Skating through gym class

If you're of the persuasion that gym class can be pretty dreary, try this: Next week, Fillmore Middle School students will study skateboarding.

The curriculum comes from Skate Pass, a company in Boulder, Colorado. Co-owner Eric Klassen, a former pro snow boarder, says the classes fit with state standards. But better than that, the kids will know how to ride a skateboard. And parents: Safety is part of the class, he says.

And on Feb. 8, the school is holding a professional skateboarding demo, with pro skaters and speakers from the International Assn. of Skateboarding Companies.

Is there a danger that if they teach skateboarding in school it will lose its cool?

-- Mary MacVean