NFSH was developed in November 2021, it is a fun, down-to-earth personal/group skateboarding tuition. The main goal for NewForestSkateHub is to give children and adults alike the opportunity to learn the recognized and ever-growing popular Olympic sport at their own pace, in a safe and supportive environment.
We believe that skateboarding is not just a sport, but a way of life that teaches valuable life skills such as perseverance, creativity, and determination that are transferable in real world applications. Sharing our enthusiasm and love of skateboarding whilst promoting the importance of health and well being; physically, mentally and socially.
Our experienced and certified coach is dedicated to helping students of all ages and skill levels achieve their goals and improve their technique. We offer a range of classes and private lessons tailored to each individual's needs and learning style. Our lessons cover everything from basic skateboarding fundamentals to advanced tricks and techniques.
At NewForestSkateHub, safety is our top priority. We ensure that all students are equipped with the proper safety gear and are taught the importance of safe skateboarding practices such as park etiquette. We want our students to not only have fun, but to also feel confident and empowered on their skateboards.
Whether you're a beginner looking to learn the basics or an experienced skater looking to take your skills to the next level, NewForestSkateHub has a program that's right for you. Our mission is to provide the opportunity for everyone to experience the joy and freedom of skateboarding while learning from a knowledgeable and supportive coach.
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Meet the coach
With over 25 years of skateboarding experience, founder and owner Sam Hopkins has built a reputation over the years as a well-respected skateboarder within the U.K. skateboarding community. Offering a professional and friendly service.
When I first started skateboarding, we didn’t have skateparks and had to be creative in the streets and town centers.
The majority of us would use skateboarding as an escape mechanism from the real world, I used skateboarding as a coping mechanism to deal with my emotions. It would help me build confidence, and friendships with like-minded people that shared the same outlook, making me feel like somewhere I belonged and felt “in the crowd”.
Sam is passionate to share his knowledge and love of skateboarding by helping others to progress further and fulfill their potential to reach their goals by using a range of teaching methods and learning techniques to gain confidence, and develop consistency in a safe and guided environment, and most importantly whilst having fun.
Sam sees great satisfaction in helping others learn to skate, and seeing them progress and reach their goals is why he loves coaching. “I decided to create my own skate school in a way I can make a living whilst giving back to the local community”.
Sam is also a level 2 SkateboardGB accredited coach, DBS checked, NSPCC certified, first aid trained, and fully insured.
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I’m 37 years old and I’m from Calmore. Southampton.
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28 years, from 1995 on and off until my college days, when I was fully hooked from 2002 to the present.
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Nothing like it is today. Becoming more and more well respected especially since the acceptance into the Olympics. We didn’t have skateparks when I first started and had to be creative in the streets and town centers. We were part of a counter-culture with an outlaw reputation, to the local councils, security, police, and a lot of general members of society we were labeled punks and frowned upon some getting asBos and being penalized for skating through public areas.
Most of us didn’t fit into normal society and the majority would use skateboarding as an escape mechanism from the real world that would escalate to become an addiction in its own righteous way and a way to truly express ourselves.
When parks came about the local youths would use it as a hang-out place, trash it, causing trouble occasionally leading to fights but would leave us with a bad name. Getting bullied and terrorized just for being a skateboarder when out and about typically at night with the drunks and riff-raff was a typical Friday and Saturday night occurrence hailing abuse “let’s have a go on your board”, “do a trick”, “you’re supposed to stay on the board”, “oh look he thinks he’s Tony Hawk”. The locals and other park users were respectful and always looked out for each other and it has remained that way to this present day.
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Yes, for me and most others, it was a way to escape the real world and the problems that I would face day to day, which partially had an effect on my mental well-being.
I used skateboarding as a coping mechanism for dealing with my emotions. It would help me build confidence and friendships with like-minded people who shared the same outlook making me feel like somewhere I belonged and felt ‘in with the crowd.
My local skatepark quickly became my second home spending every spare minute of my time there, because once I made friends it became more than just dealing with my emotions but a place and an activity that was fun and engaging socially.
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I guess I kind of fell into it really. I always enjoyed helping others with skateboarding and just in general life. I spent some seasons abroad in the French alps as a snowboarding instructor and I have been working through my scuba diving instructors certification.
I have always been good with people and having the experience and patience that I have, I was able to adapt my skills of teaching to skateboarding. It was after 11 months of helping and coaching a local skater and seeing her progress to now skating competitively and doing really well confirmed that I just had the natural gift to coach.
I get just as much satisfaction seeing others progress, reaching their goals and seeing their own potential as I do skateboarding myself. After all these years that skateboarding has given me, I thought it was time to start giving back to the skateboarding community and so I created New Forest Skate Hub.
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After getting into skateboarding I branched out to experience snowboarding and surfing which I’m am also hooked on.
I enjoy art and design, the outdoors -travelling and learning about other cultures, swimming and scuba diving. I use to play paintball in a pro league when I was younger. Always been anything extreme really, I crave and enjoy the adrenaline rush. I love music and have been playing the guitar since I was 6 yrs old.
