiating obstacles efficiently using only their bodies.” “If you want to be really good, you have to be physically fit,” says Governo. “In the gym we focus on getting stronger and building a strong core. I really just do it for fun. It’s a way to express myself. I like to get outside and use the world as my own jungle gym.”
Mountain unicycling
Twice a year Noah Prezant’s family heads out to mountain unicycle festivals. Riding a unicycle on mountain trails is a passion 16-year-old Noah, who also goes to North Buncombe High, developed when he was in the fourth grade. He admits there can be a steep learning curve with this sport, but encourages kids who want to do it to keep practicing. “Just persevere and you’ll get there,” he says. “After you get started, it’s kind of like riding a bike. You just know how to do it.” Prezant spends time riding and practicing new skills at Bent Creek, but he says his favorite trail is in Pisgah Forest and he also enjoys the trails at DuPont State Forest near Brevard. He prefers not to use a brake on a unicycle because he says it makes it harder if you start relying on the brakes. “I just put pressure on the back of the pedals. It slows you down and becomes second nature after a while.”
W N C PA R E N T. C O M
Noah Prezant has a passion for riding his unicycle on mountain trails. And he doesn’t use the brakes. COURTESY OF NOAH PREZANT/SPECIAL TO WNC PARENT
Not just for the boys Getting an adrenaline rush isn’t just for the guys. Girls have similar interests, and summer camp can be a good way to get an introduction into some of the more extreme activities. “We definitely offer high adventure classes for our girls,” says Meredith Saine, program director at Camp Ton-AWandah in Hendersonville. “We offer whitewater rafting, extended backpacking trips, paddle boarding, zipline ropes course and a climbing wall, which I would say is close to 50 feet.” The off-property trips require sign up before the girls get to camp, but for the activities at Camp Ton-A-Wandah, the campers sign up on a first come, first serve basis. Saine says the rock climbing and ropes course are the most popular. “We like to get our girls out of their comfort zone and introduce them to new things,” Saine says. “Those are typically the activities they love most. It’s freeing for them. It’s also a good way for them to bond with each other because some of the classes require teamwork and teaches them to work together as a group.” Saine says it’s also satisfying to watch the girls increase their skills as they return in following summers. They gain more confidence in traversing the rock wall or in other activities and find they really enjoy pushing the limits.
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