‘It’s super rewarding’ Sk8 Skates helping local community learn skateboarding for free By: Zoe Pierce Posted: 6:00 PM CDT Tuesday, Jul. 16, 2024

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This article was published 16/07/2024 (734 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Whether you’re just starting, have a few skills under your belt, a kid, or an adult — Sk8 Skates is helping the Winnipeg community learn the sport of skateboarding, free of charge.

Even on a cloudy, rainy Tuesday afternoon, the Forks Plaza Skatepark was filled with kids of all ages, skating, scootering and listening intently to the older instructors who were there ready to share their tips and tricks.

Free skateboard lessons are being offered at The Forks from noon to 2 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, until Aug. 16. These sessions are open to skaters of all ages and skill levels, providing an excellent opportunity for both beginners and experienced skateboarders to learn from four talented instructors.

Tuesday was the busiest day so far since the opening on July 3, according to Erik Penton, one of the instructors who has been teaching skateboarding for seven years and skating himself for 15. Although the lessons are quite popular with the kids, Penton said that they have had a handful of adults come out to learn as well.

“Sometimes we’ll have no kids and sometimes we’ll have like 10-15,” said Penton, 23, who hopes they can get a bigger turnout in the next few weeks. “There’s such a good community, and it’s just something to do all summer.”

“Just seeing how excited the kids get,” said Penton on his favourite part of teaching. “The kids just love it. There’s nothing like it.”

Siena White, originally from Calgary, who has been skating for over seven years is coaching in Winnipeg for the first time this year.

“It teaches you a lot of things,” said White on skateboarding. “It’s a great way to meet friends. It’s a great community. It’s good to be active for kids, it teaches you balance, being patient.”

White is one of the instructors for Sk8 Skates’ Next Gen program, which offers free skateboard lessons for girls, women, trans, non-binary and/or gender-expansive youth ages 18 and under on Saturdays in July from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Forks Plaza Skatepark.

“It’s still kind of a male-dominated space,” said White. “But I think the female side of it is growing more and more every year. There’s a lot more girls coming up, which is really sick to see.”

Julius Derkson and Morgan McLachlan were the other two instructors helping out Tuesday, both being followed by small herds of kids trying to copy their skills and showing off their own.

Sandeep Kaur has been bringing her two sons, aged six and three, since last Tuesday.

“They participate in games, they grow their confidence,” said Kaur. “I have two boys, and the first one is six years old, he’s doing so good.”

“Just spreading it to more people that usually wouldn’t think to skateboard and making them realize that it’s a pretty accessible sport for everybody,” said Derkson on how Sk8 Skates has helped grow the sport in Winnipeg. “You can do it anywhere… Learning discipline and learning that when you work hard, you get rewarded for it. I would say that’s probably the most beneficial lesson of skating.”

Sk8 Skates has a history of giving back to the Manitoba community, spreading their love of skateboarding. In June, the team travelled across northern Manitoban communities, putting on demos for youth who got to learn the basics, play games and get free gear — a program they have been doing since 2018.

“It’s super rewarding,” said McLachlan on coaching. “Watching the kids working really hard and building their confidence and having it pay off.”

From Aug. 19-23, Sk8 Skates will be back at The Forks running a camp for kids aged 12-17 with a base level of skating, looking to improve. Registration is online at the following link: http://wfp.to/Cmp

zoe.pierce@freepress.mb.ca