Family, friends enjoy fun before big meal

While the weather was clear and even a bit warmer than normal Thursday, plenty of people in the Mid-Valley area opted for time in the sun rather than on a couch.

Teenage stunt bikers and skaters indulged their hobby at the Yuba City Skate Park, while the rubber turf field at Yuba City High School hosted an offense-heavy, 10-man game of touch football.

With water bottles and cell phones scattered on the sidelines, the players used half the field for pass-heavy gridiron, where quarterbacks alternated and rarely threw under pressure, thanks to a 5-second wait before they could be "tackled."

While a casual soccer game took place at the other end of the field, Ajay Bhagirath of Yuba City said he quickly lost track of time. The game ended only when everyone realized the Raiders were about to play their own, more professional game on television.

"It's a workout, and it's better than running on a treadmill watching time go by," said Bhagirath, 30. His sister had gone to school with many of the other players, he said, and the rest of the teams were made of family friends.

The men said they played regular games on weekends in a nearby park, but added a Thanksgiving Day contest last year. Past football experience? Largely a season or two in high school, little more, they said.

"We're just having fun, kicking it with a few friends," Bhagirath said.

Change the locale and equipment, and lower the ages by a decade or so, and the same could be said of those jumping, spinning and grinding at the skate park.

Fathers Mike O'Connor and Mike Clingman brought their sons and sons' friends to the park in what they said has been a regular Thanksgiving practice in the last three years.

Griffin Clingman, 13, of Marysville, had fingers pointed his way when the group of skaters were asked who the best was. To demonstrate, he zoomed off on his board and up the side of a ramp, then paused at the top with his board "grinding" for a few seconds along the ramp's top lip. He repeated the move four times.

Griffin's friends tried to emulate the move with varying degrees of success. Mike O'Connor, 52, chuckled as he watched.

"We'll be out here until they get hungry, maybe 3 or 4," he said. "They've got moves for everything they do. Except that one," he added, as one skater lost his board while going up a wall.

Skateboards weren't the only vehicles on display. Joseph Lizama, 15, of Olivehurst took frequent spins on his stunt bike around the park's features, with jumps ending in groans as he landed his bike solidly.

"I worry about overshooting, wrecking," he said. "I've done it before here."

But his worst injury, he said, was relatively innocuous. "I broke my collarbone, but I just fell into the bowl, nothing fancy," he said.

The sun was still high as the young thrill seekers continued their exploits.

For today, it seemed, turkey could wait.

Contact Appeal-Democrat reporter Ben van der Meer at 749-4709 or bvandermeer @appealdemocrat.com.