…or learning to take on a mini-ramp in style
I choose to believe that some people are born, or rather designed for specific things. I say this because I’m not really a skateboarding kind of person; I’m more comfortable in the two wheels of my bicycle. This does not mean however that I don’t desire to have a go at learning it. We may be designed to do specific tasks well, but the nature of living a fun outdoor lifestyle is being able to learn that there are some things we can and cannot do rather than just dismissing it and never even exploring it. The joy of the outdoors is in exploration.
With that being said, I was pretty surprised, nervous and excited when I got an invitation to try some skateboarding lessons at Dubai Sports World courtesy of the amazing people at RAGE. For those not in the loop, skateboard enthusiasts can enjoy themselves in the indoor skate park as the summer heat looms over the UAE. They also have lessons of which I was a part of and it’s an extremely comprehensive lesson talking about the basics of skateboarding.
I was taught by one of their instructors, Sonic who immediately gave a crash course at skateboarding. I have to admit, riding a board for the second time (the first I tried myself and it ended up with some gashes here and there) makes me feel like I’m riding a boat that’s in the middle of a stormy ocean. It waved to and fro to the movement of my body as we both skated for the mini-ramp on the other side of the park.
Once we were in the mini-ramp though; the lesson escalated pretty quickly. For a beginner such as me, Sonic told me to ride the mini-ramp to and fro and “keep in line” and once I nailed it will we then progress through the next round. It was time to put what I learned to the test – how to push, to position my feet properly and the right posture on the board.
I rode through the mini-ramp in style, feeling the speed and the wind softly touching my face — so this is how it feels to be on a board. I felt such an immense freedom that I couldn’t even believe that it was myself, riding a mini-ramp like clockwork. Sonic assisted me to keep in line and even gave me words of encouragement when I got into some unfortunate slips. One of the most inspiring things he said was “It’s alright since most starters always find it difficult”. He also remarks that riding a board requires some amount of Zen and being on it is like meditating and just feeling light – literally and figuratively.
I love the attention they give to their students as it really does show their dedication to teach skateboarding to wider populace. And having tried it out myself, I can definitely attest to RAGE’s skill in imparting knowledge to beginners like me.
As the lessons come to a close, I must admit two things:
- Slipping off the board is definitely worth the ouch, it’s actually loads of fun as I found myself laughing as the I slide around the mini-ramp with the board moving away from me in various directions.
- While I won’t be riding a skateboard anytime soon, the lessons given by RAGE definitely gave me a confidence boost and some know-how that expanded my knowledge. It’s a superb learning experience!
Now I know more about myself.
Words By: Keith Perena
Photos By: Jung Francisco
