Tony Hawk skating tour brings back familiar face

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Virginia Beach is turning out pro skaters.

Take Sergie Ventura, who got his start on city ramps. In 1996 the Green Run High School grad broke the Guinness World Record for the highest air on a skateboard.

"Just trying to make my name around the world out of Virginia Beach," Ventura said.

He's back in the 757 today along with his pro skating buddies for Tony Hawk's Boom Boom HuckJam at the Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater. The tour is packed with high-flying skaters, motocross enthusiasts and BMX riders.

As a teen, Ventura, 37, joined the Windsor Woods Crew, a group of Virginia Beach skating enthusiasts who skated together every day. He still carries the crew with him - on his arm.

"We all branded ourselves with forks," he said. The W stands for Windsor Woods.

When Ventura is in town, he still hangs out with the guys. "That's like our childhood friendship that's gone on for 30 years."

Ventura doesn't conquer the ramps without plenty of practice. When he's at home, he hits up Mount Trashmore, but he gets in his hard-core practice time at California skate parks, where the pros hang out.

"When I'm at Mount Trashmore, everyone is pushing off of me. When I'm out there, I'm pushing off of Tony Hawk."

Ventura will be 38 this week, but you'd never know it. "I have the body of a 23-year-old." For him, it's all about diet and exercise. He drinks as much water as possible and packs in lots of vegetables. His other secret is martial arts to keep him limber.

"My body is my temple. It's like a machine. I have to keep it oiled for it to perform well."

With all of the high jumps, Ventura is bound to run into some health issues, but they don't stop him. "I've skated with a bad shoulder, pulled muscles and sore muscles," he said - nothing that a cortisone shot can't fix.

For Ventura, skating at home today is much more exciting than his recent stint touring as a backup dancer for Madonna.

"I'm known for going high, so if you're in the back of the crowd, you're definitely going to see me flying over everybody."

DeAnne M. Bradley, (757) 222-3897, deanne.bradley@link757.com