TIGHT GRIP—Skatelab summer camper Gage Boyle, 11, does a wall ride during a trick competition recently. The Simi Valley youngster, who takes pride in learning new tricks on his own, is a topranked skater in the California Amateur Skateboard League for unsponsored riders in his age group. If there were a Harlem Globetrotters squad for skateboarders, Gage Boyle would be the main attraction.

The Simi Valley resident can ride a skateboard like a seasoned pro. The 11-year-old started the sixth grade at Hollow Hills Elementary School this week.

During a recent camp at Skatelab in Simi, Boyle careened over the ramps and rails with aplomb, gusto and confidence.

Even his crashes were spectacular.

After losing his deck on one trick, Boyle glided across the floor, his hands outstretched as if he were sliding over a sheet of ice.

“He can do everything,” said Corey Philips, a Skatelab employee who coached Boyle at the camp. “He’ll do tricks I’ve never seen before. He’s gnarly.”

Boyle has his share of accolades and rankings, but for him skating is mostly about having fun.

“It’s a great thing,” Boyle said of his passion for skating. “You have fun with all your friends, and there’s no pressure.”

Boyle, who has been skating since he was 5, qualified for the King of the Groms competition which will take place in February 2010 in Minnesota.

The youngster is one of about 60 skaters from around the country who will participate at the King of the Groms, a tournament for skaters 12 and younger. In July, Boyle won the Intermediate Street Final at the Woodward West Skatepark in Tehachapi, Calif., earning his trip to the North Star State.

Boyle, considered one of the finest younger skaters in the city, is very respectful, Philips said.

“He’s a real good kid,” said Philips, who graduated from Westlake High School in 2007 and lives in Thousand Oaks. “A lot of kids have attitude, but he’ll do his own thing. He’s a well-rounded kid. His parents are raising him great.”

Rick Boyle and Tessie Kamakura encourage their only child to have fun skating—and they’re in no rush to find sponsors for him.

“I tell him to enjoy it and have fun,” Kamakura said. “It’s not about winning.”

Rick Boyle skated as a youngster and jumped back on his decks when his son took up the sport.

“He took one (skating) lesson, and he was done with soccer,” the elder Boyle said. “I taught him how to turn on a skateboard, and that was it. Everything else was self-taught.”

The father and son try to ride together, but according to Rick Boyle, he’s the one who has to keep up with the youngster.

“I’ve been slowing down a little bit,” he said with a laugh. “Every time the old man falls, it takes a little longer to recover.

“It’s incredible to see his constant progression. Hopefully, he keeps a level head the whole time. It’s really about fun. We try to be as encouraging as possible.”

Gage Boyle said he skates every day, and he goes through one board every five months. At home, he has about 20 to 30 decks. It took him about two years to learn the basics and to perform tricks comfortably.

The Simi Valley youngster enjoys learning new tricks, usually off the cuff.

“I don’t learn things every time, but I just try to learn new things by skating and getting ready,” he said. “I try to mix it up a bit and try new tricks.”

Boyle said his favorite maneuver is a tre flip, or a 360-degree kickflip, over a ramp.

Last weekend, the youngster had another strong showing at Woodward West, earning a second-place finish for unsponsored boys’ 11 to 12, in a California Amateur Skateboard League competition.

Boyle is ranked first in his age bracket among Southern California skaters in the CASL.

Boyle said he enjoys throwing a baseball around with his dad and cousin, and likes science classes at school.

His friend Justin Wise, 10, of Simi Valley, enjoys spending time with Boyle at Skatelab.

Boyle taught Wise a kickflip 8 stair a few weeks ago.

“He’s fun to skate with,” Wise said of Boyle. “And he’s really good. I just like hanging out with him when I come here.”