Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have Skateboards and a helmet we can borrow?
Yes, we have a range of skateboards and helmets in various sizes that you can borrow, we would advise that you get your own equipment as this would aid in your progression, but its not essential in the very early stages, particularly if you're just trying skateboarding and don't want commit to investing in equipment at this point.
What ages do your lessons cater for?
Our lessons and courses are aimed at ages 5+, we find that 5+ is old enough in most cases to have the strength to control and manoeuvre a skateboard and old enough to listen and understand the instructions given by the coach. There can be exceptions to this, contact us directly to discuss further.
Do you offer private coaching?
We do offer private coaching, prices start at £40 per hour, additional participants can be added for £10 per person, per hour. We offer the private coaching at Attleborough or Watton Skateparks, contact us directly for availability enquiries and we can arrange a time and date to suit.
We want to get our own skateboard, what would you recommend?
We would always advise that you have your own skateboard if you want to continue skateboarding. Having your own skateboard is like sleeping in your own bed or wearing your own shoes, sure you can sleep fine in a different bed, but you know how yours feels and you feel the most comfortable in, the same applies with a skateboard. You will progress much faster on your own skateboard instead of using a different skateboard one lesson to the next.
When buying a skateboard we would recommend buying what's known as a "complete", this is a ready built skateboard. Always buy them from a reputable skate shop, you can pick up a decent quality complete for around £40-£50. You can buy cheaper completes from sport shops but they are of very poor quality, the wheels will not roll and the trucks will not turn, which is the minimal requirements for a beginner skateboard.
Skateboards sizes are displayed as widths and measured in inches, 7.5 is considered small and 8.5 is considered large, you can buy skateboards outside of this range but 7.5 to 8.5 is the typical range. For a child we would recommend between 7.5 and 8 and for adults anything over 7.75.
This is very general advice so if you have any other questions please feel free to ask via our contact us page.
What should I wear to a lesson?
Helmets are mandatory in our lessons, we can provide one if you don't have one, we strongly recommend you wear other safety gear including knee pads, elbow pads and wrist guards, but these are not essential. We recommend clothing that offers some protection to your skin but doesn't inhibit your movements, jeans and a t-shirt/hoodie is fine. Footwear should be flat soled trainers, no open toed or heeled shoes.
How many participants in each class?
Classes sizes will vary but is largely dictated by the skatepark that the lesson is being held at, we have a class of 10 at a large indoor skatepark but also a class of 6 at a small outdoor skatepark, we tailor the class size to what's appropriate for the venue.
What happens if it rains?
The weather will always play a factor, if a lesson is cancelled completely due to bad weather, we will aim to rearrange the lesson for each participant so that no lessons are missed. If a lesson is cut short due to rain we would usually extend the next lesson so that no coaching time is missed.
What would I learn on the beginners course?
The beginners course is designed for someone that has never stepped on a skateboard, the coach would start from the very beginning. From finding your stance, taking your first pushes, to turning and stopping. This would typically be the first lesson and from there we move on to how to control a skateboard, which is very different from riding one. The course would then turn to how to navigate any skatepark safely and cover all of the terrain available to us. The beginners course has no stated end point, the end point would mostly be dictated on how quickly you progress and how much you can practice in between the lessons. Our coach treats the course with the mindset of "how much can I teach you in the 4 or 6 weeks". This takes into account the variation of ability that a class may have as some may progress more rapidly than others due to previous experience or how much practice they've been putting in.