Skateboards, Tacos and Community: How Tacos LA and Curbside Coaching Are Bringing Kareela Street Together

Some of the strongest community connections are not created through formal partnerships or carefully planned campaigns.

They happen naturally.

A family finishes a skateboarding lesson and walks down the road for something to eat. Kids arrive carrying their boards and helmets. Parents sit down for tacos while their children excitedly explain the new trick they finally landed.

That is exactly the kind of community forming between Tacos LA and Curbside Coaching in Mordialloc.

Located only a short distance from each other on Kareela Street, the two businesses may appear quite different at first.

One is a Los Angeles-inspired Mexican food destination. The other is a dedicated skateboarding facility helping children and adults develop their skills and confidence.

What they share is a genuine commitment to bringing people together.

Two Local Mordialloc Businesses on Kareela Street

Tacos LA is located at:

1/9 Kareela Street, Mordialloc, Victoria

Just down the road, Curbside Coaching operates its private skateboarding facility at:

15 Kareela Street, Mordialloc, Victoria

Their close proximity has created a natural connection between the two communities.

Parents and children regularly stop by Tacos LA before or after a session at Curbside. Young skaters arrive hungry after working on their skills, while their families have the opportunity to relax and share a meal together.

For Tacos LA chef and owner Angel Farias, seeing skateboards regularly appearing outside the shop has a special meaning.

Angel grew up loving skateboarding, and it was an important part of the Los Angeles culture that surrounded him when he was younger.

Now, years later and on the other side of the world, he gets to watch a new generation of skaters develop their confidence only a few doors away from his own business.

What Is Curbside Coaching?

Curbside Coaching is a skateboarding school and community based in Mordialloc.

Operating from its own private indoor and outdoor skatepark, Curbside helps people learn to skateboard in a safe, positive and supportive environment.

Its programs are designed for a wide variety of ages and skill levels, from young beginners stepping onto a skateboard for the first time to experienced skaters working towards more advanced tricks.

Curbside offers services including:

• Weekly group skateboarding lessons

• Private skateboard coaching

• Beginner workshops

• School holiday programs

• School and community programs

• Skateboarding parties and events

• Coaching for intermediate and advanced skaters

  
  

The goal is not simply to teach someone how to stand on a board or land a trick.

Skateboarding also helps children develop confidence, persistence, coordination, focus and resilience.

Learning a new trick involves repetition. It means falling, adjusting and trying again. Progress may take time, but finally landing something after repeated attempts can create an incredible sense of achievement.

Curbside gives young people a place where they can experience that process while being supported by qualified coaches and surrounded by other skaters.

Angel’s Lifelong Connection to Skateboarding

Long before Angel was serving tacos in Mordialloc, skateboarding was part of his own life.

Growing up near Los Angeles, skating was closely connected to the music, street culture, art and food surrounding him.

It was a way to explore the city, meet people and become part of a wider community.

Angel understands that skateboarding is much more than a sport.

For many people, it becomes an identity, a creative outlet and a way of forming friendships with people from completely different backgrounds.

That same energy can now be seen around Tacos LA.

Kids arrive from Curbside carrying their boards. They tell Angel about the tricks they are learning, show him what they can do and sit down with their families for tacos after a session.

Although these young skaters are growing up thousands of kilometres from Los Angeles, the combination of skating, street food, families and community feels incredibly familiar to Angel.

Land a Kickflip and Earn a Free Taco

The connection between Tacos LA and the local skateboarding community may be best represented by one of Angel’s favourite challenges:

A young skater who lands a kickflip on their first attempt can earn a free taco.

There is no complicated competition or formal application process.

The board comes out. Everyone watches. The skater gets one attempt.

Land the kickflip cleanly, and Angel will reward the achievement with a taco.

The challenge perfectly captures the personality of Tacos LA.

It is spontaneous, generous and designed to create a memorable moment for the people who visit.

It also gives the young skaters coming from Curbside an opportunity to show Angel and the Tacos LA team what they have been practising.

Sometimes they land it.

Sometimes the board spins away.

Either way, it creates a moment that children, parents and everyone watching can enjoy together.

The kickflip challenge is an informal bit of fun rather than a permanent promotion, so the final decision always belongs to Angel on the day.

More Than a Business Partnership

Community is a word businesses use frequently, but it only becomes meaningful when people can genuinely experience it.

The connection between Curbside Coaching and Tacos LA is not based on logos, sponsorship packages or promotional promises.

It can be seen in the everyday moments taking place on Kareela Street.

It is parents supporting their children during a lesson and then sharing tacos afterwards.

It is young skaters recognising each other outside the skatepark.

It is Angel asking someone which trick they are currently trying to learn.

It is a child pulling out a skateboard and taking one shot at earning a free taco.

It is two independent Mordialloc businesses contributing to the same neighbourhood in different but complementary ways.

Curbside gives young people somewhere to move, learn, socialise and build confidence.

Tacos LA gives families somewhere nearby to sit down, eat and spend time together.

The connection works because both businesses have been built around people.

