I just turned 50 3 weeks ago and still skate. However after 2 ruptured discs, partial loss of feeling in my legs and feet, 2 separated shoulders etc. I pretty much don't try new stuff anymore. Fear of paralysis and the need to perform at a job to put food on my table keeps me from progressing, but not from having a blast skating and doing whatever I can still manage. This is the reason I(and probably many older guys)"don't try anymore". Do you think I should tear down my miniramp and quit skating Kenneth?
Yes!
Thank you very much for a honest answer.
I don't want anyone to stop skateboarding.
I've been trying to figure out why skateboarding has kept me interested for so long.
I loose interest in things easily.
Sure skateboarding is fun.
But lots of things are fun, what makes skateboarding so special?
I think the selfrewards (is that a word?) it gives you plays a big part.
Every time you do something on a board you get something back and if you make something you've been trying for a while ot gives you even more.
A good way to test your thought process is to defend it.
Asking the question helped me formulate what I was after.
Another thing I think plays a part of it is the moments of perfection.
Often when you do a trick you know it's a make before it's done.
Say you do a tailslide in a miniramp.
Somewhere mid-slide you know you're going to make it.
It's even more evident on flip tricks.
When you catch the board, you know it's a make.
You get a small moment of perfection.
Sometimes you don't make the trick even tho you get that feeling.
That often leaves you confused.
"What happened? I knew I had it"
I don't think thoose moments are easy to find anywhere else.