Launching a clean 4-stairs ollie, is Serge Lockhart, age 9, at Newark Skatepark during the NorCASL competition on Oct. 18. While his older brother, Bay Lockhart – who medaled in both “street” and “park mini” that day – is not pictured, the two Orinda siblings continue to excel on the competitive circuit, pushing each other to master new tricks and conquer ever-steeper challenges.
Nine-year-old Serge Lockhart’s favorite pastime is the nosepick – not to be confused with that similarly named occupation so beloved of young boys. Because Serge, like his 12-year-old brother Bay, is a dedicated skateboarder, and the “nosepick” is actually a trick performed on quarter pipes, whereby you land on the skateboard’s “nose” and the front truck (the steering device beneath the board) up against the structure’s coping, and become temporarily airborne while reentering the ramp.
All without breaking any bones.
Sounds simple doesn’t it? But you need to be a pretty confident skateboarder to ensure you’ve worked up enough speed, with one foot on the nose and your toes hanging off the board, as you execute a kamikaze turn that hopefully takes you back to where you began.
Once you’ve accomplished the frontside nosepick, it’s time to master the backside one, which is a little more demanding since this particular maneuver is going to leave you effectively “blind” for a few seconds.
So it’s not hard to see why Serge and Bay’s parents are so immensely proud of their two brilliant sons.
Born in Paris, and brought up in the south of France, Bay and Serge moved to Orinda three years ago, where their mother, Ashley, grew up, and where their grandmother, Linda Stepanek, still resides.
Both boys have met with great skating success since moving to the United States.
On Oct. 18, Bay came first in the NORCA Competitive Amateur Skateboard League (CASL) in Newark, CA, in “street” and finished third in “park mini” in the 12-15 age group.
Serge, three years Bay’s junior, finished fourth in “street” and sixth in “park-mini” in the 8-11 grouping.
For anyone not entirely au fait with skateboard-speak, “street” skateboarding primarily focuses on skating and landing tricks in an urban environment, using infrastructure like guard rails, stairs, benches, ledges, while “park” mostly involves skating in a bowl.
Bay got his first skateboard almost five years ago and was “immediately obsessed,” according to his father, honing his craft with the Montpellier Skateboard club in the south of France.
Within months, Serge was following in his brother’s footsteps, but it was another couple of years before he really fell in love with skateboarding.
By the time the family settled in Orinda, in 2022, both boys were hooked and entering local contests. The brothers tend to miss the summer events because they’re back in France, but their father confirms that both have been selected for the Nationals in January 2026.
These competitions have largely been organized by Rob Skate Academy, located in San Leandro, whose core mission is “to teach mindfulness through skateboarding programs while remaining accountable to safety measures and precautions.”
And safety of course, is the overwhelming issue.
According to a recent report from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), skateboarding carries a serious risk of injury, with approximately 70,000 such incidents “requiring a visit to the E.R. every year.”
The boys’ father, Arthur Lockhart says, “we know it’s a dangerous sport with potential rides to the hospital,” qualifying that statement with “so far so good – kind of.” And then admits that they’ve had “many scary moments.”
Serge and Bay are fortunate to have their own Instagram account (@ckh_bros) securely managed by their parents, which chronicles their successes. The photos and videos also cover a few teachable moments, documenting the inevitable falls and disappointments.
It helps to have a father who’s a professional photographer when you’re posting online. A native Parisian, Lockhart trained to shoot fashion photography in Montreal and, since relocating to the Bay Area, has largely concentrated on weddings and family portraits.
The boys’ favorite part of skateboarding, they agree, is the joy of being with like-minded friends.
But it’s also obvious that overcoming some very steep (literally) learning curves, while learning to improve speed, balance and co-ordination, are also challenges that increase their self-assurance.
Ultimately, skateboarding is all about being part of a community that has your back.
“It makes me more confident and stronger,” said Serge, and his big brother agrees.
“I love the feeling of pushing myself,” Bay said, “and forgetting all my falls when I finally make a new trick.”
As Paul Simon so lyrically declared back in 1973, “you’ve got to learn how to fall, before you learn to fly.”
