Local skateboarder Jake Hibish shows off some of his award-winning moves on the ramp at his home. As the popularity of extreme sports continues to grow, one of our local lads is latching on to the phenomenon with full force. Jake Hilbish, of Forest, recently finished in second place in the Mid-Atlantic Skateboard Series (MASS).
Jake, the son of Brian and Debbie Hilbish, has been skating nearly all of his life. But that's not a surprise when you find out that his father has skateboarded nearly all of his life.
Brian Hilbish, a Brookville alum, was raised in Lynchburg where his skating antics, "got me run off quite a bit," in his words. After a stint in the Air Force, he earned his engineering degree at the University of Colorado. Through it all, Hilbish kept on skating.
Jake's older brother, Nathan, is working on an engineering degree at VCU. Debbie Hilbish said of him, "We tried the organized sports and they just didn't take. Nathan was timid until we put him on a board." She continued,"His confidence and grades all went up."
Jake started skating as a four year old. He played organized ball but felt compelled to make a choice and went with skateboarding.
This year, the family discovered the MASS, which consists of a series of events held in Northern Virginia and Maryland. The eight competitions ran from June until the end of August and are scored on a point system, similar to that used in NASCAR. Jake won three of the individual events outright.
One thing certainly working in his benefit is the existence of a skating ramp on the family's property. The ramp, designed and built by Brian Hilbish is 6 feet high, 24 feet wide and 40 feet long. "I built it because, at the time, that's all Nathan wanted to do," said Brian Hilbish.
It is actually the second ramp to grace the Hilbish estate, the first having been blown down by a tornado in 2001. In the immediate aftermath of that tornado, "Nathan was more worried about the ramp than anything else," Brian Hilbish noted with a chuckle.
Jake could find himself with some headier home-grown competition if some current plans come to fruition. There is a proposal to build a skate park at the Falling Creek Park here in Bedford.
If this park is built, Bedford would join the ranks of other communities that have built such attractions including Blacksburg, Roanoke, Vinton, Christiansburg and Salem.
Father and son skaters Brian (left) and Jake Hibish pose in front of the ramp that Brian built. As Brian Hilbish pointed out, "It's a sport in which some kids who aren't good at other sports kind find a niche. It's also a lifelong sport."
Jake enjoys the sport for a number of reasons. "It's really fun and exciting. You get an adrenaline rush from it," he noted. "You get to determine what things you want to do with a skateboard."
A demonstration by Jake on the skating ramp shows that it is a sport that takes a lot of stamina, strength and coordination. "A friend of mine lost a lot of weight just by skating," declared Jake.
Brian Hilbish added, "I think it's one of the greatest sports for kids if they're brought into the sport right and mentored properly." He also pointed out that skateboarding is a year-round sport that has a lot of camaraderie among the participants.
Skateboarding can be a relatively inexpensive sport compared to golf or hockey, with an initial equipment outlay in the neighborhood of $150.
And, it can be a sport for the more mature set, as well. "I started skating at the park because I was bored with just watching," said the older Hilbish. "For those over forty, if you start out slow and are padded, it's not really dangerous. In fact, a number of fathers have started getting into it."
Original Source: Bedford Bulletin, By Mike Forster
Jake, the son of Brian and Debbie Hilbish, has been skating nearly all of his life. But that's not a surprise when you find out that his father has skateboarded nearly all of his life.
Brian Hilbish, a Brookville alum, was raised in Lynchburg where his skating antics, "got me run off quite a bit," in his words. After a stint in the Air Force, he earned his engineering degree at the University of Colorado. Through it all, Hilbish kept on skating.
Jake's older brother, Nathan, is working on an engineering degree at VCU. Debbie Hilbish said of him, "We tried the organized sports and they just didn't take. Nathan was timid until we put him on a board." She continued,"His confidence and grades all went up."
Jake started skating as a four year old. He played organized ball but felt compelled to make a choice and went with skateboarding.
This year, the family discovered the MASS, which consists of a series of events held in Northern Virginia and Maryland. The eight competitions ran from June until the end of August and are scored on a point system, similar to that used in NASCAR. Jake won three of the individual events outright.
One thing certainly working in his benefit is the existence of a skating ramp on the family's property. The ramp, designed and built by Brian Hilbish is 6 feet high, 24 feet wide and 40 feet long. "I built it because, at the time, that's all Nathan wanted to do," said Brian Hilbish.
It is actually the second ramp to grace the Hilbish estate, the first having been blown down by a tornado in 2001. In the immediate aftermath of that tornado, "Nathan was more worried about the ramp than anything else," Brian Hilbish noted with a chuckle.
Jake could find himself with some headier home-grown competition if some current plans come to fruition. There is a proposal to build a skate park at the Falling Creek Park here in Bedford.
If this park is built, Bedford would join the ranks of other communities that have built such attractions including Blacksburg, Roanoke, Vinton, Christiansburg and Salem.
Father and son skaters Brian (left) and Jake Hibish pose in front of the ramp that Brian built. As Brian Hilbish pointed out, "It's a sport in which some kids who aren't good at other sports kind find a niche. It's also a lifelong sport."
Jake enjoys the sport for a number of reasons. "It's really fun and exciting. You get an adrenaline rush from it," he noted. "You get to determine what things you want to do with a skateboard."
A demonstration by Jake on the skating ramp shows that it is a sport that takes a lot of stamina, strength and coordination. "A friend of mine lost a lot of weight just by skating," declared Jake.
Brian Hilbish added, "I think it's one of the greatest sports for kids if they're brought into the sport right and mentored properly." He also pointed out that skateboarding is a year-round sport that has a lot of camaraderie among the participants.
Skateboarding can be a relatively inexpensive sport compared to golf or hockey, with an initial equipment outlay in the neighborhood of $150.
And, it can be a sport for the more mature set, as well. "I started skating at the park because I was bored with just watching," said the older Hilbish. "For those over forty, if you start out slow and are padded, it's not really dangerous. In fact, a number of fathers have started getting into it."
Original Source: Bedford Bulletin, By Mike Forster
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