Have you ever wanted to try skateboarding but aren’t really big into falling? Maybe you’re better with your hands than your feet?
Why not give fingerboarding a shot?
If you’ve never heard of fingerboarding, you don’t have to go too far to find out. FlatFace Fingerboards is at 54 Chuck Drive, Dracut, behind A-Brew’s Tap & Grill on upper Bridge Street.
FlatFace is a family business started in 2003 that moved to Dracut in 2016. Mike Schneider runs the shop, which holds
fingerboarding events once a month, to which the public is invited.
Fingerboards are mini-skateboards, generally about 4 inches long. They took off in the ‘80s as the skateboarding craze skyrocketed. Skateboarders use fingerboards to simulate tricks and as visual aids to understand tricks and maneuvers.
Today, fingerboarding is popular even among non-skateboarders.
“We offer the best miniature skateboarding experience, with high-quality fingerboards modeled after real skateboards down to the smallest details -- real miniature bearings, wooden handmade decks and realistic skate parks,” Mike says. “Children and adults of all ages form a passionate community in this unique hobby where emulating skateboard tricks with your fingers takes skill and practice.”
FlatFace’s website offers how-to videos, an online shop for all the parts you’ll need to create your own fingerboards, and a virtual “museum” to show off Mike’s collection, one of the most significant in the world of fingerboards.
The site on Chuck Drive is only open to the public during events held once a month. FlatFace hosts “Rendezvous,” dubbed the first and biggest public fingerboard event in the country, twice a year, with the next one planned for April.
Check out www.flatfacefingerboards.com and www.youtube.com/user/MikeSchneider, or email Mike at mikeschneider161@gmail.com.