For Ariel Ries, owner of Fargo Skateboarding in DeKalb, riding a skateboard isn’t just a hobby – it’s a way of life.

Ries, 32, looks to share her love of the sport by hosting beginner skateboard lessons every Saturday morning at Fargo Skateboarding’s indoor skate park.

“This is a good way to get kids interested in skateboarding,” she said. “Our goal is to be a welcoming and encouraging environment. It’s really growing in popularity. Each week we have between 15 and 30 people, and it’s super fun.

“Skateboarding is amazing in every way, and it’s something you do for a lifetime. I want to spread that joy throughout the community.”

Eowyn Feldacker, 6, comes to Fargo Skateboarding every Saturday. The kindergartener at Littlejohn Elementary School in DeKalb said she’s getting pretty good at it.

“I really like skateboarding. I’m still learning, but I don’t need any help anymore,” she said.

Her mother, Valerie Garver, said she thinks skateboarding is building more confidence in her daughter.

“She just loves it, and it’s good because you have to take calculated risks to do it well,” Garver said. “She falls, but that’s part of it. I’ve never seen her so passionate about anything.”

Aja Aspinwall, 9, has been skateboarding for a few months, and she got interested in it because her father skateboards.

“I think it’s really cool, and I like that there’s no competition. You can learn to do it your own way,” the fourth-grader at Founders Elementary School in DeKalb said. “It’s really fun because when you go fast, it just feels amazing.”

Cayden Harbecke, 11, began skateboarding when he was 5 years old, and he still loves to come to the Saturday morning lesson.

“It’s good to come here because you can ride around and try new things. Skateboarding is hard, but I’m getting better,” the Malta Elementary School fifth-grader said.

His mother, Chris Harbecke, said she’s happy to bring her son because she wants him to be active and to learn something new.

“He’s not sitting in front of a TV, and this gives kids a sense of failing and getting back up,” she said. “They fall a lot, but they keep going. It’s also good for him to meet kids who share the same interests. They’re very accepting here, whether you’re a beginner or an advanced skater.”

Ian Libby, 6, of DeKalb fell off his board and hurt his elbow. But after a few tears and about five minutes, he was ready to get back on and skate.

“Even when you get hurt, you still want to get back up and try again,” the kindergartener at Founders Elementary School said. “I like skateboarding and like going down the ramps and doing cool tricks.”

Ries is very focused on safety, and the facility requires all riders under age 18 to wear helmets. She knows kids are going to fall, and said she wants them to be able to learn how to fall in a safe environment.

“Skateboarding is hard, but we teach them how to approach things and how to skate on ramps,” Ries said. “We want kids to progress in the safest manner. There are no advanced skateboarders here on Saturday morning, besides the instructors. No one is flying through the park, so this is a good place for kids to get a taste of what it’s like.”

Ries opened the 10,000-square-foot indoor park in August. Since then, thousands of skateboarders have come from all over Northern Illinois and surrounding states to practice their skills. Ries said her park is one of only three heated indoor parks in the state.

“We needed a place to skate in the winter because there is a big skateboarding community,” she said. “It’s a great outlet because it’s not only a physical and athletic activity, but it’s also mental. It takes work and dedication. You have to make a commitment and skate several times a week. It’s not something you can just jump into and be good at.”

The Saturday morning drop-in lessons are $5, which include skateboard use. The lessons are open to the public, and all ages are encouraged to attend. Lessons are given from 10 a.m. to noon, and instructors work with beginning skaters. Fargo Skateboarding is located at 629 E. Lincoln Hwy.