Professional skateboarders, BMX bikers and inline skaters of the Get Up Tour visit campus

On March 8, the Get Up Tour came to campus, bringing a mobile half-pipe and a slew of professional extreme sports athletes. The visit was organized by Dean of Students Michael Hicks and was the second time in three years the tour made its way to MVHS to teach students the dangers of tobacco use.

The event was held during lunch in the Academic Quad and featured numerous performances like vert skateboarding and biking (in which performers ride a half-pipe and launch themselves in the air while performing tricks), freestyle BMX and inline skating. An announcer discussed the dangers of teenage tobacco use and tips for use prevention. The tour itself is a podium to spread the message of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids with sponsor partners which include the United States Marines and Microsoft Xbox 360 brand.

Rain eventually put an early end to the festivities, dampening the metal half-pipe and preventing the athletes from performing to the best of their ability. However, students were still able to test their strength in a pull-up challenge in the United States Marines booth, where prizes were awarded for meeting a certain number of repetitions.

The tour will continue to perform at schools all over the country, with over 100 scheduled visits planned for the remainder of 2010.