Windells Skateboarding Boarding School

Windells is a camp and boarding school for skateboarding, skiing, surfing, and loads of other action sports. Windells is located on Mount Hood in Oregon, only about half an hour from Portland's suburbs. Windells offers skateboarding camps and programs on their massive 60,500 square foot skateboarding facility from December through August, plus snowboarding and skiing camps throughout the year. They have holiday, winter, spring, and summer camps for all ages and abilities, including adult-only classes. The classes run about a week long each.

Windells is also a complete boarding school - a name that might be a little confusing, since we're talking about skateboarding! What I mean is, you can live and actually finish up high school at Windells, while also learning more about skateboarding, snowboarding and BMX (or just one - it's up to you). Students also meet action sports industry leaders during trips. Industry trips last year included visits to Nike, K2, Bonfire, Atmosphere and Mervin. There are lots of different courses available. For example, students who want to take media courses can learn from and work with Windells media staff of videographers, photographers and editors who are some of the best in the industry. And Windells has just secured a private tour of USC's Lucas/Spielberg Film School. Windells also offers an SAT prep class, and many of their former students have gone on to universities all over the world. Windell's summer semester starts up in June, and cost $16,500 last year (price may vary - check soon). That might sound expensive, but it includes your whole life (food, lodging, school and lessons). Windells is the first school like this on the planet, and it is an amazing place.

Here's how Windells describes itself: "Windells has been a world leader in action sports for the past two decades. The camp's goal is to not only improve kids' skills on the slopes and on the street, but also create a fun and safe place for kids to creatively express themselves through sports. From building permanent half-pipes, cheese wedge jumps to creating new moves and fighting scoring regulations in competitions, Windells has been a pioneer in action sports. Windells is also the world's only privately owned campus and features a permanent, year round half-pipe and ski runs as well as BMX dirt bike paths, indoor skate park with foam pit and on-site housing and accommodations for campers. For those who have been there, Windells is known as the funnest place on earth."

For more info on skateboard camps, check out our lists of the top skateboard camps for the Eastern US, and for the Western US.