Jade Trevizo crouched over her skateboard on the Plata Arroyo Skatepark in San Jose, attempting one last time to master a straightforward maneuver by which the board lifts off the bottom and stays underfoot while the rider makes the landing.
With a bang, the 13-year-old, who had began skateboarding six months ago, stomped the picket tail of the board onto the asphalt, launching herself and the board into the air. But she couldn't land on the board. Coach Felipe Franco held out his hand to support her and gave her recommendations on the “ollie” as she tried again. Ten minutes later, she and her skateboard were within the air, then she managed the ollie and smiled broadly.
“You’re doing an ollie, you know that, right?” 46-year-old Franco shouted excitedly.
Franco lives in San Jose and teaches throughout the Bay Area – Gilroy, San Francisco, Union City, Livermore, Sunnyvale, Fremont, Milpitas and Palo Alto – with lessons costing between $60 and $200 depending on location and skill level.
But on Friday — the twentieth edition of Go Skate Day, which brings together skaters from around the globe to have a good time skateboarding — he hosted a free one-hour lesson at Plata Arroyo Skatepark on behalf of GOSKATE, a web site that connects starting skateboarders with instructors.
Jade, who began skating in December, had come to the skate park on Friday to learn the way to “drop” on certainly one of the concrete ramps for the primary time. She learned loads more in her hour-long session.
“I didn’t expect to learn so much,” she said, “but I’m glad I did.”
A handful of skaters and bikers cruised the park, but Jade was the one skater who showed up for the lesson. Franco wasn't surprised – more advanced skaters normally spend Go Skate Day riding at big events in downtown areas. He was “really excited that Jade showed up” and spent the hour giving her one-on-one lessons to hone her skills.
Franco grew up in Arizona and Southern California and learned to skateboard from his older cousins on the age of 10. He hasn't given up skateboarding since then, driven by the flexibility to consistently learn latest things.
“To this day, I am still learning new things and challenging myself,” Franco said.
As an adult, Franco worked in real estate and property management in Seattle until last yr, when he, his wife and their five-year-old son temporarily moved to San Jose to take care of their parents, who had recently been diagnosed with cancer.
When his in-laws' health declined, the family needed to give you a more everlasting plan for his or her life within the Bay Area. Franco needed a part-time job with flexible hours and will utilize two of his long-time passions: skating and teaching.
He began coaching at GOSKATE in October 2023 and now teaches 4 to 6 lessons per week throughout the Bay Area. Although his students range in age from 4 to 55, he typically teaches young children.
Through his teaching profession, Franco hopes to “explore every neighborhood and really get to know the area” because the family considers buying their very own home there. So far, Franco says, “he loves the whole Bay Area.”
Franco estimates he has taught 1000’s of skaters the ollie, a basic skill that serves as a base for more advanced maneuvers. For each trick, Franco starts with an evidence and breaks the move down into its mechanics. Skaters then progress from Franco's hand to a “ghost hand” hovering a couple of inches away, and eventually perform the trick themselves, with some encouragement and high fives from him.
An enormous a part of coaching helps students overcome their fear and “knowing that someone has their back,” Franco says.
“It makes me happy when someone tries something new because it's a challenge,” Franco said. “It's hard for some people to just get on a skateboard and take that leap of faith.”
“I just try to make them feel safe because it can be scary and that's the honest truth. I'm just happy when someone even tries it. That gives me the greatest pleasure.”
While Jade was working on her drop-ins, three teenagers got here to the park and attempted the trick along with her. Franco offered to assist and the boys accepted. After a couple of attempts, certainly one of them managed the drop-in as well.
Go Skate Day was also Franco's birthday. His wife, Sharol Franco, said he has “aged backwards” since he began teaching.
“He’s been more active and youthful since he started skateboarding last year,” she said.
For Franco, class on his birthday hardly felt like spending the day at work.
“That,” he said, “is the dream.”
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