When is it time to take a step back

[MOE SYZLAK]

Ok so a little bit of background first.
Just about every year I have an injury that takes me out for a few weeks at a time.
Injuries by nature can change your perspective on skateboarding in general.
I’m 33 and have been skating for 23 years, my body isn’t bouncing back like it used to.

So my question, In what ways do you find balance between pushing yourself to progress without killing yourself ( metaphorically) and just having fun ?

[munchbox]

Ok so a little bit of background first.
Just about every year I have an injury that takes me out for a few weeks at a time.
Injuries by nature can change your perspective on skateboarding in general.
I’m 33 and have been skating for 23 years, my body isn’t bouncing back like it used to.

So my question, In what ways do you find balance between pushing yourself to progress without killing yourself ( metaphorically) and just having fun ?

hold up let me ask james harden

[MOE SYZLAK]

Expand Quote

Ok so a little bit of background first.
Just about every year I have an injury that takes me out for a few weeks at a time.
Injuries by nature can change your perspective on skateboarding in general.
I’m 33 and have been skating for 23 years, my body isn’t bouncing back like it used to.

So my question, In what ways do you find balance between pushing yourself to progress without killing yourself ( metaphorically) and just having fun ?

[close]

hold up let me ask james harden

Cool, I’ll check the thread later ... let me know what he says

[SneakySecrets]

This is a pretty cliched response, but skating’s supposed to be fun.  Why else would we spend 1,000’s of hours doing something so inherently and blatantly pointless?

If you’re not having fun and are just worrying all the time, maybe taking a break will let you recharge your batteries and get a more positive mental outlook about skating.

[Sila]

I'm in the same boat. As much fun as skating is, the desire to progress is a big reason why we keep on coming back to it. Each few weeks I come out of a session with something that bothers me physically to the point where I wonder if it's time to ease up a bit.

[WobbleHeadBob]

if you can not skate for a couple weeks and the urge to go roll around doesnt consume you then its probably time to give it up.

[RajeevWins]

I’m in my 30s as well and it takes me half an hour to even warm up properly, let alone recover from an injury. At this point it’s less about adding to my bag of tricks, and more about consistently landing the tricks I already have, while trying to make them look good.

If the weather is right and I’m having a dope session then I might go for some new shit; otherwise I’m pretty satisfied on days where I’ve landed 75-80% of my bag.

[givecigstosurfgroms]

  Whatever I do doesn't work.  I take it kinda easy but still get fucked up on occasion.  Im gonna buy those bmx kneepads that go under your pants and some hip pads and maybe some elbow pads that go under a shirt.  I can't stop skating so I may's well start protecting my body parts. I dont want to do knee slides, I just want to ding and dang myself less when rolling out of bails and falls.

[botefdunn]

When you don't want it anymore, or when you don't want it as much as you want something else.

[layzieyez]

The only reason I work out/gym is so I can keep doing this thing. Also, I'm building the obstacles I want to skate. Keep up your stoke or quit. Your choice.

[Abyss1]

The only reason I work out/gym is so I can keep doing this thing. Also, I'm building the obstacles I want to skate. Keep up your stoke or quit. Your choice.

This....I hear the best way to prevent injuries is strength training

But for me; 39 skating 22yrs, Im not as mental and can be happy with just cruising parks and bombing hills, occasional red curb

 I hardly ever pop my board any more and im cool with it

[layzieyez]

Just a for instance. I've always wanted to skate a double sided curb in peace to land some dream tricks since I started skateboarding in 1987. A couple years ago, I researched all I could about cement and finally got around to making my dream real with this. It didn't break the bank, and being able to go downstairs for an hour to play on this is such a quality of life improvement.

[Brguy]

I’m in my 30s as well and it takes me half an hour to even warm up properly, let alone recover from an injury. At this point it’s less about adding to my bag of tricks, and more about consistently landing the tricks I already have, while trying to make them look good.

If the weather is right and I’m having a dope session then I might go for some new shit; otherwise I’m pretty satisfied on days where I’ve landed 75-80% of my bag.

I'm 20 and it takes me half an hour to warm up properly, can't be jumping of stairs with stiff legs.

[fftc]

But for me; 39 skating 22yrs, Im not as mental and can be happy with just cruising parks and bombing hills, occasional red curb

 I hardly ever pop my board any more and im cool with it

There is a reason the oldies that still skate are just rolling around in bowls and doing slappies.
If you can find the simple pleasure of just rolling then you are good. If you can't get past what you can no longer do then it won't be fun. It's down to you whether you can find that acceptance and when it needs to happen.

[rocklobster]

The only reason I work out/gym is so I can keep doing this thing. Also, I'm building the obstacles I want to skate. Keep up your stoke or quit. Your choice.

