Sterzenbach helps skateboarding become more than a hobby

5/31/2023

Skateboarding is one of the fastest growing hobbies in the country. What started out in the late 1950s by surfers has continued to expand in most every way imaginable. The sport has found its way into the Olympics, become a pro tour series, been ingrained in media and, more so lately, established itself in Des Moines.

As a surprise to many, the country’s largest skateboarding facility was built on the Principal Riverwalk in 2021. The Lauridsen Skatepark is 88,000 square feet and was the host for North America’s only qualifying event for the 2021 Summer Olympic games held in Tokyo. 

Norm Sterzenbach created Skate DSM in 2018 while the skatepark project was in need of funds. He recognized there would be a need for a skateboarding specific program with the new park and felt Skate DSM would be able to fill that void. Skate DSM’s goal is to provide a safe environment for those of all ages to learn how to skate.

Skateboarding can be a beneficial hobby to those of all ages. It gives children and teens a way to get out of the house and into environments where they can socialize while being active. “It helps kids get off their screens. Skateboarding is a unique activity because it combines extreme physical exertion with precise muscle coordination and balance. It’s a great activity for kids’ physical and mental health,” said Sterzenbach. 

According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, children spend four to six hours per day looking at screens. Having a healthy outlet that helps develop their social skills alongside being active is extremely important. 

“I’ve seen kids whose parents have described them as introverted, shy, and unwilling to try new things grow tremendously thanks to skateboarding. They find new friends, grow their confidence and grow as a person as well,” said Sterzenbach. 

Like other sports and hobbies, skateboarding can teach you valuable life lessons. Most everyone who has ever stepped on a skateboard has certainly fallen off of one. Those who want to become good at it are going to have to accept that there will be some failures along the way. 

“Skateboarding is a largely independent sport; it requires a lot of self-discipline. No one’s going to tell you to get out and skate or work on that trick. You have to be the one to push yourself,” said Sterzenbach. 

Unlike your traditional sports that double as hobbies, you can pick up skateboarding on your own, but as Sterzenbach said, that creates its own challenges. 

Nationally, skateboarding has faced difficulties by garnering a negative connotation with participants called trespassers or vandals, or the sport being called dangerous. Internationally well-known trailblazer Tony Hawk has worked to change the narrative. 

“Tony Hawk opened the sport to new audiences when he landed the first 900 and developed the Tony Hawk Pro Skater video games. And with skateboarding’s debut in the Olympics (Tokyo 2021), more of the world is catching on to the many positive benefits of the sport,” said Sterzenbach.

Lauridsen Skatepark has been monumental not only in its size but in growing a new generation of skateboarders. 

“The skatepark has been probably the most important tool to grow the skateboarding community in Des Moines,” said Sterzenbach. “Just like any other sport, people need their own facilities in order to practice. Without it, there is no way to grow a sport.” 

Plans for the future of Skate DSM include continuing the hobby and skateboarding community’s growth. Sterzenbach wants their Des Moines Streetstyle Open to grow into a nationally and internationally recognized event. He also wants to continue to remove the financial barriers between kids and skateboarding, alongside the intimidation that follows those learning a new sport with their “Get on Board” and “Push to Start” clinics.