Extreme Athletes Help High School Students Ride Out The Influence
See a slideshow of the athletes' performance.
Erica Love
Remember the people who would come to your school telling you to "D.A.R.E to be different"? Then you have officially dated yourself. D.A.R.E. was a police officer and stuffed lion-led lessons that taught elementary school children how to resist peer pressure and live exciting drug and violence-free lives.
But the new cool way to stay off drugs is the ASA way. ASA Action Sports Entertainment is an extreme sports group that reaches out to kids to educate them on the dangers on tobacco and to offer students ways to cope with the pressure to start smoking. The ASA BMX all-stars have been in town this week visiting area high schools to share their message.
At North Forest High School they set up a 14 foot half-pipe, and while doing insane BMX tricks they also shared statistics about the dangers of tobacco as part of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
Students got a chance to interact with the pros and take pictures with inline skater Eito Yasutoko, skateboarder Jay Stevason and bikers Tom Haugen, Jay Eggleston and Gabe Weed. They also had a group of Marines on hand for fitness demonstrations and to give away prizes.
"I think it made a difference [hearing all the tobacco facts]" one 12th grade student said. Another student's mother was excited that the athletes had reached out to the schools.
"They really need some positive reinforcement" she said.
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