Skateboarding lessons on Long Island, NYC: What to know
GoSkate instructor Shane Jagan teaches Lily Greenwald a new trick at the Andy Kessler Skate Park in Manhattan. Credit: Olivia Falcigno
As a child, Lily Greenwald tried skateboarding. But she didn’t stick with it and life rolled on — until now.
The former East Moriches resident, 28, got back on a board for the first time since she was a kid this past summer. And after four sessions at Andy Kessler Skate Park in Manhattan’s Riverside Park, she said she was not only able to do tricks but also achieved her dream of dropping in on a ramp.
“It was a huge adrenaline rush. I needed to do it like 10 times, over and over again,” said Greenwald, who now lives in Harlem.
While linked with youth culture, skateboarding — with its benefits of cardiovascular fitness, mental health improvement and pure fun — is an activity that transcends age, according to GoSkate founder Rob Dunfey, whose company provides one-on-one skateboarding lessons across the nation.
“If you work a 9-5, you get home and you grab your board, it gives you an outlet for self-expression, for disconnecting from the world, for great exercise and doing your own thing,” said Dunfey, 40.
GoSkate instructors meet clients at their driveway or a nearby skate park. They supply the right-sized helmets, elbow and knee pads and wrist guards, as well as boards if need be.
Dunfey said every client has a different goal. Older students have ranged from a 72-year-old who can now longboard alongside his grandchildren and a 55-year-old skater who added basic tricks to her abilities, including an ollie — a jumping technique done without the aid of a ramp.
“From reconnecting to a passion from your youth to picking up a very unique hobby, it’s a growing interest for adults,” Dunfey said. “When parents inquire for their kids, we ask, ‘Would you like to join them?’ ”
Greenwald said that for her, the benefits of skateboarding go beyond the physical: “Skating is very meditative, it gives me 100% focus.”
She advised prospective skateboarders to avoid procrastinating. “Wear pads, a helmet and just get on your board. The longer you wait, the more you’ll regret it.”
LESSONS
Ready to embrace your inner Tony Hawk? Here are two programs on Long Island in the New York City area that offer classes:
GoSkate, goskate.com
No Bad Weather NYC, based in Brooklyn: bit.ly/3NcqHiV
COST
A beginner coaching session through No Bad Weather NYC costs $75.
GoSkate private lessons start at $365 for a package of four one-hour-long sessions and can go up $999 for six two-hour sessions.
WHAT TO BRING
GoSkate recommends students bring a skateboard; helmet; elbow and knee pads; wrist guards; and water to lessons. The company can provide gear, however.
NOT JUST A WARM-WEATHER SPORT
According to GoSkate founder Rob Dunfey, “A common misconception is that you can’t skateboard in the winter and that’s far from true. As long as there’s no ice on the ground and the snow is plowed, there are a lot of benefits to skating then...If you're wearing a big padded parka and pants and gloves, you have extra padding."
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Newsday Live Music Series: Long Island Idols Newsday Live presents a special evening of music and conversation with local singers who grabbed the national spotlight on shows like "The Voice," "America's Got Talent,""The X-Factor" and "American Idol." Newsday Senior Lifestyle Host Elisa DiStefano leads a discussion and audience Q&A as the singers discuss their TV experiences, careers and perform original songs.
