Click here to view photos of Heimana Reynolds
Homework first. Half-pipe later.
It might seem like a radical concept, but not at the Proper Ride Shop. The skateboard store and youth skateboard training facility opened about six months ago off the Kapalama Canal, a dream realized for the Reynolds family … and one they want to share with other young boardriders.
"I think the sport has had a bad rap," said Matt Reynolds, who co-owns the business with his wife Samantha. "But it’s gone mainstream and is becoming more accepted. We want to be part of that positive direction.
"Our name says it all. There’s a right way and a wrong way to skate. We want to teach them the proper way."
The emphasis is on education, with a study room as part of the operation. That comes as no surprise; Reynolds has a degree in education and originally wanted to be a teacher.
Now, his classroom has ramps and outlines of skateboards on the floor to practice basic fundamentals and tricks. Music matches the up-beat atmosphere and parents can watch from a loft above the mini-rink.
"My son just started and he’s really enjoying it," April Miyataki said of Zane, her 7-year-old. "It’s very family-friendly."
That’s the intent, Samantha Reynolds said.
"It is like a family," she said. "I treat all the kids like my own. It doesn’t feel like work.
"We try to make sure that our clinics are very inclusive. Some of the kids excel, some don’t, some just want to be a part of it. We do crafts, things like skateboard pens and yo-yos. There’s so much more to it than the skateboarding."
An annual membership is $180, which includes social events such as movie nights. Clinics, camps and private lessons also are available.
The minimum age is 5 with just one requirement.
"They have to be interested," Matt Reynolds said. "I tell parents I can try to get your child interested but you’re not going to get your money’s worth.
"We also tell them it’s homework before play. We teach the kids to respect each other and respect their parents. We finish every lesson by having them thank their mom and dad. They learn a lot more than balancing on a piece of wood."
Reynolds had a star pupil long before the facility. He began teaching his then-5-year-old son, Heimana, how to surf and skateboard.
Some 10 years later, Heimana Reynolds is turning pro. The 14-year-old’s amateur career included titles at the 2011 World Cup and this year’s Free-Flow/Dew Tour.
"It all started with this old skateboard we had," the Punahou School freshman said. "I rolled on it, sat on it, tried standing up, did, and I loved it.
"It’s amazing that I can have my own training facility, that my parents can have this business. It’s awesome."
"I remember wishing there was a place like this, a program like this for him when he first started," Samantha Reynolds said of her son. "I never thought this would happen for him (turning pro) but Matt worked with him for hours and hours. This is what (Heimana) wanted to do.
"And now we have this place. It took a while to find it and then design what we wanted. It’s hard to believe it’s something we can do full time and do for the kids."
