There are times, in parenting, when you just want to look the other way. I feel like that every single time I set foot in the world-class cement structure known as the Park City Skateboard Park. As it happens, I set foot in there daily for a week at a time, sometimes more than once, each summer.

From the moment they learned how to skateboard last summer–no, from the moment I bought them all the gear last summer, they have fancied themselves little Shaun Whites. Simply put: my children are suckers for the skatepark, and they are crazygonuts for the skateboarding camps offered by Park City Recreation Department. Offered weekly, the camps are taught by our town’s super-talented teen (and maybe even younger) skateboard instructors. Great talent–and even great teaching talent–knows no age. This may or may not hold true only within the confines of the skateboard park. Regardless, I’m totally impressed by the quality of instruction my kids receive at this camp.

This, however, does not cancel out my overriding fear that the children are going to maim themselves in the name of a totally rad trick. These tricks have cool skater names, but I tend to (privately) name them after the injuries they have the potential to produce. The Spine Tangler. The Shoulder Dislocater, The Fibular Fracture. You get the idea.

Still, for two hours a day, my kids revel in the ramps. And, in fairness, they are learning to skate safely. And as you can see from this video clip, we aren’t exactly into high-risk skill sets….YET.

(link to Seth demonstrating his moves)

Nevertheless, I make it my business to keep my cardiac health intact by running and hiking during the hours they are at camp–because after all, at the end of the day, they are going to want me to watch them show off their mad skillz.