ATLANTA — Skateboarding is one of the newest sports at the Olympics, and while the world will be watching athletes shred it up in hopes of claiming a spot on the podium, there are aspiring skaters just kicking off their skating careers in Atlanta.
14-year-old Messiah Massey is one of those hopefuls. It’s a feeling unlike any other, he said, when he’s on the board.
“When you land your first trick, the adrenaline in your body going off,” Massey shared. “The happiness going on.”
On a summer morning, Massey is among other kids and teens gathered at the Historic Old Fourth Ward Skatepark for a special camp; Massey, a counselor-in training, is part of Skate ATL.
“It's called a skate scene,” he explained. “So everybody's got their own skate family.”
The group, conceived by Allan Minter, offers camp and regular lessons to all ages with a goal for growth -- on and off the skateboard.
“The primary purpose of this camp,” Minter told 11Alive, “and what Skate ATL does in general is build confidence in these kids. They can come out to skate parks and it can be overwhelming.”
Skate ATL flips that feeling, helping break down the basics for beginners while providing opportunities for advancement for those more skilled.
“These kids are learning 180s, kick flips,” Minter said. “This is a whole other level.’
As the best in the world skate onto the international stage in the Paris Olympic Games, the sport's popularity continues to grow.
“The youth movement has a lot to do with it,” Minter said. “These kids are 12, 13, 14 years old.”
“How far it’s already come is kind of insane,” Matt "Atreau" Mercer, a coach for the group, said. “And just thinking how much further it could go.”
That increased interest also means leaning in to the culture for Mercer and others.
“We tend to look at the world a little bit differently as skateboarders,” he explained. “A lot of people see sidewalks, curbs and stairs. We see things we can create on.”
Such obstacles also offer their own lessons for youth.
“You’re going to fall,” Massey said. “If you don't get back up you're not going to succeed at whatever you're trying to do.”