Q & A with Jon Depoian from Intro 2 Skateboarding
Interview with Jon
What is Intro 2 Skate? Intro 2 Skate is a skate lesson program that's been serving Orange County, CA and surrounding areas since 2013. We offer group and private lessons at private skateparks. Volcom HQ in Costa Mesa and Cornerstone in Fountain Valley.
When did you start it ? July 1st, 2013
Why did you start it ? I moved to Socal to pursue skateboarding and love working with kids. In Michigan, my dad's friend asked me to teach his son how to skate, and then a sports arena asked me to start small classes there. When I moved here, I thought it would be a fun thing to start while I pursue skating, and over the years it's taken on a life of its own.
What skateparks do you run Intro 2 Skate at ? Volcom HQ in Costa Mesa and Cornerstone in Fountain Valley. Volcom is indoor and Cornerstone is outside, both are private skateparks so we're able to control the environment for staff and families.
How do kids learn more about it / or how to sign up? We're most active on instagram at @intro2skate our website is www.intro2skateboarding.com
Where are you from originally? Midwest, Chicago then Kalamazoo, Michigan
When did you start skating and why? Summer of 2000, the first Tony Hawk game sparked interest in my neighborhood. There was a few of us that played sports every day on the street, we all got Toys R Us boards to try skating, they all broke and that was it for them, so I gathered all of their board parts to keep it going until I could ask for a board for Christmas. I was hooked.
Favorite memories of skating growing up? Just skating with my friends in general, pre smart phones. There weren't a lot of skateparks in our area, so we would skate around town, mostly the university and film each other. We would put out a new local video every fall, on VHS!
Favorite recent memory of skating? Camp Mess Halls, camping, skating and fellowship with a bunch of friends in Redding, CA last year.
What's in store for 2024? Keep doing what we're doing and exploring potential for growth. We're offering some mobile lessons this year at schools so maybe adding more of those. Always looking at the potential of adding another venue in another area to expand a little bit.
Favorite skaters of all time and why? My favorite growing up was Chris Cole, for taking technical tricks to another level. I think all time is Mark Gonzalez, for his unique approach and abilities. After more than 20 years a lot of skating starts to look the same, and I realized how important his early innovation was, along with continually doing it his way to this day.
Why do you like the S1 Lifer Helmet? It's a clear passion for the craft, the shape of the helmet, the impact testing they do. The options of liner size for custom fit is a big deal too, everyone's head is shaped differently, and a helmet is only as good as it fits.
