Skate camp

Skate camp instructor Joe Nixt watches his students skate down the half-pipe at Anderson Skate Park.

Young skateboarders found out how to ‘Rock and Roll’ at the Anderson Skateboard Park last week.

‘Rock and Roll’ is one of many skateboard tricks youth learned during the Anderson Parks and Recreation sponsored skateboard camp.

Joe Nixt, camp instructor and a former professional skateboarder, said the sport has come a long way since he skated in the 1970s and ‘80s. Now, he’s passing the torch onto a new generation of youth skateboarders at the skate park.

Nixt has been teaching the local skate camp since Anderson’s skateboard park opened about six years ago, and he has witnessed local skateboarders improve every year.

“They’ve come a long way. It’s pretty neat to watch them grow up,” Nixt said.

“As a matter of fact, there’s three or four skaters that come here at night that skated with me five, six years ago and they are sponsored skaters today,” he said. “That’s kind of cool. They’ve become little men.”

Nine-year-old Kolby Jennex is one of about a dozen boys, ages 8 to 12, excited to improve his skills at the skateboard camp.

“I thought I could learn a few more tricks,” Jennex said.

The young athlete said learning new things is his favorite part about skateboarding, but the hardest part is actually landing the tricks.

Jennex said he could see himself sticking with the sport for a long time to come.

“I’m probably just going to skate, and maybe become a great skater,” he said.

Instructor Nixt is happy to play a part helping Jennex and the other young skateboarders improve their skills.

“I want them to learn how to take care of their skateboard, how to make sure their wheels are tight and their skateboard is right,” Nixt said. “Then they are going to go out and skate, so I want them to learn safety. They have to have their helmets and elbow pads on.”

Nixt said since he’s been working with most of the skateboarders for a few years, he has an idea about each of their skill levels, and can organize the camp accordingly.

Camp-goers got to play a skateboarding rendition of the basketball game HORSE. In this game, SKATE, one skateboarder does a trick, and the next person in line gives it a try. If they can’t land the trick, they get an S … and so on.

“It’s nice because you can have one group do that for a minute, while you teach some others,” Nixt said.

Although skateboard camp-goers face the risk of falling when they learn tricks, the veteran skateboarder said he doesn’t get overwhelmed trying to teach new tricks to a dozen kids at one time.

“Most of them have spunk,” Nixt said. “These guys have all skated. I have a couple kids that are fairly new, but most of these guys know how to fall.”

“Each kid has an idea about what they can do, and they’re not going to try something they can’t do,” Nixt said.

The skate instructor, who volunteers his time, said he teaches skateboarding to give back to kids, and pass on his knowledge about a sport he grew up with.

“I love the kids. They learn like perfect. You tell them something and they do it. It’s awesome,” he said.