An island, even one "26 miles across the sea" (or, more accurately speaking, 22 miles as the crow or seagull flies), even one with as much natural beauty and as many things to do as Catalina, can feel like a mighty lonely place to a teenager who would rather be hanging out with his friends.

To the rescue comes the City of Avalon's Skate Park, at the Field of Dreams on Avalon Canyon Road.

Truth be told, it isn't the most gnarly of skate parks. Anyone devoted to skateboarding will no doubt compare it to the skate parks of home and find it at least slightly wanting. But the small fenced-in area does have a good assortment of features, including a small street course, complete with curbs, along with a mini ramp, a half-pipe, quarter pipes, and grinding rails-certainly sufficient for any experienced or budding skateboarder to practice moves, especially ollies. (For those of you who don't know skateboard terminology, grinding is riding a board along a narrow edge such as a curb or rail; and the ollie, most basic of modern skateboard tricks, was named in the late 1970s for Alan "Ollie" Gelfand, the first skateboarder to perfect the art of going full-tilt and suddenly leaping into the air, the skateboard seemingly levitating just below the rider's feet.)

As a correspondent for one skateboard devotees' website assessed it, "It's not the best of parks, but it will keep you sane if you are staying on Catalina Island." That sanity will no doubt extend to the skateboarder's parents as well.

Going Skateboarding
The City of Avalon's Skate Park is an easy walk (or roll) away, located at 400 Avalon Canyon Road, at the intersection of Tremont Street, immediately behind the City Hall and Fire Department on the southern edge of downtown Avalon. The Skate Park is open daily; check posted public hours. Admission is free. For more information, phone 310-510-1987.

It's a good idea to have your skateboarders pack their own boards for the trip to Catalina, and bring along any repair tools and spare parts they're likely to need. They might find equipment in Avalon's shops, but it's always better to arrive prepared than to wind up sorry.

And speaking of preparation, helmets are the only required protective gear at the Avalon Skate Park. But prevail upon your skateboarders to bring along not just their helmets but also kneepads and elbow pads. It's a smart move to be overprotected rather than underprotected when skateboarding, especially on an unfamiliar course likely to be populated by other riders you don't know. If that suggestion is met with resistance by your teenager, point out that top pro competitors like Tony Hawk, Bucky Lasek, Lynn-Z Adams-Hawkins, and Vanessa Torres all protect themselves with a full complement of pads and a helmet.

Another good idea is to accompany your skateboarder to the Avalon Skate Park on his first visit. (If he or she resists, simply tell a white lie that, since you're both new to town, you simply want to know precisely where they'll be while you're off doing your own thing.) Use this accompanied visit as an opportunity to read and review together all the rules and guidelines posted by the City of Avalon.

Then, set off to have a good time yourself, rendezvousing at the appointed hour to share some family time that's been miraculously purged of those "cold war" tensions!