A pocket-size skateboard changed N\u00e9stor Videla\u2019s life when much of the world was stuck at home. The retired metalworker from Argentina learned fingerboarding from his son during the pandemic, then watched his first trick videos travel far beyond the family table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now 74, Videla is recognized by children and parents at gatherings, while some of his clips have drawn millions of views. His appeal is not only about performing tricks at an unexpected age<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It is also about a rare kind of role reversal, with young riders teaching adults and one grandfather becoming a bridge between generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Videla did not set out to become an online personality. During pandemic isolation, his son already practiced the discipline and showed him one of its basic moves, the ollie<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An ollie is a jump that lifts the board into the air without a hand grabbing it. On a fingerboard, the index and middle fingers act like a skateboarder\u2019s feet, pressing and guiding the tiny deck. Videla practiced until he could raise the board cleanly with both fingers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then came a simple upload. Videla posted himself landing the ollie, and the clip quickly drew attention. That changed everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, what exactly is fingerboarding? It is miniature skateboarding<\/a>, with a small deck, metal wheel mounts called trucks, wheels, a textured top layer called grip tape, and many of the same obstacles found in a full-size skatepark. Riders use two fingers to imitate jumps, flips, and rail slides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Videla describes the board as \u201cpractically the perfect imitation of a skateboard.\u201d Some ramps and rails can be carried to demonstrations, while larger setups recreate an entire skatepark across long tables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He said one dedicated meeting place in Buenos Aires has several practice areas measuring about 8 to 10 ft. long. Entry is free, and children can practice both fingerboarding and skateboarding there. A tiny board can still need plenty of room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Videla usually attends on Saturdays with his son, who helps him get to events and sessions. The space fills with young riders, many accompanied by parents who sit nearby and share mate<\/a>, a popular Argentine herbal drink, while the tricks continue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this case, the usual family lesson is flipped. Instead of adults showing children what to do, seven- and eight-year-olds often teach their fathers how to control the miniature board. That scene helps explain why Videla has become such a warm presence in the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\nA lockdown lesson from his son<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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What fingerboarding actually is<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Where children teach their parents<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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