North East Skateboard Lessons: 2026 Update

It’s been a while since we spoke about Skateboarding Lessons in the North East here, so we thought it’d be worth giving a little update. Who’s running them, where do they take place, and how can you get involved?

Burly Skateboard Coaching:

Burly Skateboard coaching is run by Liam Okey aka Hunchback Of The Norty Slam as he’s more commonly known from his Instagram handle. Liam has been skating for many years and is very experienced, he’s well renowned for being somewhat of a flatground wizard, having traditional flip tricks all the way to the more unconventional pretzels and cancel flips dialed. 

Liam is fully DBS and Skate Coach qualified, and can provide a complete to use if you don’t already have the gear and want to give skating a try, however he’d recommend having your own.  He often hosts lessons at Exibition Park in Newcastle City Centre but can travel to accommodate if a location is better for you, and he typically does 1 to 1 lessons. 

To get in touch with Liam to find out more or book a lesson, you can contact him on Instagram via @hunchback_of_the_norty_slam or his business account @burly_skateboard_coaching . 

Lessons with Harry Sunderland:

Harry Sunderland is a skater from Hexham originally but is now based in Newcastle. He’s a few years deep into the Skateboarding teaching game and has full DBS certification to do so. Harry is an excellent skater and is proficient at both street and transition, meaning he’s got you covered whether you want to nail your first kickflip on flat, or get your axle stalls on a ramp down. 

Harry often does lessons at the excellent park offerings in Hexham (The Sele) or Prudhoe (Highfield), two of the newest and best skatepark offerings in the North East. Harry also drives however so can come to you (within reason) if there’s somewhere more accessible than those two mentioned. 

Harry’s offers both 1 to 1 lessons and group sessions and he also has a couple of setups available to use if you don’t already own one yourself. You can get in contact with Harry to book a lesson or get further details via telephone at 07713902578 . 

 

88skatecoaching:

88skatecoaching is run by longtime friend of the shop Simon Downie. Simon is an incredibly experienced skater and can offer an array of knowledge and skills to share. Similarly to Harry, Simon is a good street and transition skater, meaning whatever type of skating you’re interested in learning, Simon has you covered! Like Liam and Harry, and all the teachers mentioned, Simon is DBS and Skatecoach qualified. 

Simon often runs his lessons from North Shields park but can travel to you if you’d rather go elsewhere. He offers both 1 to 1 and group sessions. 

You can get in contact with Simon to find out more or get a session booked via his instagram @dman8910 or his professional account @88skatecoaching . 

Indoor Lessons; 

Override Skatepark: 

Override Skatepark is one of two indoor spaces that have skateboard lessons available, and the lessons are run by Kyle aka BS Willy. Kyle is a newer skater but is out there getting it every day and is improving rapidly, and he skates ramp and street. 

Override being an indoor space is a massive benefit as we head into the winter months, as outside spaces will often be wet and un-skateable. The override lessons run on a Saturday morning from 8:50 to 9:50 and you can book a 1 to 1 or a group session. Override can provide pads and gear to use if you’re without equipment as well. 

To get in touch with Override or Kyle directly, you can contact Override at @overrideskateparkofficial or via telephone on 07522663455. You can also contact Kyle directly at @bs._.willy on Instagram!

We get a lot of parents stoked on the work Kyle does in the shop here at Native. 

Tryin HQ:

Tryin HQ is a great little indoor based in Hartlepool, run by local legend Andy Pike. Andy is an excellent skater who’s been shredding for a long time, so definitely knows his stuff. Tryin is the furthest away option from us here at Native, so if you’re closer to Hartlepool than Newcastle, this could be the option for you. Tryin is a very beginner friendly park, with a nice and diverse array of obstacles to skate from transition to street stuff. 

Andy runs a 5:45 – 6:45pm kids park session, for ages 6-15, a great option to socialise and skate, and a 16+ skate session for learners and returners straight after 7-9pm. Thursday night is the skatenight 7-10pm and Andy also offers 1 to 1 or group lessons for new starters. 

Tryin’ is a great space to skate, socialise and learn so over the winter definitely check it out.

You can contact Andy via Instagram at @hartlepike or the parks instagram @tryin_hq . 

Skateboard lessons are as popular as they ever have been in 2026, and any of the options mentioned in this blog are a great one, so if you think that lessons might be for you, definitely get in touch with any of the mentioned people to find out more.