"Skateboarding isn't a sport," Barry Blumenthal insists. "It's a culture."

Blumenthal is one of the founders of Skatestock, a one-day festival that "connects the dots between skateboarding, surfing, art, music and science."

Saturday's event near downtown Houston also links the present with the past, offering the young (and not-so-young) the opportunity to ride with skateboarding's pioneers.

Now in its third year, Skatestock will welcome riding's royalty to Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark, including Hall of Famers Lance Mountain, Steve Olson, Peggy Oki and Tony Alva. Other skateboarding legends on hand will be Steve Alba, John Gibson, Wally Inouye, Craig Johnson, Doug Saladino, Chris Strople, Jerry Valdez, Brian Brannon and Tim Kerr. These men - and Oki - pioneered the aerial maneuvers later adopted by skiers, snowboarders and cyclists.

"The legends range in age from 51 to 57," Blumenthal says. "They're not kids, but they still skate and rip. And they come to Houston because (Skatestock) is a cool event.

More Information Skatestock III When: 1-5 p.m. Saturday Where: Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark, 103 Sabine Information: skatestock.wordpress.com Auction: 7-9 p.m. Saturday at Dean's Downtown, 316 Main KBR Kids Day on Buffalo Bayou Buffalo Bayou Park on Saturday also will host KBR Kids Day on Buffalo Bayou. The free event, held adjacent to the skate park, encourages exploration of and recreation on Buffalo Bayou. When: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday Where: Sabine Promenade, 150 Sabine What: Nature-themed crafts, music, kayak demonstrations, Halloween costume parade, birds of prey show Details: buffalobayou.org

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"There really is nothing like it. The chance to interact and skate with legends. It'd be like a baseball fan tossing a ball around with Babe Ruth."

The legends will be showing off their moves in the bowls of the park, which will be transformed into an open-air gallery featuring works by some of the country's best street artists.

Contributing to the park's murals will be an international lineup of street artists: Dmote, Mast One, Color, Kaze, Wiley and Houston native (and Brooklyn-based) Vizie.

Performing just outside the bowls will be local punk and metal bands Venomous Maximus, Supergrave, Something Fierce, Anarchitex and Contortion Session.

"It's a sensory overload," Blumenthal said, adding that there's nothing like skateboarding to a live soundtrack. "There's a very real energy exchange between the bands and the skaters. It's palpable."

And for those who want to understand how the skaters make those moves, Rice University professor Adrian Lenardic will be conducting physics experiments relating to skater velocity and weightlessness.

John "Tex" Gibson embodies the spirit of Skatestock. A former pro skateboarder, Gibson plays in the skate-rock band Sugar Shack and designs decks for his company, Embassy Skateboards, which has an international clientele.

"When you skateboard, it's an art, not a sport. When you ride, you listen to skate bands," Gibson said.

At age 49, Gibson admits that he "doesn't skate as much. Skating gets a little hard on the body."

But he said that it's important that he supports the art and the up-and-coming artists.

"It seems to have come full circle," Gibson said. "The young riders have seen the videos and the magazines (of the legends). They have a lot of respect for us. Now they are carrying (the art) on."

As for Blumenthal, look for him in the bowls on Saturday.

"I'll be 50 in March, but I'm always ready to skate," he said. "And there's nothing cooler than skating with a legend."

The event benefits the Morgan Moss Foundation, a nonprofit that provides photography equipment to Texas high schools and supports arts programs in the schools. Moss, a Houston native, avid skateboarder and photographer, died in car accident four years ago. He was 25.

A bench in the skateboard park serves as a memorial to the young man.

At an afterparty Saturday night, works created by Skatestock's artists will be auctioned with proceeds going to the foundation.

Blumenthal said the Morgan Moss Foundation's mission ties in perfectly with the skatepark, where youngsters and teens are constantly filming and photographing their friends.

Blumenthal expects more than 500 people to come out for Skatestock III, a free event.

"The key to Skatestock is that you don't have to be a skateboarder to enjoy it," he says.

Legends to sign autographs at Kuykendahl park

Several of the legends also will arrive in Houston a day early to take part in official grand-opening ceremonies of the largest skate park in North America.

"High Noon," a sculpture created by skateboarder Steve Olson, will be unveiled at 5 p.m. Friday at Spring Skatepark, 12351 Kuykendahl, which has been open since mid-August.

Mayor Annise Parker will be on hand for the ceremonies, which will include an autograph session with Olson and some of his skateboarding contemporaries, including Mountain, Alba, Inouye and Jerry Valdez.