Instructors
Mason Wright
When I was 9 years old, I moved from Long Beach to Orange County with a skateboard I never used. I had asthma and struggled with organized sports, but needed a connection to my new neighborhood somehow. I met a classmate that told me about the skate parks in Mission Viejo and was invited to follow him there one day. I’m an artistic person and thought the tricks that I saw were amazing and I definitely wanted to be part of skateboarding.
I found tricks hard to learn at first, but realized the harder I worked at it the better I got. Skateboarding is like any sport, where you need to practice to get better. The skateboarding community welcomed me and gave me confidence that no matter how many times I fell; I could get up and continue until I got it right.
Skateboarding for me wasn’t a competition between teammates; it was more or less a support system on my individual artistic ability. I had many skateboard mentors as I was learning and loving this creative sport and now I wish to give back and inspire kids just learning to skateboard. My favorite place to skate is Portland, Oregon and watching and analyzing skateboarding films (or being filmed) brings me contentment.
Isaiah Meadows
I began skateboarding at the age of 12 when I moved to California from Seattle, Washington. From the moment I learned how to skateboard I fell in love with the concept of continuously learning new tricks and progressing. Since that time skateboarding has become a part of my everyday life, as it reflects my image and personality. I feel that my energy and attitude help kids progress quickly when they are learning how to skateboard. I love skating and working with kids here at Basics of Skateboarding. It motivates me to become a better skater and instructor overall.
Luis Valdez
I started skating in 5th grade at the Laguna Hills skatepark. Growing up in this area I was able to see all the different types of kids coming in and out of skateboarding. In the time that I have been instructing and teaching kids to skateboard I have developed techniques that demonstrate proper form, balance and overall awareness. One of my main objectives is to also teach kids the rules of the park and to be courteous to other skaters. It is a great feeling to be able to give back to the new generation of up and coming skateboarders.
