Viewfinder: In the Air at the Sammamish Skatepark

When I'm in Sammamish and I don't know what to do, I often head to the skatepark at .

The young people - and a few older ones, too - always amaze me with their scooters, skateboards, and well, daring skills. They want to soar. They twist, balance and turn.

Each time, I'm reminded of how the thrill and challenge of flying through the air and testing yourself can outweigh caution, well, that comes with age.

When I first saw the skatepark a few months ago, it was pretty chilly and forecasters had talked about la Nina for this season's winter. So, I asked the boys there what they were going to do if snow accumulated on the cement slopes and curves.

Their response: Return with their snowboards.

I thought: Good answer. I had not thought of that. But I liked it.

For many young people in Sammamish, the skatepark is a central meeting place. Each day, you'll often see teens wearing backwards baseball caps, some sitting on BMX bikes and a slew of skateboards and two-wheeled scooters.

Look in the parking lot and you'll see older-style sports cars that have been altered. When I dropped by Tuesday afternoon, I spotted a boy wearing a shirt that read: "I believe."

Mayor Don Gerend recounted once how the city had considered turning off the overhead lights in the evenings to save money. But adults approached city officials, he said, and asked that the lights remain on at night - even though most residents were sleeping.

The reason, as Gerend recalled: Those adults work at Microsoft. They work late. They show up at the skatepark in the middle of the night to, well, blow off some smoke - and see just how high in the air they can get before gravity pulls them down.

There is an unspoken ethos to the skate and scooter world. Sometimes, you just have to show up and watch.

No one called me "old man." So, I was happy about that.