THE VIBE - OUTDOORS Dave Balton 48 Photo by Harper Point Photography Co. is living proof of obsession done right. "My mom got me a Black Knight board from Montgomery Ward with clay wheels when I was in third grade and I was off," he says. "I'm 52 years old now, and I still skate almost every day." Balton still skates. Walden still surfs. But in subtle and not so subtle ways, it's no longer about them. Balton has owned Ventura's Five Points Skate/Snowboards shop for almost 30 years (coincidentally, about the same amount of time Walden Surfboards has been in Ventura). Kids hung out at Five Points. Now their kids hang out there. Balton has treated them all with respect and kindness. He bends to hear the wishes of an aspiring six-year-old. He's taught hundreds of lessons. He's given advice and encouragement beyond number. It's not a complicated thing. "I've tried to help people find what they're looking for out of skateboarding," he says. "Guide them to try to find the happiness and freedom that I've found." @VISITVENTURA