At age 13, Mike Berdis has already been riding a skateboard for nearly seven years.

Yesterday, in his first heat skating with seven others in a jam session at the Red Bull Manny Mania competition at the Penn Hills Skatepark, Mike wowed the judges with a variety of tricks.

The competition called for skaters to highlight tricks riding on just two wheels -- the Manual.

"It's a lot of balance -- like riding a wheelie," said judge Dave Yungwirth, who works for PA Cheap Skates. "It takes a lot of practice. It's hard to get your feet set up."

A total of 34 riders participated in the event, with the hope of ultimately winning a $7,000 digital video camera prize pack. The winner will be chosen from online votes and then have a chance to compete against the best from across the country.

During his first heat, Mike spent a great deal of time grinding on a small rail in the course.

He easily moved on to the semi-finals, despite competing against several adults in the round.

"The kid from Erie, he's really good," Mr. Yungwirth said.

Another who was tops in the first heat, O.J. Hays, repeatedly got cheers from the crowd gathered around the specially built pad, which featured ramps and steps.

Mr. Hays, 20, of Wheeling, started to skate seven or eight years ago.

"I saw kids doing it, and I thought it looked cool," he said.

Mr. Hays got cheers for his Hang 10 Surf Style Nose Manual, but his hardest trick was the Switch Nose Manual Fakie 360 Flip.

When asked to describe it, he looked a bit perplexed, then simply said, "It's very hard to explain."

Though it's possible this is not a full description, Mr. Hays said it involves skating backwards, and then making the skateboard flip and the skater turn.

"It takes years of practice," he said.

Zachery McCarthy is starting young. At age 6, he appeared to be the youngest person skating at the park. He was there with his older brother, Taylor, who is 10.

Taylor looked the part of a skater, with a shock of blue hair coming out from the front of his backwards-turned hat. He's been skating for a year and a half.

At first, it made his dad, Tom McCarthy, nervous.

"After you watch them fall on their butts so many times, it's second nature," he said. "You just have to keep good health insurance."

Taylor has never seriously injured himself skating, though he did require 17 stitches when a buddy's board flew off a ramp and hit him in the head.

Mr. McCarthy's sons became interested in skating from watching it on television and following competitions online.

"I [skated] when I was a kid -- 25 or 30 years ago," he said. "If I got on there now, I'd break my hip."

He built the boys a quarter-pipe on a small basketball court at their home in Niles, Ohio. The boys also have rails and ramps to practice on.

"He skates every day -- rain or shine," Mr. McCarthy said. "He sleeps with a skateboard."

Like most of the others who competed yesterday, Mike Berdis skates for three or four hours a day. He also has his own half-pipe at home. But, he said, he mostly skates in downtown Erie.

When asked what he likes best about skating, Mike, dressed in a black tank top with a red beanie, said, "the individuality."

"In baseball, you need to get a whole team together to practice," he said. "To skate, you can just go out on the street by yourself."