Skövde Skatehall organizes beginner courses in skaeteboard for adults

It’s half past seven on a Monday evening. Children who’ve just finished their one-hour session are streaming out of the skateboarding hall. The next group, a mix of beginners and people who’ve been skateboarding a little longer, are sitting on one of the low ramps. Now it’s the turn of the adults to take over!

Skövde Skateboard Association arranged its first beginner course for adults in the fall of 2022. From small-scale beginnings with around five learners, there’s a longer line to the adult group today than to many of the children’s groups. This evening, 15 skateboarders from the more than 20 listed in the group have gathered in the hall.

After a brief roll call, it’s time to begin.

“If you want to, gather round for a quick briefing,” says class leader Tomas Nilsson.

Some group members go up to Tomas, who explains things and shows how various wheel settings affect the board experience. Others begin boarding on their own or in smaller groups. Some practice finding their balance while others try out simple tricks.

The atmosphere in the hall is happy and relaxed. Once everyone has started boarding one of the leaders puts on some music. This evening, there are two other leaders in addition to Tomas. Both were part of the first group of adults who attended a course almost two years ago. The three of them glide around offering useful tips. And while the leaders come up with suggestions for exercises or provide useful tips, the skateboarders themselves help each other just as often. 

“There’s a great sense of togetherness in the hall! Everyone’s excited and it doesn’t matter who’s good at boarding and who’s not, nobody really cares. We’re here because we like skateboarding,” says Tomas.

After a while, one of the leaders calls out that the coffee is ready. A few of them roll over to the entrance where there are some armchairs, to take a break and enjoy a cup. Others stay by the ramps. But even though everyone is here to learn, things remain undemanding. People do things the way they like. Everyone develops at their own pace according to their ability.

“A regular workout!”

Anna Krus and Louize Andersson are newbies at the skate hall and had no skateboarding experience before they began.

“Coming to the skate hall is one of the high points of the week! You can’t focus on anything else when you’re boarding, so you’re right in the moment. You can let go of all your other thoughts and just have fun! And it’s much harder physically than I imagined. It’s a regular workout,” says Louize.

For the whole family

Niklas Ferngren tells us that he and his family moved to Skövde two years ago and that they soon found the skate hall. Niklas has his lesson after his daughter Belle, so when it’s time for Niklas to leave, Belle is in an armchair reading.

“Our whole family has skateboarded here in the hall. It’s great that even beginners can enjoy being part of the group right away. Everyone really enjoys it, and because beginners can borrow equipment if they need to, it doesn’t cost much to start. And it’s great to just be here and hang out,” says Niklas. 

Skateboarding, culture and new friends

The walls in the hall are decorated with graffiti, and there are a few paintings on one wall. They’ve been here since the club organized a three-day festival with a cultural theme.

“Many of the active members in our club are involved in culture in various forms. We had the idea of using our venue to show that we can do more than just skateboarding, and it was really great for everyone in the club to experience art, music and socializing,” says Tomas.

For the skateboarding crew, commitment is about much more than gliding down ramps and doing a bunch of tricks. The focus is on togetherness, getting to know new friends and having fun together.

“For me, the club was a way of getting to know great people. When I moved here from Borås, I knew hardly anyone, but thanks to skateboarding I made a lot of really good friends,” concludes Tomas.