Free wheeling
Bringing skating for all to Portsmouth: Pages
If you live in Southsea, there’s a good chance you’ve spotted the fast-moving flashing wheels of a large gang of roller skaters zooming through the city. This is the Portsmouth Skating Group, a motley crew of enthusiasts all sharing a love of skating, whether inline or quad.
My interest was piqued when I heard about this party on wheels.
Like many, I took up quad skating in the dark, miserable depths of the January lockdown, trying to inject some joy into life by purchasing a pair of bright pink Rainbow Riders. Despite torn leggings and more scrapes and bruises than I can count, skating immediately became an unexpected obsession and I spent every free, dry moment on my skates.
Hoping to widen my skating social circle, I arranged to meet PSG founder, coordinator and trainer Joaquin Jimenez, known as Joa, at the group’s usual meeting place on the quad outside The Briny on Clarence Esplanade.
It was one of their regular Sunday afternoon beginner meets at the seafront location, and fellow skaters began to show up as I laced my Moxies and pulled my wrist guards on.
Shortly, portable speakers began pumping disco classics and pop tunes while training cones went up on the concrete. Everywhere you looked, there were happy faces – friends fist-bumping, couples skating hand-in-hand, people laughing after failed manoeuvres, and newbies being brought into the fold by one of the group’s trainers.
Joa says he was inspired to launch a group as a young man living in Spain after seeing an older skater helping children pick up the sport. The 43-yearold Southsea resident says: ‘This is a dream, from 2014 when I came to England, to 10 months ago when the group started.
‘Now we have 1,300 followers on our Facebook group.’
As well as the regular group gatherings at The Briny, PSG hosts street skates for all abilities throughout the streets and parks of Portsmouth – including a gentle trail through the common, ideal for nervous beginner skaters.
The group, which also hosts a weekly outdoor roller disco near The D-Day Story, has offered a lifeline to people struggling with the isolation of the pandemic.
Joa added: ‘Some people have really struggled with the Covid situation, and people say to me “you’ve basically saved my life. Coming here and skating with all these smiling people has changed my life”.
‘People that come to skate with us aren’t just beginners, they’re becoming friends.’
The group’s social aspect is what drew in lifelong inline skater Ben Bednall. He says: ‘I’ve been meeting the group since March. I wanted to join for that social side, making friends.
‘I speak to everyone – it’s like a little family, and nice seeing new faces too.’
One such new face is Bonnie Guest, who was inspired to get back into skating after spotting the group on one of their street skates. She says: ‘It was really seeing this group that made me want to get back into it – it reminded me about when I used to do it.’
I’m not the only person who took up skating as an escape from lockdown: the sport has seen a huge surge in popularity over the past year, with some skate shops selling
‘I speak to everyone – it’s like a little family’
out of products and customers facing long waits to get on their wheels.
‘It’s a boom for skaters,’ agrees Joa. ‘People see us, we bring lights, we are on the road. People see people skating and it pushes them to start again, or they think “oh, I’ve always wanted to learn how to skate”.’
Skate events are currently held six times a week – every day except Fridays – and there are six trainers helping skaters develop their skills, whether it’s standing up on skates for the first time or difficult cone tricks.
Every session is completely free – wannabe skaters and seasoned athletes alike can simply turn up and take part.
‘This is what we give so that people can skate – we love to do this,’ Joa explains. ‘Helping other people is like, wow! I like to improve myself as well, jumping and dancing.
‘This is for everyone – mothers, grandfathers, children learn so quick.’
The growing group sees more and more skaters join each month, from 20 skaters attending PSG’s first meeting to the 40-50 skaters who are now welcomed to every meet.
Joa, who has been skating since he was 17, adds: ‘Everyone can learn to skate. It’s important to have the right protection.
‘I would recommend to everyone to come with us it’s not a dangerous exercise. Don’t be shy, don’t worry about age – just come along.’ The group welcomes people of all abilities and all ages, and on this glorious Sunday I can see everyone from young children on bright plastic wheels to older folk confidently wheeling across the concrete.
I’ll definitely be back to join the party again next Sunday. Find out more by searching ‘Portsmouth Skating Group’ on facebook.com.
‘Don’t worry about age – just come along ‘