New Jersey’s Shred.Co is an adaptive skateboarding program, and it’s also a place where participants can learn new skills and create community. This Fairfield-based organization teaches children and adults how to skate using specially made equipment to accommodate each rider’s needs. Read on to learn more about this adaptive skateboarding program in Fairfield, New Jersey.
Shred.Co is a skateboard instructional program for kids and adults only 30 minutes from Hoboken in Fairfield, NJ, founded by Jersey native Evan Dittig. Evan grew up skating in Wayne, NJ, as both a sponsored skater and a skate instructor. Being accessible and inclusive can mean a lot of different things, but for Shred.Co, it means getting anyone who wants to skate onto a board. It means adapting skateboard instruction and/or equipment as needed to meet skaters where they are to allow them to experience the joy of the sport.
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His first job in high school was teaching skating lessons. So, when he graduated from college, society asked the dreaded question, “What do you want to do with your life?” Skateboarding is what came to mind. “That’s what I knew as a job,” Evan said.
He began teaching private skate lessons at parks and clients’ homes for 6 years before moving into the indoor skate space in Fairfield. With this dedicated home for Shred.Co, Evan was committed to creating a welcoming, accessible space for people of all ages and abilities. This is achieved through thoughtful board and teaching modifications to adapt to each skater.
When working with blind and visually impaired skaters, it’s critical to create ways for them to hear and feel their way through the movements. Shred.Co does this through the use of canes, raised hardware, and audio cues from instructors.
When a skater has a mobility challenge like cerebral palsy, instructors can loosen the rider’s gait trainer, giving them the ability to move more naturally with their body and the board. For skaters with developmental differences, the Shred.Co approach is more hands-on with individualized support and patience.
Last month, Shred.Co partnered with NJ Skate Shop in Jersey City to host an adaptive clinic at Enos Jones Park, where they unveiled custom boards for children with different mobility needs. One board included a built-in walker for added balance, another used dual support canes for riders with limited leg strength, and another was specifically designed to work alongside a gate trainer. Each of these boards was thoughtfully designed by Phill Pezo, Shred.Co’s skate director and adaptive designer, to ensure the needs of different skaters were met.
A common concern for parents, especially for parents of children with different /mobility levels, is that skateboarding is too dangerous. “Skating is no more dangerous than football or soccer in terms of activities for youth,” Evan said. “If you’re learning the correct way and wearing the correct safety equipment, you can learn a lot, and it’s really a lot less dangerous than you may think.”
Skateboarding provides the on-the-board takeaways of focus, balance, and coordination. It also teaches kids off-the-board skills, like problem-solving, confidence, and how to get back up after you fall (literally and figuratively).
In addition to the impact Shred.Co is making in New Jersey; they also reach across borders to help spread the shred all over the world. A large accessibility challenge to skateboarding is getting the right equipment. To help address this challenge, Shred.Co has donated boards and equipment to remote regions of Africa where there are no skate shops and children were previously riding boards made out of planks of wood and old roller skate wheels. They’ve also provided skateboards to skaters in Cuba, where it’s very difficult for Cuban skaters to get proper equipment.
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Shred.Co continues to grow and make an impact around the world, and we’re so lucky to have them based in our own backyard. The best way to stay up to date is by visiting the website here + DM @shred.co on Instagram if you wish to participate. Volunteers are also welcome.
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