DSM Skateboarding: Growing the Community and Keeping It Stoked!

_{Header image: Summer with Skate DSM Skate Club.}

Welcome!

I would like to introduce you to Skate DSM! We are a Greater Des Moines (DSM) nonprofit whose passion lies in building and supporting the local skateboarding community. Since Skate DSM’s inception in 2018, our journey has led us all over, from the school grounds of Des Moines Public Schools where we hold skate clubs to the world-class Lauridsen Skatepark along the Des Moines Riverwalk, where we provide beginner skateboarding clinics and put on giveaway events, to the gnarly streets of Downtown Des Moines (DSM) — home to our annual skateboarding contest The Streetstyle Open. It's been a wild ride, and I have a suspicion it’s only just begun. Come and roll along with me to hear all the exciting and meaningful details of what Skate DSM does and the smiling faces behind why we do it. And once again, welcome … to the ride!

Skate Club Stories

Now I would like to introduce you to Gary. Gary joined Skate Club at Brubaker Elementary School. Sports and other activities never were the perfect fit, but he loved Skate Club so much that this year was his third year of participating!  Now he has taken his skills from the rough school ground asphalt to the Olympic-certified Lauridsen Skatepark flying down the banks and quarter pipes. He loved the first skateboard he received so much that by the second year, it was almost unusable. He was given a new skateboard deck due to his love for the activity and his commitment to progression.

Photo Caption: Gary at Brubaker Elementary’s Skate Club

This is Kyrie. During the first few weeks of Skate Club, she lacked self-confidence and worried she would never be as good as the other kids. Halfway through the duration of Skate Club, something clicked, and by the end, she was toe-flipping, kick-turning and gaining not only speed but also newly found confidence in herself and her abilities.

Photo Caption: Kyrie at Brubaker Elementary’s Skate Club

Remy joined Skate Club through the CFUM program at Moulton Elementary School. His family doesn’t have a car, so the skateboard he received from Skate DSM will be a means of transportation for him to and from school.

Photo Caption: Remy at Moulton Elementary’s Skate Club

Skate Club has a funny way of attracting the kids who need skateboarding the most, kids who need something to make them feel empowered, capable and confident, kids who need community and friendship; kids who need an activity that makes them feel connected to the present. Skateboarding has a way of taking you out of the past, out of the future, out of any problems that may be swirling in the brain and throwing you into the NOW. All troubles are left behind and a constructive hobby is learned.

The kids mentioned above were just some of the faces and stories behind the Skate Club after-school program. Multiply those three kids by 40, and that’s how many kids are a part of Skate Club each school semester. Come along, and I'll tell you the details of what makes Skate Club a fun, informational and action-packed program to be a part of.

The Basics of Skate Club

The very first thing covered in Skate Club is where to put your feet on a skateboard. Soon after that comes the hesitant first pushes on a board. This stage never lasts long as those slow pushes are taken over by a need for speed! Once enough balance is learned, it’s time to start learning and practicing tricks. The new skaters are taught beginner tricks to practice like ollies, toe-flips, tic-tacs and the drop-in motion. For some, tricks are leveled up quickly leading to their first 180’s and pop-shoves!

Photo Caption: Noah practicing ollies at Goodrell Middle School Skate Club

This spring, Skate DSM held 11 Skate Clubs at 10 different schools! As the clubs ended, all the new skaters were given a brand-new skateboard and helmets to continue honing their skills outside of school. As the clubs came to an end, all the new skaters were given a brand-new skateboard and helmet to continue honing their skills outside of school. With the mission to help build and support the DSM skateboarding community, Skate Club created 126 potential new skateboarders this spring!

While this past May marked the end of our after-school Skate Clubs for this semester, never fear! We had an exciting event at the Lauridsen Skatepark as a final farewell to send them off on their own skateboarding journey!

A Skatepark Field Trip

During the final week of Skate Club, the skaters got to take a massive field trip to the Lauridsen Skatepark for a day full of friends, Body Armor and most excitingly … obstacles! The main goal of the skatepark field trip was to bridge the gap between skating flat ground at school and taking their new skills to the park where they can be fully immersed in the skateboarding community! Some favorite moments from the field trip include the raffle of skateboarding-related items and the skatepark tour where Briella, a 9-year-old local skater and junior instructor, demonstrated how to skate the pro and flow bowls.

