Photo by Skip Lawrence Mountain Dew Action Sports Tour star Matthieu Therres shows his skateboarding prowess during a demonstration at Camp Airy on Sunday afternoon.

Matthieu Therres placed fifth in the Baltimore stop of the annual Mountain Dew Action Sports Tour in June. He stopped at Camp Airy on Sunday afternoon to show off his skills at the camp's new skate park.

The 21-year-old, who's originally from Baltimore, said that on breaks from his first national skating tour, he likes to help kids learn to enjoy the sport he's making into his career.

"I like to help kids because I didn't have anyone to help me when I first started," he said.

Therres said he fell in love with skateboarding during his first visit to Charm City Skate Park in Baltimore 10 years ago. He said he was amazed by the skaters' talents, and has been working on his own skills ever since.

"Since then I've skated every day I can," he said. "If I'm not hurting, I'm skating."

Therres said he also gives private and group lessons to kids at Charm City and teaches at a skate camp in Ocean City.

Before taking to the park with Therres on Sunday, the local campers admired the talent of one of their own.

Mikey Nichols, a Camp Airy counselor, skated with Therres during the 20-minute demonstration and said the experience was "amazing."

Nichols, 17, said he's been skating for three years and has competed in several events near his hometown of Morgantown, W.Va.

Camp Airy is open to boys ages 7 to 17, and 380 campers are staying this summer, said director Rick Frankle.

Campers participate in "any sport imaginable," Frankle said, and the camp regularly invites sports figures to talk to campers. The Frederick Keys and a Towson University lacrosse coach are among recent visitors, Frankle said.

In recent years more and more campers have said they'd like to have a skate park on site, Frankle said, so one of the camp's tennis courts was transformed into one this summer.

Therres said he's planning to skate on the remaining stops of this season's Dew Tour and in the World Cup of Skateboarding, and hopes to compete in next year's X Games.