Local skater has chance to win it all

While other students at Dundee-Crown High School in Carpentersville will be watching the AST Dew Tour Finals on television today, one of their own will be competing against the best skate park athletes in the world.

Chaz Ortiz, 14, from Carpentersville, is skateboarding this afternoon in the finals of the skate park event in Orlando. He currently sits in second place overall behind three-time defending champion Ryan Sheckler and just seven points in front of Paul Rodriguez.

The Action Sports Tour, sponsored by Mountain Dew, brings together the world's best skateboarders, bmx bikers, motocross riders for a series of events around the country.

Chaz became the youngest skateboarder to win a Dew Tour event last month when he finished ahead of the field at the Toyota Challenge in Salt Lake City, Utah. His kickflip-board slide-kickflip out put him 3.05 points ahead of Ryan Sheckler.

Fans can catch Chaz in action from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on NBC Sports.

Cyclocross: For sporting action a little closer to home and more easily accessible, the Chicago Cyclocross will be zooming around Carpenter Park in Carpentersville today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The fourth leg of the Chicago Cyclocross Cup Race will feature men's and women's events as well as a race for juniors. The first race starts at 10 a.m. with the final race kicking off at 3 p.m.

Watch as riders bike over hills, hurdle over walls, run (or attempt to ride) through sandpits and race across asphalt on the mile-long course. depending on the race category, race times range from 30 minutes to an hour. The object is to complete as many laps of the course as you can in the allotted time.

This year, the village and Main Street Bicycles have joined together for the OctoberCross Festival, a marriage between Cyclocross and a Bavarian Festival. The event will include a full day of racing, food, live music and a beer garden.

Entry to the festival is free. For those interested in racing, race day registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and entry fees vary.

For those heading to Carpenter Park on Route 31, it will be closed to through traffic on the day of the race between Route 72 (Higgins Road) and Route 62 (Algonquin Road). While you could still get through, be prepared for a delay. Instead, head to Route 25 and then turn westbound on Lake Marian Road in Carpentersville. Take a left at LW Besinger Drive and right on Maple Avenue, which will take you directly to Carpenter Park.

Goal complete: Thank you for all those who sent their best wishes and congratulary e-mails to me last week after the Chicago Marathon. It was another hot one out there, but I am thankful that I finished in one piece and averted injury and illness.

It was a great experience after the disappointment of being unable to finish the race the previous year due to the event's cancellation. My goal was to finish a marathon before my 30th birthday. Now that I have checked that off my list, I am looking for a buddy to take me sky-diving.