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PRO SKATEBOARDER "ROCKS" LAKEHURST
Building On The Rock Church Hosts Skateboard Demonstration
By Kim Fink
 | | --Photos By Kim Fink Pro skater Danny Morrin gave young and old alike some thrills in Lakehurst when he put on a skate demo on Saturday, courtesy of Building On The Rock Church, Manchester. |
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Professional skateboarder Danny Morrin visited Lakehurst's Lake Horicon on Saturday, treating local children to an un- forgettable performance of daring tricks, followed by a lesson in basic skateboard technique. Morrin's visit was thanks to friends at Building On The Rock Church in Manchester, who hosted and sponsored the free event.
"We kept it open to all community children. They do not need to be church members to participate,"
said Joe Serratoli, youth leader and
assistant coordinator to the event. "We're hoping to have a lot of these
type of children's events throughout the year. We're having a family fun day next week, a fear factor event for kids in October and a dodge ball competition in November."
The festivities began at 12:30 p.m., as the crowd gathered in a circle around the obstacle course of ramps set up specifically for the day's activities. The blaring Rock music grew louder and louder as the show progressed and the stunts became more aggressive. Morrin was joined by local fans and fellow skateboarders Justin Rivera and Joe Shimak. Children screamed in delight at Morrin's heart-stopping acrobatics. The tension mounted as the finale approached and spectators held their breath when Morrin performed his final stunt.
"He actually jumped over a car! It was so cool!" shouted Agha Olikeja, who was attending the performance with friend Kayla Wisniewski. "It was a great day, I really enjoyed it."
And a great day it was. The weather turned from rain to sunshine just in time to set up for the event and stayed sunny and warm throughout the afternoon.
"We prayed for good weather and that's
what we got," said Krista Tafaro, who was
on hand to help out with the day's events. "It was a lot of work but Darin did a terrific
job and just seeing the kids having so much fun is worth all the work."
Darin Smith, head of youth services for the church, said he was very pleased with the way the day turned out and how many children showed up.
"We did this in Tuckerton a while back and it was a lot of fun so we brought it down here," said Darin Smith's wife, Kelly.
Even children who were not initially interested in skateboarding had a terrific time. Eleven-year-old Gage Grant came
just to watch but left hoping to try some
of the new techniques when he got home. "I'm not really a skateboarder but I'm going
to give it a try. It's really awesome," he said.
The day ended with a speech by Morrin and local church officials and concluded with a raffle drawing where winners were awarded t-shirts, books and skateboards.
For more information on Building On The Rock Church or for Danny Morrin's performance schedule, contact Darin Smith at 732-657-7040.
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