Professional Rollerbladers Chris Edwards and John Ortiz showed up at Ames’ new skate park Thursday to take a break from editing videos and to carve up the new park.

They were in town due to a collaboration between Championship Productions of Ames and Woodward Sports Camp in Woodward, Penn.

“We’re in Iowa to help work on an instructional video that Championship Productions puts out on Rollerblading,” said Chris Edwards, Camp Woodward counselor.

Camp Woodward is the leading action-sports camp in the country. Coincidentally, Championship Productions of Ames is the world’s largest producer of instructional sports videos.

Edwards came to Woodward as a highly decorated skater. He took home the gold medal in High Air at the first X-Games, as well as earning a medal in both Street and Vert during the 1996 and 1997 X-Games. He also won the first-ever World Championships in Rollerblading.

“I was the first person to ever grind down a handrail on blades, and the first person to break the 12-foot barrier off a vert ramp on blades,” Edwards said. “I’ve been blading for 17 years now, so the call me the ‘Godfather’ of Rollerblading.”

Edwards had nothing but praise for Ames’ new skate park.

“Whoever put this park together did an awesome job,” he said. “It’s a little small, but everything links together nice and the rails are perfect for everyone.”

Edwards’ co-worker, John Ortiz, has been skating for over 12 years now and turned professional in 1996.

“After I won a local competition in New York, the first prize was a trip to Woodward. About a year after that, I turned pro and I’ve been helping at Woodward ever since,” said Ortiz, a participant in both the 1999 and 2000 X-Games.

Ortiz was quick to praise the new park as well. “I love concrete,” Ortiz said. “On concrete, you have to be so true on all your tricks, so it makes you a better skater.”

Local skaters were scattered around the edges of the park, soaking it all in. “I’ve been skating off and on for about two years now, and this is the first time I’ve seen a pro,” said Brendan Ford, 21. “Some of the tricks these guys were pulling were sick. The air they got on their tricks was even sicker.”

Darryl Bennett, Marketing Director for Championship Productions, and Trip Hedrick, former ISU men’s swimming coach and current Director of Business Development for Championship Productions, were in attendance and were equally impressed with the pro skaters.

“These guys make it look easy,” Hedrick said. “These guys are excellent athletes and it shows.”

Despite their combined 30 years of experience skating, Ortiz and Edwards still strap on the helmets, a decision Bennett wishes more kids would make.

“These guys have been skating professionally for years, and they still strap on the safety gear,” Bennett said. “Our videos really stress the need for safety equipment in this sport, and that’s something we hope these kids catch.”

After their stop in Ames, Edwards and Ortiz will take their Woodward tour to Minneapolis, Minn. As far as Championship Production’s instructional video on Rollerblading, a tentative Jan. 1 release date has been set. People can go to www.campwoodward.com to purchase it.