UPTOWN SKATE SCHOOL: TEACHING NYC TO SKATE SINCE 2006

I’m just going to come out and say it. It’s true that in most industry sports, the number of resources and support for women has always lacked as its male counterparts quickly progress and steal the spotlight. That’s not to say there aren’t women who are killing it in skateboarding.

Instead of allowing this to hinder us, we find new outlets to enjoy skateboarding while sharing it with others. Uptown Skate School, founded by Jennifer Willis, Joe, David Willis and the extraordinary support of Jennifer’s husband in 2006, jumped on the opportunity to provide a safe and fun environment in NYC for those who have always wanted to learn to skate.

I connected with Jennifer amid the preparation for Uptown and Skate Like a Girl’s grassroots skate event set to go down at the end of October to learn more about this skate school oasis that’s taught people from all walks of life from big names like Lil Wayne (who recently made a Berrics appearance) to kids who’ve never picked up a board to skate in the world’s most bustling city.
  
Jana: You skate and saw an opportunity to offer your support and talents to others. What inspired you to found Uptown Skate School?

Uptown: Skateboarding kept my brother out of trouble. I mean, he still got into trouble, but it kept him out the big kind of trouble. So I always saw it as a positive force in our lives. Jobs were a really hard thing for a while, not just for him, but also for many people, and I saw an opportunity to create jobs for skateboarders besides going pro and [working at] skate shops.
 
J: Who are your instructors?

U: The head instructors are me, Lorena Lima, Adam Ziegler and David Willis.
 
J: How long have you been skateboarding?

U: I’m so old I have no idea, but I made a classic mistake. I gave it up for about 10 years and then came back to it 10 years ago.
 
J: Why did you feel the need to enrich kids' lives with skateboarding?
 
U: Skateboarding actually offers a kid freedom and independence, especially in New York and other big cities, as well as a whole culture of other people to hang out with that spans social, economic and racial groups. Unlike other “sports,” you really don’t need much money to do it, or a team, or even another person — just a board and some courage. After that, the entire city becomes your domain. 
 
Granted, we teach lessons for money, but we also work with charities and non-profits that introduce skateboarding to kids in schools who may not have access to it. That would be my hope; that more schools embrace skateboarding as a viable activity for kids and hire more skateboarders to teach it. Nice little circle.
 
J: Tell us about your most memorable lesson?
 
U: I want to say Lil Wayne because he was SO fun to skate with, but the absolute most memorable lesson was the most super pregnant woman I have ever seen. She was the wife of a rock star and super cool, but a little crazy if you ask me. I refused to charge her for that lesson.
 
J: You wrote a novel — “New York Pipe Dreams”! What was the inspiration? Is there another book in the works?

U: Girl street skaters. When I moved to NYC, there were so few girl skaters that when I met them I couldn’t help but think: Doesn’t everybody want to be them??? 

Another book is in the works that focuses on the struggles to stand out to sponsors.  I think so many kids just assume that once they are sponsored, they will have gone PRO. Well, there is a whole dirty struggle that happens before skaters even go AM and I think it would make a fascinating story.
  
J: So Lil Wayne... How did Adam Z hook up with Lil Wayne in Tampa?
 
U: Lil Wayne’s people called me looking for somebody who could help him progress so I introduced them to Adam Z, the sensei of skateboarding. Adam is just one of those dudes who is super inspiring and surprises you, like Mister Miagi. You don’t expect him to kick ass, but then he just shreds that assumption to pieces.  
 
When Wayne met him, it just seemed to unfold naturally. They flew Adam out to meet up with the tour in Connecticut. Instead of the after parties every night after his sold out shows, Wayne just wanted to skate. He was obsessed with skateboarding. They skated a park in just about every city of the tour and hit up secret warehouses of some of the sickest skaters out there. And of course, they met up with The Berrics (which was awesome!!!!)
 
J: You’re a big supporter of The Berrics. How have you seen the site change/grow since you first began checking it out?

U: The trickipedia is just AMAZING.  I’m always directing kids to The Berrics, even though their parents would, maybe, be a little shocked by some of the content. It is just the most comprehensive website about skateboarding and it’s super entertaining. But I think the most impressive thing is that The Berrics is not controlled by board-brand politics and features a variety of riders — pro and flow. I think a lot of people are pissed that they didn’t come up with the idea first. 
 
J: How did Uptown become involved with Skate Like a Girl?
 
U: I have no idea. It sort of just happened naturally. Skate Like a Girl is a fantastic non-profit that promotes girl skateboarding, and I’m a woman (formally a girl) so I guess it made sense. Three years ago, they wanted to do an event in New York City and contacted me. Every year the event got bigger. 
 
J: What can we expect from this year’s “Where the Ladies At?” event?

U: This year, the girls worked super hard to get more sponsors involved. We have an event at Homage, in Brooklyn, which is going to be awesome fun, as well as a few other tricks up our sleeves.

*You’ll have to stay tuned to find out what unfolds at this year’s “Where the Ladies At?” three-day Halloween skate event beginning Friday, October 28. For more information on Uptown, lessons and locations, visit www.uptownskateschool.com. If you’re on the West Coast, check out www.skatelikeagirl.com.
 
Jana K. Hoffman is a freelance journalist living in New York City. You can learn more about Jana on her website and follow her on instagram @janaisajournalist.