On a stretch of tarmac between the River Thames and a golf driving range, Ying Lui is dancing with what looks to be an ironing board on wheels. 

Ying, 29, is one of the 25 or so London Longboarders who show up regularly at the site by the O2 for a skate session with a difference. 

Teenage skate sensation Sky Brown has propelled skateboarding into the mainstream but the skaters here are anything but. As the name suggests, longboards are longer than regular boards and modified for a very different type of ride. 

The skaters here at the North Greenwich docks dance on their boards, performing tricks that look completely unlike anything you might have seen in the Olympics. Freestyle longboarding is a relatively new style and combines dance with jumps and tricks so the whole ride has a flow that’s unique to the sport.

As Ying explains: “It’s almost like it’s limitless. I’m always out here challenging myself. Anything is possible and I’m outside my indoor world and on my board so I  can be a bit creative and get out of that city lifestyle. Just being in your own flow.”

The group meet on Sunday afternoons, when the weather is good and is as diverse as the people of London. They make it a priority to welcome and support those who are new to the sport.

Hoang Nguyen, 29, has been longboarding for five years and says being part of the boarding community and helping it grow is a key part of why he enjoys it. He has seen skaters of a variety of ages and abilities, including a lady in her 70s who uses a stick to push with.

The vibe at the Sunday sessions doesn’t feel competitive and is more about socialising and progressing your own skills - but there can be a competitive side to the sport.

Ben Stainer, 28, is one of the core members of the group and regularly competes in international events. As well as freestyle, he’s a downhill boarder. This style uses boards and wheels specially designed for speed - and Ben has ridden at more than 60 miles an hour.

At those speeds, accidents can be extremely dangerous - as Ben found out when he crashed into a fence post in Wales and broke five vertebrae. “I had to lay in the hospital bed for a few days, just about being able to feel my feet. That’s one of the scariest experiences a human being can have.”

While Ben stresses such accidents are very rare, perhaps that explains why many choose to do freestyle longboarding instead.

What started out as a handful of people getting together to longboard has grown thanks to the London Longboarding group on Facebook. The group started in 2008 and now has more than 6,400 members on the social media network. 

They are soon to hold their third Docks Games, a social longboarding event that attracts boarders from Bristol, Brighton and further afield which is taking place on 28 May.

To find out more visit London Longboarders on Facebook