ENCINITAS — Zane Timpson lives life on the edge. Last November it was atop a 23-foot vertical ramp in the LG World Action Sports Tour Championship in Dallas, Texas.

The 12-year-old Oakcrest Middle School student said he had butterflies but it was his mom, Kathy Greene, who cringed as she watched her son catch big air and place eighth overall in the amateur division. Despite her trepidation, she kept the camera clicking the entire time.

Skateboarding is more than a pastime for Zane and his family. “It’s his passion,” Greene said. “He’s not reckless, but he charges,” she said. “I trust his judgment.”

Despite an impressive resume of contest achievements in just three years of skateboarding, Zane is modest. “I like learning, whatever it is,” he said. “I get the same feeling of accomplishment whether it’s learning something in school or a new skateboarding trick.”

With constant practice and support from his family and skating mentors, Zane has gained esteem in every area of the sport. “A lot of skaters are typecast as either street, bowl or vert skaters,” Zane’s father Jeff Timpson said. “But Zane skates everything.”

Zane said he never lets the competition aspect get in the way of enjoying the sport. “It’s about trying to do better than you did the time before,” he said. “There is a real sense of accomplishment in that.”

His approach to skateboarding comes in part from the mentoring he received early on, according to his parents. Three notable skaters in particular have taken Zane under their wing. Buster Halterman, Mike Crum and Cara-Beth Burnside continue to be instrumental in Zane’s development as an up-and-coming skater. “These are people who always take time to show support, not just to Zane but to the other younger skaters too,” Zane’s father said.

Having access to professional athletes has been an inspiration for Zane and opened up a world of opportunities. “What other sport can you go and practice with the top athletes in your sport?” he asked. “In skateboarding, you’ve got Shaun White and other people who have gained acceptance and made it through the ranks skating with the younger guys,” Zane said.

Zane has taken his love for skateboarding to “new heights — pun intended,” he said. The grom and his friends shoot skateboarding film and edit the clips into feature-length movies. The series known as “The Chronicles of Gnarlia” continues to expand as the cast and crew hone their skills.

Zane charges a small fee to film his friends. “One day, Zane said to me he couldn’t believe people pay him to do something he would do for free,” Timpson said. “I told him that was the secret to life — to find something you love to do.”

Apparently Zane has found his calling. “I love skateboarding,” he said simply with a shrug of the shoulders. After mastering the heel flip indy, he’s practicing the 540 these days. If things go the way they usually do with Zane, he’ll perfect it, add a new twist and teach someone else how to do it.