ROCKPORT — It felt like the first real day of spring yesterday. After the long, dragged out winter, it felt good to sit on a large chunk of granite pier by the ocean at Rockport Harbor and soak up the afternoon sun. Boat builders at Rockport Marine were outside, moving a bunch of heavy chains, tending to business and a group of kids were attempting to skateboard off the stacked floating docks.

Real skaters know every spot in a town where to ollie, grind, slide and bomb. Having known a bunch of skate rats, I have a real affinity for the ones who take risks to do what they love. I'm already anticipating getting crap for not telling these kids they should wear helmets or suggest they take their sport over to the sanctioned skate parks, instead of running around town and practicing the old-school organic way.

They let me film them, but I decided not to use their names.

"Our parents all know we skate," one said. "They told us if you get hurt, it's your own fault."

I see it like this: This is a visual snapshot to show you what kids do in our town when adults aren't around. These were polite kids, sweet natured. They could have been doing a lot worse or wasting the first real spring-like sunny day we've had in months holed up in a dark basement texting one another or glued to a laptop.

Instead, they were messing around, playing, practicing, improvising, experimenting. Doing kid stuff.

Remember people, skateboarding is not a crime.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com