By:Susan Lin
Tennis, volleyball or soccer will always be with us. For a change of pace, try the Panasonic ShockWave Core Tour presented by Jockey, taking place this weekend at Jones Beach State Park.
At the festival, amateurs and pros will show off their skills on micro-scooters, in-line skates, BMX dirt bikes, skateboards or mountain boards.
The featured professionals at the show will arrive from all over the U.S. And the closest athlete to the area is Carolyn Kunkel, 23, from Amityville.
Kunkel, a featured mountain boarder, is slated to ride off a 35-foot-high ramp called "Big Kicker" that is capable of sending her 50 feet in the distance. Kunkel said, though, that she has to see the ramp first and then decide whether she will perform. "It's got to be safety first," she said.
Kunkel explains that a mountain board is a "skateboard with big wheels." It's also about twice as long, and the wheels are attached to the edges of the board instead of underneath.
Besides mountain boarding, Kunkel also competes on a professional level in snowboarding, another "a sideways sport," said Kunkel, where the rider face sideways against the direction they are going.
Kunkel's introduction to board-based sports arrived at age 9, when she stepped on her first skateboard. Soon after, Kunkel began boogie boarding, surfing and snowboarding. But it wasn't until just a few years ago when Kunkel began mountain boarding.
She was living part-time in Colorado and was sponsored by Oxygen snowboards to compete in that sport. "I met the founders of mountain boarding and my friends were into it," said Kunkel. Soon enough they convinced her to get on a mountain board.
Currently, Kunkel is sponsored by Harbinger protective gear for mountain boarding, and Zeal sunglasses for snowboarding.
Although she prefers extreme sports over the more traditional variety, Kunkel said, "I love all sports. Hiking and tennis are fun. ... Whatever you do, even if it's just walking, just get out there instead of sitting around and watching TV. It's better to do something active and healthy."
The Core Tour isn't only for professionals, though. Amateurs are welcome to compete as well. Local athletes, sign up by bringing your gear and $35 to the registration registration desk after 12 p.m. on Friday, and 8 a.m. on Saturday. You can also pre-register at www.thecourtour.com. Core Tour sponsors will give away $50,000 in prize money.
Or you can just watch: Besides mountain boarding, the "Big Kicker" will have separate competitions for skateboarders and micro-scooters and in-line skates.
The other Core Tour tournaments are the "King of Dirt" Pro-Am for BMX dirt bikers, a Razor Edge freestyle micro-scooter competition to determine who has the best air jump, trick, and catapult.
Then there's the Street course competition, where skateboarders and in-line skaters will have 60 seconds to maneuver through jumps and other obstacles over a race course.
Besides the competitions, visitors can listen to the alternative music bands performing at the Panasonic e-wear Music Festival stage. Fans can also enjoy autograph sessions with athletes and bands, visit the Jockey Comfort Zoneto booth for personalized "Sports Illustrated" cover shots, and register to win one of 50 Panasonic ShockWave personal audio products.
ShockWave Panasonic Core Tour
Jones Beach State Park
2 to 6 p.m., Fri., Aug. 24
9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sat. and Sun., Aug. 25 and 26
Free admission
