Skateboarding as a sport was first conceptualized as a “concrete wave replacement” by surfers in the 60s/70s and has maintained a pretty bad reputation due to property owners and generally non-rad people ever since. The limits of what’s possible on a plank of wood are being pushed day by day, but everyone’s got to start somewhere.

Dann Gaymer demonstrating a “boneless tail-tap” combination, at Burning Ice Skate Park

Dann Gaymer, an employee of  Beijing No. 55 High School currently runs an after school skateboarding program, or as he puts it, “an opportunity for students from Grade 7 to 12 to hang out once a week and push around some boards.” According to Gaymer, when starting out, one of the first steps is to conquer the fear of falling. “You’re probably not going to hurt yourself that much if you fall, especially if you’re wearing proper safety equipment. You are inevitably going to fall,” Gaymer laughs, “…but you just get up and do it again.”

A student ascends a “quarterpipe”, constructed at Beijing No.55. Too cool, this school.

Despite the unavoidable scrapes along the way, positives outweigh the negatives in terms of physical gains from the sport. The pushing motion will activate areas of the legs unused before, and balance will improve significantly. Gaymer gestures, “you’ve essentially got this wobbly piece of wood you have to stay on… while moving.”

A handy infographic, designed by Brandon, accessed at https://eskateboardreviews.com/muscles-used-for-skateboarding/

In addition to thighs of steel, skateboarding will also strengthen the soul. “As with anything worth doing, there’ll be an initial learning curve, but it’s about persevering and building the confidence one trick at a time.” Something as small as skating off a curb might be terrifying at first, but the satisfaction of achievement trumps the disappointment of self-defeat. “From a more philosophical perspective, it’s good to see students moving away from the instant gratification from playing on their smartphones, and actually working towards something.”

Can’t teach an old dog new tricks, or still life in the old dog yet?

“But, Daniel, what if I want to get involved too?!” Well, good news, reader, because skateboarding isn’t just for kids*. China Comedy Club regular, Nigel Mainville, recently kickstarted his skateboarding adventure again after testing his long-forgotten chops on a mini ramp in the back of a skate-shop. Sights were set on “achieving some goals given up as a kid”, the first being to kickflip before thirty.

Flipping Good!

“Putting a deadline on it made me feel accountable”, Mainville states, and further explains that “setting and achieving goals motivates you in other aspects of life.” There’s an element of camaraderie involved in getting those around you “stoked” to nail their next line. Just make sure you’re using protection.

The Emoji says it all.

This is one thing self-professed “professional chiller”, Fiona, learnt the hard way, having to take a two-week break after a nasty fall. “It’s painful when you fall, but after laying on the ground for a minute, you want to get up and do it again.”

Fiona, pumping at a skatepark in Wangjing

When asked about being a “girl” in a “male-dominated” sport, Wang responded “I hope more girls could try it, because it’s really fun. Don’t be afraid of falling and pain. You will feel the fun, flying with the wind when you are skating. And when you nail a trick, you will feel much cooler than the boys.”

There are a few spots to get started. The best (but that’s just like, my opinion, man) would probably be one of the Burning Ice locations. They offer lessons for all levels, as well as fully-stocked skate shops with equipment suitable for all levels, and knowledgable staff. Check their WeChat (BURNINGICE / 北京燃烧冰滑板) for regular updates. If ramps aren’t your thing, you could also just skate pretty much anywhere with flat concrete. As Gaymer says, “If there’s a slight elevation or a curb, well, that’s an added bonus! Get creative!”

Mr Gaymer, that’s…not how we were taught to climb stairs

Burning Ice

RMB 60 per person (weekdays), RMB 90 per person (weekends and holidays). RMB 2,200 (six-month pass), RMB 3,300 (one-year pass). Mon – Fri 1-10pm, Sat – Sun 9.30am-10pm. Hanzun Mansion, (North 3rd Ring Road), No.29 Courtyard-2, Basement 1, Xicheng District (131 2660 6434) 西城区北三环中路甲29号院2号楼 华尊大厦一层底商 燃烧冰滑板公园 杨洪星. (If you’re using Didi, simply paste “燃烧冰滑板公园”, alternatively head to Jiandemen station on Line 10, take exit C and head south for about 200m.)

READ: Board Games: Two Teen Skaters Tell Us All About the Skateboard Scene in Beijing

Photos: Courtesy of Daniel Rothwell

Skateboarding is older than you may think. The first sightings of kids scooting round on boards with roller skate wheels attached date back to France in the 1940s, while “sidewalk surfing”, as the sport was originally known, first became a craze in the early 60s. Despite its long history though, skateboarding is still associated with youthful rebellion. So we went down to Burning Ice, one of Beijing’s top skate parks, to talk to two teen enthusiasts.

