BYU skate club advocates for SWELL skateboarding class

Brigham Young University's skateboarding club hosted an event on Feb. 20 to build support for a proposed skateboarding SWELL class.

The event was in collaboration with Carry On, a nonprofit in Downtown Provo that helps youth foster mental resilience through skateboarding.

We want to raise awareness that the SWELL program is getting started, because the more students that show involvement in the skateboarding club, the more likely it is that the SWELL class will get approved, Samuel Warner, the BYU Skateboarding Club president, said.

Students in the experience design management program have been collaborating with the skate club to promote the event.

Over the past two weeks, they have been on campus at a booth offering surveys about interest in a skateboarding SWELL class.

Every single student I asked if they thought this is something they wanted to do. They all were just like, yes, 100%, Abbie Fitts, an experience design major, said.

The class would be hosted at Carry Ons indoor skate park in Downtown Provo and would use skateboarding as a tool to teach mental resilience skills.

Skateboarding is often seen as more of a punk thing, and it's cool for that reason, but it can feel a little isolating sometimes, and sometimes skaters get a bad rap," Warner said. "There's a lot of negative stereotypes associated with it, so I thought that starting a skateboarding club ... was a good idea to break some of those stereotypes."

A study conducted by Instinct Laboratory and Flo Skatepark found that skateboarding can reduce stress and increase confidence.

I feel like if we have a pickleball class, like, why not have a skateboarding class or something like that? I feel like its super big here in Provo, Lizzy Cannon, a BYU student, said.

The skate club does weekly meet-ups at skateparks and on campus to meet new people and find community.

The club also teaches people how to skateboard. Warner encourages new skaters to come and learn.

Just join skate club, it'll be great. Don't worry if you don't know how to skate; it's honestly more of a club to foster friendship." Warner said. "We're not trying to train pro skaters, we just want to really foster community and friendship and make sure that everyone has the opportunity to make a friend."

The club eventually wants to get a space on campus for skateboarders to skate, such as a mini-ramp. Warner hopes to get a space, potentially in the Smith Fieldhouse.

Join the BYU skate club today through its website.