Photo Caption: Field Trip to Lauridsen Skatepark

Don’t be too sad about Skate Club coming to an end for the season because now it’s time for Skate Summer! Skate Summer … they have some shiny new boards that need scuffed up!

Summer Skate Clinics

Turning the calendar from May to June turns Skate DSM’s attention from after- school Skate Club to fun summer programs. Every summer Skate DSM holds Sunday clinics. These skate clinics are structured for beginners and cover the fundamentals of skateboarding: how to push, balance, stop and turn. Our main goal at these clinics is to provide a safe and fun introduction to both skateboarding and the skatepark. Our targeted demographic for these events are children, but any and everyone is welcome to come and learn to skateboard! We’ve even had some inspiring parents come with a board in hand, wanting to learn alongside their kid or adults who made it their New Year's resolution to learn how to skate.

Photo Caption: Photo Caption: Joey Rinaldi showing the beginner skaters how to push.

These fun Sunday skate clinics have led to some of Skate DSM’s closest relationships with people and families within the skateboarding community. Some kids who started out at those clinics designed for beginners are not quite beginners anymore!

This is Briella! She's 9 years old and is sponsored by the board and apparel company Relentless SB. She was once a part of the beginner skate clinics and now is one of Skate DSM’s junior instructors! She helps demonstrate how to skate and perform tricks on different obstacles. Perhaps more importantly, Briella demonstrates to the other kids that no matter your age or your size you are capable of doing anything you put your mind to.

Photo Caption: Local Relentless SB sponsored skater Briella, age 9, skating the Lauridsen flow bowl.

This summer Skate DSM also announced a partnership with the City of West Des Moines and Ankeny to provide skateboarding lessons at the American Legion Skatepark and the Prairie Ridge Skatepark. These lessons will be held once a week for four weeks covering anything from the fundamentals of skateboarding to more advanced tricks and skating obstacles.

Photo Caption: Beginner skaters checking in for their lesson at the Skate DSM tent.

On to our latest adventure: the Downtown Farmers’ Market! We here at Skate DSM want to share with the Des Moines community not only our love for skateboarding but all the kids who have been a part of Skate DSM’s love for skateboarding.

So come to our booth at the Downtown Farmers’ Market presented by UnityPoint Health – Des Moines. Look for the black Skate DSM tent on 3rd and Court (3S-13) on Saturday, June 29 and check out the photos of the little skaters, find your stance on a practice skateboard (I promise, no wheels) and find out how you can get more involved in the skateboarding community!

It’s been such a fun and busy beginning to Skate Summer for everyone involved in and with Skate DSM, and it's only just begun. This past May marked the beginning of our monthly newsletter called the Concrete Chronicles. There we will keep the community up to date on all the exciting things we’ve been up to, anything from the Skate Club, giveaways and special events. But wait, there’s more! We will also highlight the skateboarding community that created a space for Skate DSM to thrive!

We will spotlight local skaters, crazy tricks going down in the streets and at the parks, local videos premieres and all things DSM skateboarding. Everyone is welcome to join the email list to receive the monthly Concrete Chronicles. To sign up, just send a message to Skate DSM on any social media account or send an email to info@skatedsm.org.

One last time, I would like to say welcome! Welcome to Skate DSM’s most recent adventure of being a part of the Downtown Des Moines Farmers’ Market, but also welcome to the exciting world of skateboarding. A world made up of a diverse community where people build each other up and support each other. A community that skates together, stays together!

Learn more about Skate DSM at skateDSM.org, or find out about Lauridsen Skatepark events at dsmskatepark.com.

From May to October, experience local artists, live music and entertainment at the Downtown Farmers’ Market featuring more than 300 family farmers, bakers, artists and crafters from around the state. It’s easy to visit with plentiful and affordable street and ramp parking options. Find the latest updates for The Market each week on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.