Ding Yi and Lin Ziyi are both 13 years old, and students at Qinghua University High School. We asked them what first attracted them to skateboarding. “I started when I was about 10,” Ding Yi told us. “There was a kid, my neighbor, and he was skating. I thought it looked like fun. I decided to get myself a board and a pair of comfy shoes for skateboarding a year later to join him.”

Lin took up the hobby at the same age, but for a very different reason. “My dad had a dream when he was small,” she said, “he wanted to skateboard. But he didn’t get his dream, so he wanted me to. And I liked it very much.”

The teens skate at weekends and during school holidays, they told us, at Burning Ice and also at Woodward. This sprawling skate park in Daxing District is now officially called the Beijing International Fashion Sports Park, but the old name is still widely used.

Ding Yi also skates around his neighborhood. We asked him whether he ever has problems with the authorities chasing him off, and he shrugged.“Sometimes security come and stop us,” he said. “It’s no problem, I think ‘maybe this place has rules against it’, and I just follow the rules. It’s no big deal.”

It’s clear that rebellion is not on the agenda for these two polite and charming young people. We wondered whether skating in China has its own language, music, and culture as it does in the West.

“I don’t actually know!” Lin laughed. “Grown-up skateboarders do that sort of thing. There are ways that skateboarders do things, like they greet each other differently, with fistbumps for example.”

Ding Yi told us he doesn’t wear anything special, just whatever feels comfortable for skating (though he had a skateboard-themed t-shirt on when we met.) What about music, we asked? “I listen to hip-hop,” Lin said, and Ding Yi agreed. “And pop music,” he added. “Michael Jackson!”

We asked whether most of their friends are skateboarders. “I set up a skateboarding club at school,” Lin said. “Most of my friends want to do it, but their parents won’t let them.”

What do their non-skater friends think about their hobby, we wondered? “Some of them think it’s childish,” Ding Yi said, “some of them think it’s really cool.” And what do their parents think? (Although both teens were accompanied by clearly very proud mothers when we interviewed them.) “They think it’s dangerous,” Lin told us, “but it doesn’t bother them so much. It’s a way of challenging myself, building a better personality.” “My parents like to support me,” Ding Yi said. “They think it’s a nice sport.”

Finally, we asked them how they saw skateboarding fitting into their future. Do they have any plans to turn professional? Will they still be skating when they’re old? Lin laughed. “I’ll probably be an artist,” she said. “I’m pretty good at art. I’ll keep skateboarding as a hobby.”

Ding Yi also has no plans to turn professional. “I want to keep skateboarding,” he said, “but not as a professional because I have other things I want to do.” Like what, we enquire? “I want to open a skate shop, have a nice skate park for all the skaters – ” he gestures around him at Burning Ice – “just like the boss here.”

Where to Skate in Beijing

The Ultimate: Beijing International Fashion Sports Park

Originally built by and named after American summer camp specialists Woodward, this park now forms part of Xingming Lake Resort. It features 4,000 sqmof outdoor space and the same size area indoors. It also offers facilities for not only skateboarding but also BMX, inline skating, trampoline, gymnastics, and cheerleading. Our teen skaters unanimously voted it the best place to skate in Beijing.

Getting there
Realistically, you’re going to need a car, or a pricey taxi ride. Beijing International Fashion Sports Park lies within Banbidian National Forest Park on X038 (Pang’An Road), south of the Sixth Ring Road. Take the X021 heading south east from Daxing, and turn off to the west just before Andingchezhancun. Alternatively you can take line 4 all the way to the end at Tiangongyuan, and hail a cab from there – but it’s another 20km to Xingming Lake Resort.

Daily, 9am-5.30pm (last entry 5pm). Entrance RMB 100, no time limit. Xingming Lake Resort, Weishanzhuang, Daxing District 北京市大兴区魏善庄镇 北京星明湖度假村内 (8923 1818, 8923 1818) www.bjxmh.com

The Local Favorite: Burning Ice

If getting all the way out to Daxing seems like too much of a grind (sorry!), then Burning Ice offers high quality, well-maintained facilities within the Third Ring Road. There’s a skate shop too, selling decks, trucks, wheels, helmets and pads – everything your young skater needs to get their new hobby rolling. When we visited for the interview we saw a dad and his son skating together, so it’s certainly family-friendly.

Getting there
Burning Ice lies just south of the North Third Ring Road and east of Badaling Expressway. Take line 10 to Jiandemen Station, use exit C and walk south for about 200m.
Daily, 1-10pm. RMB 60 per person (weekdays), RMB 90 per person (weekends and holidays). RMB 2,200 (six month pass), RMB 3,300 (one year pass).

Photos: Uni You