But while the signing was a hit with a lot of kids, Principal Dennis Siegmann said he was under the impression that Sumpter was going to do a demonstration -- something that didn't happen.

"There was some kind of miscommunication," Siegmann said.

Katie Moses, a spokeswoman for ESPN, said the company never said there would be a demonstration. She said it is too hard to move ramps.

Maria Wichlac, education coordinator for AT&T Broadband, which is helping sponsor the X Trials and helped organize the event at the school, said she'd thought that the athletes appearing might show a little of what they plan to do at the X Trials this weekend.

But Sumpter, 26, of San Clemente, Calif., was nursing an injured foot, and he was the only pro on hand.

"I would have loved to," said Sumpter, but he said he was resting up for the competition.

Sumpter said he has nine pins in his right foot after falling off a roof while skateboarding about two years ago.

"It's a recurring injury. It gets sore when I'm up on it," said Sumpter, who said he'd iced it for hours the night before.

When he fell, Sumpter said, he broke two bones in his foot and had to have bone taken from elsewhere to help mend it.

"It was a nightmare," Sumpter said.

But given that he fell off a roof, he said, just breaking two bones in his foot was lucky.

Sumpter, who said he's been skateboarding for 15 years, is sponsored by Black Label skateboards.

The pro skateboarder said he would advise young athletes to "always wear a helmet and whenever possible, keep your kneepads on."

The first time a skateboarder goes without protective equipment, warned Sumpter, "You'll fall, get hurt and you'll regret it."

Students were impressed with Sumpter and the signed posters.

"Cool," said Robert Wyant, a sophomore who snagged an autographed poster. He said he plans to attend the X Trials this weekend.

Josh Charlton, a freshman, also got a signed poster. He said he's seen Sumpter perform on television.

"He's pretty good," Charlton said. He said he plans to go to the X Trials and maybe even the X Games in Philadelphia in August.

Sophomore Frank Diaz said he'll be at Lake Compounce this weekend, too.

"I think it's a good chance for all my skater friends to show their stuff," Diaz said. "I'm going to go."

"We wanted to make sure that the athletes get to meet some of the students," Wichlac said. "It's great that Kip could be here."

The X Trials, which are free and open to the public, will be in the parking lot outside Lake Compounce on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. There will be competitions in skateboarding, bicycle stunt riding and inline skating.

Today's edition of The Tattoo, on page B4 of The Bristol Press, offers profiles of three professional athletes who will be at the X Trials.

More information on the X Trials -- and a schedule of events -- is available online at www.ReadTheTattoo.com.