We have worked with over 1,000 skaters and these are the most common questions
What is the minimum age to skate? All ages are welcome, but from our experience 3 and 4 years only really gets to stance, riding and maybe some turns but can’t do as much independently. 5 is an ideal age to start, we’ve seen these skaters who can get to drops, pockets, and airs. 7-9 is probably our most common age of new skater.
What is the maximum age to skate? Still finding our limits! It is very common for adults to want to learn to skate. 30’s and 40’s is common for new skaters. We have skated with 50s and 60s. Each decade our skating will evolve and so it’s important to know one’s limits. Here is more info on Adult Lessons.
What do I need to skate? We can organize gear if needed, but generally each skater would need skateboard, helmet, knee pads, elbow pads and wrist guards. Proper “skate shoes” will help, which is a flat soled shoe like Vans. Water is just as important as your skateboard. Sunscreen is recommended protection to direct sun exposure. It is helpful to have a “skate pack” that you can carry all your gear in one place. We do offer all equipment and boards and you can check them out in our skateshop.
Do I need to wear pads? A skater under the age of 18 is required full pads; helmet, elbow, and knee (wrist recommended) and a skater of the age 18+ is required a helmet, though we do recommend full pads as well. The bigger the ramps, the more important the pads. It only takes one slip to end a skate session and we want to live to skate another day :) If you need to rent pads, please let us know and we will organize a gear for you.
What if I don’t have a skateboard? You are always welcome to use your coach’s board if you are just trying it out, but if you are going to continue skating, you would want to have your own board. A skateboard is unique to every skater and having your own to ride consistently will make everything easier. It’s like a pair of shoes, they mold to your feet. Skateboards can be purchased on our website here.
What type of skateboard should I get? There are different types of boards for different types of skating, similar how there are different types of bicycles for different types of biking. The most common, all around style board, is the “popsicle stick” shaped board made for trick skateboarding with an equal nose and a tail. This is going to be the best option for entering a skatepark and what we recommend. The “cruiser” style is good for riding streets, pathways, and bike paths and is made for carving and not tricks. Usually board goes in only 1 direction and will have bigger, softer wheels and a wider truck / deck base.
What size skateboard should I get? Skateboards are sized based on width. Though every skater has a different preference in style and size, in a general sense we would recommend choosing the width of a deck based on shoe size (MENS US). Shoe size 1-6 would fit with a 7.5” wide skateboard deck, shoe size 6.5-9 would fit with a deck between 7.5”-8” wide, and shoe size 9.5” and larger would fit with a deck 8-8.5” wide. The wider the deck, though more stability, will be harder to manuever. We typically see “Vert” or skatepark riding on wider decks to handle high speeds, and street skateboarding on skinnier decks as to flip them more easily.
Where should I get my skateboard? We always recommend going to your local skate shop. To actually see, and step on a board before purchasing. Stay away from Target and Big 5, these are more like toys rather than atheletic gear, and we don’t recommend shopping online through something like Amazon because you never know what you are going to get. Support your local skate shop or feel free to check out our online shop as well.
What type of shoes are best for skateboarding? When it comes to skate shoes, we want a flatter soled shoe, which allows our foot to evening rest across the board. Our feet our constantly moving on a skateboard, so we want a shoe which will allow us to slide, rotate and adjust our feet around the skateboard. Running shoes or basketball shoes are actually too grippy or bubbly on the edges, making it difficult to move smoothly across the board cause a skater to catch and trip. Shoes with too much support on the heel can cause a skater to hang their heels off the board to compensate or lean too heavy on their toes. Too much material on the bottom of a shoe can prevent a skater from “feeling” the board beneath their feet. Flat soled shoes from a skate shop like Vans, Nike SB or similar brands are recommended.
What type of skate sessions do you offer? We offer private lessons, semi-private pods, group classes, holiday camps, and events. You can find more info about each here as well as discounts we offer. Lessons are at a place and time of your choosing. Pods are based on availablity, but we try to offer weekend options at various locations. Classes and camps are run through Park and Recreation departments, currently located in Burbank and Glendale. Events would include birthday parties, skate demos, or community events.
Where can we skate? We can skate most anywhere in Los Angeles County. We have coach's in different territories across the city. Usually we find a local skatepark to meet at, however we have also skated at city parks, urban “street” spots, or even visit your home. We can recommend a local skate park based on your zip code or let us know if you have a specific location in mind.
When can we skate? We skate 7 days a week, sunrise to sunset! Different skateparks do have different opening hours so it does depend on our location for a lesson. And everyone wants the prime times of right after school 4pm or weekend morning 10am, so keep in mind coach’s are based on availability. As well as Fall / Winter quarters have less daylight and not many locations have lights. Our class / camp schedules through Parks And Recreation Departments have set quarterly schedules, usually a weekly class time that we split into a package of 4 or 5. See our class schedules here.
What happens if the weather is not permitting? Weather cancellations result in postponement or make-up. No charge. Private lessons push to the following week, same day / time. Park and Recreation classes / camps hold a makeup the week after the scheduled completion date. We usually make a day of assessment, 8am decision for a morning skate session and 12pm for an afternoon skate session. It can rain in the morning and be dry by the afternoon so it is usually best to wait and see.
What are the private lesson cancellation policies? We do require a 24 hours notice for any cancellations or rescheduling to avoid fees. A 24hr automated notification should be sent out through Square Appointments to give you a final reminder to adjust the lesson. Giving notice under 12 hours will result in a “25% Same Day Fee” and within 1 hour of a lesson will be considered a “no show” with a “50% No Show Fee”. This is to protect our coaches schedules, so when we commit to making ourselves available or if we have shown up to an appointment, our time needs to be covered. An invoice will be sent with the cancellation fees if a skater wishes to skate again in the future. If a skater has a prepaid package, a separate invoice will be sent for the cancellation fee, and the package lessons will be rescheduled.
What if we are going to miss a Park and Recreation Class or Camp day? Park and Recreation’s policy state that no make up credit is given for any missed sessions for any reason. Please contact the Park and Recreation Department directly if you have questions or concerns regarding this policy.
How do I pay? For individual lessons, we use Square Appointments to make the bookings. The day after the completion of our skate lesson, we will email an invoice through Square for payment to be completed online by credit card. When purchasing a package of lessons for a discount for prepayment, an invoice will be sent at the time of booking for prepayment. Park and Recreation classes / camps, sign up and payment is made prior through Park and Recs department.
What if I need a refund from a prepaid package? Yes, we can refund the remaining balance of the package, however we would revert back to the standard lesson price with the package discount and a 15% admin fee is charged. For instance, for a x4 package of 1:1 lessons = $75 x 4 = $300 less 5% x4 package ($15) = equals $285. So if 2 of the 4 lessons were completed, and a skater cannot finish the package, of the $285 payment made, $75 + $75 was used (the lesson price less the package discount) = $135 remaining balance requested to be refunded, less $20.25 admin fee (15% fee), and a $104.75 refund will be made.
How do I tip my coach? 100% of tips go to your coach. At the completion of each lesson, when the invoice is emailed and payment is submitted through square, there will be an option to add a tip. If you pre-purchase a package, unfortunately there isn’t a weekly invoice to tip on, however you can always show your coach some love with a cash payment.
How can I stay updated on events and sessions? Follow us on Instagram @pacificskateschool or send us your email to PacificSkateSchool@gmail.com to get on our mailing list!