Why Local Community Connections Matter

A strong neighbourhood is rarely built by one business or destination alone.

It develops when local businesses support one another and give visitors multiple reasons to spend time in the area.

A family visiting Curbside Coaching may discover Tacos LA because it is only a short walk away.

A customer visiting Tacos LA may notice kids carrying skateboards and discover that a dedicated coaching facility is located just down the street.

Those small discoveries benefit both businesses, but they also help build a stronger identity for the surrounding area.

Instead of travelling to Mordialloc for one appointment and immediately leaving, families can turn their visit into an afternoon or evening together.

A skateboarding lesson becomes an opportunity to enjoy lunch or dinner.

A visit for tacos introduces a family to a local activity they may not have previously known existed.

These connections help transform a collection of individual businesses into a genuine community.

Skateboarding and Los Angeles Food Culture

The connection between skateboarding and Tacos LA also makes sense culturally.

Los Angeles has a long association with street skating, independent skate brands, music, art and creative communities.

Taco shops and food trucks naturally occupy many of the same spaces.

They are places where people stop to eat after skating, working, playing music or spending time with friends.

Angel’s food is shaped by his Mexican heritage and his Los Angeles upbringing. Tacos LA brings the flavours and attitude of LA-style Mexican food to Mordialloc.

The growing friendship with the Curbside community allows another part of Angel’s story to emerge naturally.

He is not trying to manufacture a version of Los Angeles in Melbourne.

Instead, many of the same things that shaped his younger years - skating, food, friendship and community - are beginning to come together again on Kareela Street.

Supporting Young People Beyond the Skatepark

The free-taco kickflip challenge may be playful, but the idea behind it matters.

Children remember when adults take an interest in the things they are passionate about.

They remember when someone asks about the trick they have spent weeks practising.

They remember when an achievement outside of school is recognised and celebrated.

For a child who has been repeatedly trying to land a kickflip, earning a taco from Angel

may represent more than receiving something for free.

It is an acknowledgement of their persistence, confidence and skill.

That encouragement supports the work being done at Curbside, where skateboarding is used to build confidence alongside practical ability.

Together, these small moments create a wider environment where children feel seen, supported and proud of what they are learning.

Building a Community Around Tacos LA

Since establishing its home in Mordialloc, Tacos LA has welcomed people from across Melbourne.

American and Mexican expats have visited looking for familiar Los Angeles and Mexican flavours. Local residents have discovered foods they may never have previously experienced. Families are returning with friends, and regular customers are beginning to recognise one another.

The connection with Curbside Coaching is another important part of that story.

Tacos LA is becoming more than somewhere people collect food.

It is becoming a place where people meet after local activities, talk about their day and connect with others from the neighbourhood.

That is the type of business Angel wants to build.

The food will always remain central, but it is the conversations, friendships and memories created around the food that give Tacos LA its personality.

From the Skatepark to the Taco Shop

The next time you see a group of young skaters carrying boards along Kareela Street, there is a good chance they are travelling between two local destinations.

They may be heading to Curbside Coaching to practise a new trick.

They may be walking towards Tacos LA for something to eat after a session.

Or one of them may be preparing to pull out a board and take a single shot at Angel’s kickflip challenge.

Whatever happens, the connection represents something worth celebrating: two independent businesses helping to make Mordialloc a more active, welcoming and interesting place for local families.

At Curbside, the community is built one push, fall and landed trick at a time.

At Tacos LA, the connection continues over tacos.

Visit Tacos LA in Mordialloc

Tacos LA

Address: 1/9 Kareela Street, Mordialloc, Victoria

Chef and owner: Angel Farias

Food: Los Angeles-inspired Mexican food

Follow Tacos LA on social media for current opening hours, menu updates, specials and community stories.

Visit Curbside Coaching in Mordialloc

Curbside Coaching

Address: 15 Kareela Street, Mordialloc, Victoria

Programs: Group skateboard lessons, private coaching, workshops, school holiday programs and community events

Visit the Curbside Coaching website to explore its current sessions, programs and booking options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Tacos LA located?

Tacos LA is located at 1/9 Kareela Street, Mordialloc, Victoria.

Where is Curbside Coaching located?

Curbside Coaching is located at 15 Kareela Street, Mordialloc, only a short distance from Tacos LA.

What does Curbside Coaching offer?

Curbside Coaching offers group skateboarding lessons, private coaching, beginner workshops, school holiday programs, school activities and skateboarding events for different ages and skill levels.

Does Curbside Coaching teach beginners?

Yes. Curbside offers programs for complete beginners, including young children learning basic balance, pushing, turning and safe falling techniques.

Can children visit Tacos LA after skateboarding?

Yes. Tacos LA is located just down the road from Curbside Coaching, making it an easy place for children and parents to visit before or after a skateboarding session.

Can a child really win a free taco by landing a kickflip?

Angel has been known to offer a free taco to a young skater who lands a kickflip on their first attempt. It is an informal challenge and not a guaranteed or permanent promotion, so it remains up to Angel on the day.