the first push
The First Push is a non-profit organization dedicated to spreading the love of skateboarding throughout the Bay Area. Our program hosts bimonthly skateboarding clinics for young skaters of all skill levels.
A skateboard is like a paintbrush. It allows you to express yourself on the canvas of the world around you. Everyone can learn to ride a skateboard, and everyone is free to skate how they want. There are no rules in skateboarding – that’s what makes it so special.
If you’ve never picked up a skateboard, or would like to learn advanced tricks, instructors at The First Push are here to help.
The First Push launched in June of 2019. To learn more about The First Push, please contact jack@thefirstpush.org Keep pushing!
As the Founder of The First Push, Jack has been a life-long fan of board sports. Jack is a Bay Area native, and has been living and skating in San Francisco since graduating from Northwestern University in 2016.
Skateboarding taught Jack valuable life skills, and gave him his passions for art, design, music, and ultimately, civic engagement. Jack aims to enrich his community by teaching young people how to skate. He hopes he can pass along the gifts that skateboarding brings with The First Push.
Ryan’s a midwesterner at heart, originally from the western suburbs of Chicago. His skating journey started in elementary school along with his older brother and next door neighbors. They were inspired by the original Tony Hawk Pro Skater video games which prompted them to start building ramps and rails during the summer months. This love & passion for skating followed Ryan into his teenage years where he enjoyed heavily documenting his progression via his video camera and sharing it with friends. After spending 4 years studying and skating regularly at college in Madison, Wisconsin he made the jump west to head to San Francisco in 2015 where he currently resides. Ryan’s ecstatic to be able to share his love for skating through The First Push, and help kids see real progression.
Declan grew up skateboarding with his older brother in San Luis Obispo, California. He studied business and environmental studies at Brandeis University and studied abroad in Havana, Cuba. He volunteered with Cuba Skate, an organization which helps support the Cuban skateboarding community. Declan just returned from his 3rd trip to the island, bringing over 150 pounds of skateboarding equipment to the community. Declan loves sharing the excitement of skateboarding with young people, and is excited to help out with The First Push.
Vanessa is a Bay Area native that was introduced to skateboarding at a young age by her father and brother. Over the years she continued to skate, solidifying her love for skateboarding and its community after graduating college. Vanessa has traveled to Cuba four times to support skateboarding events for youth and is excited to continue to expand the sport and culture on the island. Vanessa currently resides in the East Bay and works for an environmental equity non-profit. Vanessa is excited to assist The First Push through her experience and love for skateboarding, community building, and non-profit work.
The First Push is dedicated to spreading the love of skateboarding throughout the Bay Area. Volunteers at The First Push are all lifelong skaters who are passionate about advocating for skateboarding in their communities. We all remember our first time skating, and want to help others feel the same sense of “stoke”!
The First Push is a non-profit organization. The First Push hosts clinic-style skateboarding lessons every other weekend for young skaters of all skill levels. We’ve expanded over the past couple months, and are now excited to offer classes to different age groups!
The First Push hosts clinic-style skateboarding classes every other Saturday of the month, weather permitting. For a full schedule, please contact our volunteer Jack at jackwiefels93@gmail.com.
The First Push hosts every class on the blacktop at James Lick Middle School in Noe Valley. (4162 25th Street, San Francisco, CA 94114)
The First Push hosts two sessions every Saturday, divided by age:
Each class runs for one hour.
The First Push is free! All coaches volunteer their time and passion because they believe in the power of skateboarding.
With that said, in order to continue to offer skateboards for students to borrow, we ask that you consider making a donation to each session. We use these donations to buy skateboard parts and equipment, so that more students can participate and experience the joy of skating with friends!
New participants must bring their signed release waiver with them (or email it to jackwiefels93@gmail.com ) before they can join others in class.
You can find release waiver for The First Push here.
Participants must wear a helmet to participate as well. If you have a skateboard and helmet, great! If not, please notify Jack at jackwiefels93@gmail.com so we can make sure that we have a skateboard and helmet for you to borrow.
Absolutely! Our coaches will help you learn what you need to start skating at once. We focus on the fundamentals of skateboarding, which prepare students to excel as they practice these concepts outside of class.
