'Board' kids go with Flow

RIVERTON — Most weekends, hundreds of kids skateboard and bicycle along the parks and pathways of Utah. Last weekend, they got the opportunity to do it on a competitive level.

The Free Flow Tour made Utah one of its 16 stops. Local amateur athletes tested their skills in skate and BMX competitions to vie for a place in the tour finals to be held at Portland, Ore., Aug. 17-20.

One such enthusiast, 19-year-old Adrian Digio, came from Denver. "Everyone rides a bike. What's new?" he asked.

Digio found out for himself. He started trying tricks like wheelies and spins on a dirt jump track near his house. Soon, he was hooked. Six years later, he can do a smart 360 tail whip or a back flip. "It's absolute fun," he said.

The dream of making the "fun thing" a profession brought many like Digio at the OGIO training facility, the venue for the competition.

For Morgan Harwell, it was easy. All his friends skateboard. So when he saw the ad at the local skate shop he entered the competition.

"I started skateboarding a year ago. But now I can't live without it," said Harwell, a sophomore at Hillcrest High School.

"Competitive skateboarding is really picking up in the state," tour manager Dan Colbert said. "There are tons of good cement and indoor parks in the state and the level of competition is really high."

Bryant Chapo from Fort Hall, Idaho, won in skateboarding from among a field of 16. The skateboarding competition was held Saturday, while BMX went the next day.

Chapo had won last year too and is currently involved with Krux, a skateboarding company in California.

"He has a good chance of winning the finals at Oregon," Tyson Burbank said.

The 11-year-old Burbank, who took second spot behind Chapo in the under-18 event, is only a sixth-grader at Peruvian Park Elementary School. This is his fifth year skate boarding.

With 20-25 hours of training every week and three-to-four competitions a month, Burbank is readying himself up fast for the challenges of pro.

However, BMX rider A.J. Anaya is in no hurry to get there. "I enjoy the bike tricks," said the 21-year-old, who was the second runner-up. "Competitions are a great place to test your skills and to travel."