That incredible sound of urethane wheels gripping the surface along with the occasional "stay early, use both arms, keep your head up!" and other words of encouragement are audible in the distance. A group of slalom riders gather at the top of the courses and discuss equipment and technique.

I had the opportunity to hold "Camp Holl" every Tuesday and Thursday night for the past three months. The "Camp" was a tool to try and get anyone, regardless of their level, to come out and improve their slalom skills. We had sessions that had 15 riders as well as sessions with two. Most "campers" have day jobs, and winding down your day with a few hours of riding is a great way to rid yourself of stress. Several riders dropped in to the camp for an evening of slalom while they were on business or vacation here in the Bay Area.

I spent a lot of hours coaching, but so did the rest of the riders. We talked about "staying early" through cones, foot placement, body position, equipment selection, using both arms and keeping your head up. I can't describe how good it feels to help someone learn how to pump through cones for the first time or to help someone with their technique and watch them ride clean and fast through a difficult course for the first time. I gained a lot of satisfaction watching riders improve each week. To get beginners together with experienced riders and to share with each other is a great thing. I recommend that everyone create their own "Camp Holl" and watch the level or riding improve.

Despite the rumors of me yelling through a cone while riding along side Some of riders, everyone that participated enjoyed the "camp". Sure I used the cone to encourage riders to skate clean and fast. I even had a few of the riders give me 10 push ups for each cone they knocked over. A little discipline never hurt anyone.

Here are a few quotes from a few of the many riders that attended:

Erik Takaoka: "The "vibe" at the Camp Holl sessions reminds me of the good times I spent skating pools and skateparks back in the 70's and 80's with Gary - making new friends, helping each other improve, different skating styles, and making the best of our concrete "canvas." Basically, Camp Holl is a great way for novice and experienced skaters to have a great time!"

Julius Pleshakov: "Camp Holl has been a great place for new and old riders to practice on many different styles of courses. Gary sets warm up & challenging Courses that keep you comming back for more."

John Kim: "With all of the craziness going on in the world these days, Camp Holl is one of the positive things that brings balance to all the negativity. Twice a week, a motley band of die hard skaters old and new congregate to share in their love of skateboarding. As a newcomer to skateboarding, the welcoming atmosphere, encouragement, comradery, and coaching has helped me to become better at skating than I ever thought was possible."

20:00 hours. The sun is setting and the final few runs are taken, you can see urethane "scrub" marks around the cones. The "scrub" marks clearly identify that the riders were challenged and that they pushed each other to improve their skills and learn more about themselves and slalom.