Board Games

Fear catches up with you as you age. Throwing yourself down a hill on a plank of wood with wheels screwed to it seems like a brilliant idea when you're young but as you develop sensible, grown-up reasoning, these pursuits start to feel rather risky. So for my first time on a skateboard at the Selfridges pop-up skatepark, I had to channel my inner kid. Preferably a fearless one that bounces.

The indoor skatepark was built on an entire floor of the Old Selfridges Holtel to celebrate the launch of the HTC One M8, supposedly the perfect phone to record proof of your excellently executed tricks. Unfortunately, the only record of my newly found skateboard skills may prove I didn't fall off but the video fails to show any of the speed and finesse I achieved during the one hour lesson (honestly, I did!).

I'd like to say my progression from scaredy cat to comfortable competence was down to a natural hidden talent but it's far more likely it was down to the expert tuition – you know they're the real deal when one of them is called Brad! The guys from Skates & Ladders led us from our first step on the board to getting the right foot position as we moved. Most of us mastered a quicker (and cooler) way to mount to board, which eventually led to a direction-changing stomp at the top of a miniature ramp.

Although I may need to work on my boarding vernacular, I came away from the session feeling like I had some proper base skills. Most importantly, I came away with absolutely no bruises! Although I'm going to have to prepare myself for the inevitable few in the future, I'm completely hooked. Once I get kitted up with safety gear (I definitely still need the reassurance from the pads that I'm not going to die) and my very own skateboard, I'll be ready to take on the streets. 

If you fancy giving skateboarding a go, find out how to book lessons here.