I grew up around skateboarding. My brother and I would grab our longboards and cruise down the road on the long, hot summer days here in Charleston.
Kick, push, glide.
We were even so lucky as to have my handy dandy uncle build us a real-life half-pipe in our driveway. I mean, this thing took up some space. A young skater’s dream. (Btw, thanks, Mom. Not sure how you felt about this one.)
Becoming a Skateboarding Mom
I was always hesitant to let my boys even touch a skateboard though. I remember falling off of mine when I was younger and ruining my tailbone for years . . . not something I want my kids to experience.
No, they aren’t the safest thing out there, but boy are they exciting for little kids! I would always tell my boys to SIT on the board and ride it.
“Never stand up on that board unless I’m holding your hand!” Nervous, me? Yep.
What I didn’t know was HOW to start teaching my boys safe skateboarding. Once they got to the age where I was a little more comfortable with them experimenting with the board, we started to do more research: what boards to get, what helmets are best, and even what pads to use.
Now, we didn’t go to a skateboard store to buy our first boards, but this is always an option. Instead, I looked online at the guidelines for what to look for in a beginner skateboard. Essentially, you want a strong board, high-quality wheels (polyurethane), quality bearings, metal trucks, and some good grip tape.
Again, you can go to a skateboard shop and spend closer to $100 on a great quality board, but we chose to buy one from Amazon for our first board — just to make sure the boys wanted to stick with it.
Helmet: check.
Pads: check.
Board: check.
Next is finding a place to skateboard. Luckily we live in Charleston because we actually have several places we can go to cruise around and learn some tricks!
Skateboard Parks in Charleston/Summerville
Sk8 is by far our favorite park to go to. It’s like a real skate park that you see in the movies: big bowls that the pros skate in, all ages of skateboarders, and right on the marsh. It’s dreamy.
I also love this park because there is a bathroom and they sell snacks, both key ingredients in a good park for young kids. They have a skate shop inside too, if you are looking to purchase a board or any accessories.
There is an admission fee of $3, or discounted if you have a park pass. Sk8 offers skateboarding lessons for kids too! Take a look at their website for group and individual skateboarding lessons.
If you’re looking for something low-key, Ackerman in West Ashley is a great place. It’s small but the ramps are mighty. We started here just because it’s a nice smooth surface for the boys to practice on. This park is also fun to bring scooters to!
If you live up in Summerville, this park is most likely closest to you! It flaunts smaller ramps and pipes to grind on and I think this would be a great place to start skating!
Here’s another one for the Summerville/Sangaree kiddos! This park is similar to the Summerville Skate Park, with smaller ramps and pipes. It’s not too far off I-26 either, so it would be a great place to stop by if you are looking to get some energy out before heading out of town!
I’ve learned to keep the skateboards, pads, and helmets in the car. My boys beg to go to the park to cruise, learn from other skaters, and get some energy out. Trust me, they are sweaty after they skate!
If your kiddos show any interest in skating, I encourage you to embrace it. I’m telling you, when they drop in for the first time and stick it, it’s a core memory.
