It s a warm, bright day, as a dozen young skateboarders hone their skills on grinding boards, quarter pipes, and other oddly named contraptions. The youngest wears a brightly colored helmet. The park is small and fairly crowded.
Skateboarders wait in line for their turn to take to the air.
In-line skaters thread their way carefully between ramps and zooming skateboards. Occasionally a young girl races alongside a friend as he barrels toward a ramp. There is no shouting or jostling, no posturing or horsing around. Not even a radio, for landing after a jump takes serious concentration. Apart from the whiz and clap of wheels, there is little sound at all.