Chris Blazier brought his son C.J. to the Vans Skatepark last Saturday morning so he could compete for the chance to be featured in a skateboarding DVD.
Orlando was the first stop for the Andale Posse Tour, a 12-city national tour whose goal is to showcase a new "up-and-coming" skater in each place. C.J.
was one of 18 local skaters who signed up to be a part of the competition. The elder Blazier thought the tour would be a good opportunity for his son. It gave 13-year-old C.
J. a chance to stand out among his peers. That is something his father does almost every time he sets foot in any skatepark.
That's because the elder Blazier isn't your average dad. He doesn't sit in the stands and watch while his son is skating. He is on another ramp trying to pull off some tricks of his own.
In a room full of young skaters trying to make a name for themselves, Chris Blazier stood out Saturday, and he wasn't even part of the competition. For Blazier, the tour was just another way to spend some time with his son and 11-year old daughter Kassidy, who also skates. "It's a nice thing to do with the family," Chris said.
"Most families go out for breakfast or dinner or whatever. We come skate all day . .
. it kind of brings us closer together." While C.
J. enjoys being able to skate with his dad, he has a theory as to why Chris continues to skate. "He's crazy," the younger Blazier said.
Some might think you would have to be nuts even to try to skate with your kids, but according to Danny Tackett, the events supervisor at Vans Skatepark, Blazier isn't the only crazy one. "It's not uncommon at all for us to see parents skate with their kids ," he said. "I think it is kind of shocking to see to the general public, though.
" The thing that shocked most people on Saturday was just how good some local skaters are. "I think there's a lot of good guys here," Steve Caballero said. Caballero, who has skated professionally since 1980 and is considered a legend in the sport, serves as one of three judges on the tour.
"There's a lot of hidden talent," he said. "We're not looking for the sponsored skater; we're looking for the skater that's kind of like an unknown." On this day, that skater was Bryan Pederson, 18, of Orlando, who won the competition, impressing the judges with several nice tricks.
Beads of sweat poured down his smiling face after he won the competition; he was stoked. Chris Blazier knew how he felt. Although his son did not win the competition, he was just happy to be there, skating.
"I remember being C.J.'s age and watching Caballero skate," he said.
"Now here I am skating on the same place at the same time. It's an exciting moment."
-- PHOTO 2: Above: Josue Sanchez (left) and Jordan Price get together with skating legend Steve Caballero for a quick picture during the first stop of the Andale Posse Tour at Vans Skatepark. Top: 13-year-old C.J.
Blazier gets some air during the event.
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