Meet the Team
Meet the people behind Gnarwhal Skate School!
We’re a crew of skaters, coaches and creative minds who believe skateboarding should be for everyone. Whether it’s helping someone find their feet or celebrating their next big trick, we’re all about building confidence, having fun and making people feel welcome.
We’re a little bit different, occasionally ridiculous, and always up for a good skate. Come meet the crew!
ricky tunbridge
lead coach and founder
Ricky’s been skateboarding for nearly 30 years and coaching for around five. As the founder of Gnarwhal Skate School, he’s all about helping people build confidence, learn new skills and discover just how much fun skateboarding can be.
Whether it’s someone’s first push or a trick they’ve been battling for months, Ricky believes everyone deserves encouragement, patience and a place where they feel they belong.
With years of experience teaching snowboarding as well as skateboarding, he brings plenty of knowledge, enthusiasm and a healthy dose of silliness to every session.
Away from the skatepark, he’s usually hanging out with his two little rippers, painting Warhammer or getting himself into some other kind of mischief!
chris humphreys
coach
Chris’s Gnarwhal journey started when Ricky taught his youngest, Reed, how to skate. Before long, the rest of the family had caught the skateboarding bug too!
As Gnarwhal grew, Chris started lending a hand and quickly became a big part of the crew. Whether he’s helping at sessions, encouraging young skaters or coming up with ideas, he’s always ready to get stuck in.
Away from skateboarding, Chris is a bit of an all-round athlete. You’ll often find him training for his next triathlon, bike ride or running challenge.
And when he finally slows down? He’s usually spending time with the kids, painting Warhammer, gaming or heading into the wilderness for a spot of foraging!
drew wright
junior coach
Where do we even start with Drew? If the skatepark were a person, it’d probably be him!
Drew lives and breathes skateboarding. He’s always learning new tricks, bringing ridiculous amounts of energy and turning up with the occasional weird contraption. He’s our resident hype man!
He’s become a huge part of the Gnarwhal crew, helping at skate camps, encouraging other skaters and making sure everyone’s having a good time. His enthusiasm is infectious, and we honestly couldn’t imagine Gnarwhal without him.
When he’s not practically living at the skatepark, you’ll probably find him in his shed, creating something awesome for his project, Sk8kraft. Go check it out and support the grind!
jess baker
behind the scenes guru
Jess has been part of Gnarwhal Skate School since day one. In fact, the whole idea started on a picnic bench, and she’s been helping bring it to life ever since!
From designing our logos and helping with the website to dreaming up creative ideas for coaching and inclusive sessions, Jess has played a massive part in making Gnarwhal what it is today.
She’s also an experienced snowboard instructor who’s taught both locally and around the world. Whether she’s skating, snowboarding or chasing her next adventure, Jess brings creativity, enthusiasm and plenty of good vibes wherever she goes.
She’ll never admit just how much she’s done behind the scenes, but we honestly wouldn’t be here without her. Absolute legend!
