A herd of helmeted figures gliding on four wheels down Corvallis bike paths Saturday caused drivers to stare, but the racers - taking part in the first annual Longboard Push Rally - didn't pause to notice the attention.

About 20 longboarders propelled themselves five miles - from the Midge Cramer bike path near the fairgrounds to downtown -in the event sponsored by the Corvallis Parks and Recreation Department.

Joe Goesman and Cody Bindrim, both 14, came up from Monroe for the event.

"It's just really cool to go out here and race with other people and see everyone's style," Goesman said.

The two usually ride street-style skateboards - the short boards lay people consider "regular" skateboards - but rounded up longer, flatter rides for Saturday.

"Everybody's coming out and everybody's stoked about longboarding," Goesman said.

Jordan Lucas, 32, remembers when he felt like he had the only longboard in town.

"Longboarding has been one of my favorite things for a really long time," Lucas said.

He enjoys "the fun of rolling," but also does it to keep in shape for winter. The Corvallis resident is a snowboarder sponsored by Cornerstone Glass of Eugene.

His son, 4-year-old Nyle, will probably take part in the longboard rally as soon as he's old enough.

"We're a skateboarding, snowboarding, dirt-biking family," Lucas said. "So this is just one of our chapters."

One of the rally's organizers, Charles Weller, said the event was the result of feedback.

"We get tons of requests for skate parks and events like this," he said.

The rally will likely be return bigger and better next year.

"The skateboarding community doesn't have a lot of outlets for racing like this right now," Weller said. "Hopefully we can get Corvallis on the map."

An organized event legitimizes the activity as safe, family-oriented and an alternate form of transportation, Weller said.

The skaters agreed.

"It's pretty cool that Corvallis is holding this," Bindrim said. "It's good to see that the community's actually looking at longboarding and skateboarding in a good light."

Skaters are usually subject to a lot of stereotyping, Goesman said.

"You can let people stereotype it and let it get to you," he said, "but I just like to skate."