100%, being an older skater you got to have the maturity to know that piling out does not do your aging body any good. "Use it or lose it" best describes my approach to skateboarding and other physical pursuit I am working on. I landed weirdly on on knee and felt it pop for the first time in my 15+ years of skateboarding. Nothing big, just a low ledge and I couldn't kick my board away in time. I think if I hadn't been keeping fit over the years I would have popped my ACL; thankfully I managed to get away with a strain within the knee that has since recovered.

I think the feeling is mutual around here: when you're young, you're obsessed with skateboarding and want to be on your board 24/7. Your body is able to keep up, so you can keep killing it on the daily. Having a slower recovery is a natural part of getting older and something we can't avoid. Also, being an adult catches up with us and we can't obsess about skateboarding all day when we have a job, home, kids, wife, etc to keep in check. You just have to find pockets in your life you can dedicate to skateboarding and make sure you make the best of every session you can get.

I find it helpful to do find activities outside skateboarding to get into. Doing skateboarding for years has built up a worth ethic, resilience and the maturity to accept failure as part of any activity. The good news is these traits translate well to other sports / activities and doing things outside of skateboarding gives you a greater appreciation of the time you do have on the board. Even more so if you're going to the gym for strength and conditioning so you can get more out of your sessions.

When I first came back to skateboarding late last year I wanted to skate everyday; I kept fit and felt I had the wisdom to progress faster than I did in my youth. I was trying to skate 4 times a week and found myself hating skateboarding more than in my youth on my worst days. I put so much pressure on myself to do a list of tricks and I was making myself really miserable. Thankfully, reality and my wife slapped some sense into me and I'm able to find a happy medium: twice a week, 3 times if my work allows me the time.

Conversely I also had a friend from my old crew who kept trying to get us out to skate. On the 1 time he did skate he skated for 20% of the time and complained the next few days that his body was killing him. He didn't make the effort to stay in shape over the years and paid the price. In fact he said the other day he was over skateboarding completely, which is a shame IMO.

Long ass post but it's the weekend and I got time.

Shalom and may your next session be your best one yet.

[Abyss1]

Expand Quote

The only reason I work out/gym is so I can keep doing this thing. Also, I'm building the obstacles I want to skate. Keep up your stoke or quit. Your choice.

[close]

100%, being an older skater you got to have the maturity to know that piling out does not do your aging body any good. "Use it or lose it" best describes my approach to skateboarding and other physical pursuit I am working on. I landed weirdly on on knee and felt it pop for the first time in my 15+ years of skateboarding. Nothing big, just a low ledge and I couldn't kick my board away in time. I think if I hadn't been keeping fit over the years I would have popped my ACL; thankfully I managed to get away with a strain within the knee that has since recovered.

I think the feeling is mutual around here: when you're young, you're obsessed with skateboarding and want to be on your board 24/7. Your body is able to keep up, so you can keep killing it on the daily. Having a slower recovery is a natural part of getting older and something we can't avoid. Also, being an adult catches up with us and we can't obsess about skateboarding all day when we have a job, home, kids, wife, etc to keep in check. You just have to find pockets in your life you can dedicate to skateboarding and make sure you make the best of every session you can get.

I find it helpful to do find activities outside skateboarding to get into. Doing skateboarding for years has built up a worth ethic, resilience and the maturity to accept failure as part of any activity. The good news is these traits translate well to other sports / activities and doing things outside of skateboarding gives you a greater appreciation of the time you do have on the board. Even more so if you're going to the gym for strength and conditioning so you can get more out of your sessions.

When I first came back to skateboarding late last year I wanted to skate everyday; I kept fit and felt I had the wisdom to progress faster than I did in my youth. I was trying to skate 4 times a week and found myself hating skateboarding more than in my youth on my worst days. I put so much pressure on myself to do a list of tricks and I was making myself really miserable. Thankfully, reality and my wife slapped some sense into me and I'm able to find a happy medium: twice a week, 3 times if my work allows me the time.

Conversely I also had a friend from my old crew who kept trying to get us out to skate. On the 1 time he did skate he skated for 20% of the time and complained the next few days that his body was killing him. He didn't make the effort to stay in shape over the years and paid the price. In fact he said the other day he was over skateboarding completely, which is a shame IMO.

Long ass post but it's the weekend and I got time.

Shalom and may your next session be your best one yet.

Nicely worded....For me the reality of skateboarding hit in college.  I had to choose between failing classes or skating.

First girlfriend wasn’t to keen on the amount of time I spent

But, interesting now that skateboarding is popular. I over heard a co-worker talk about taking their kids to a skatepark.  a couple years ago a clients son was skating in the driveway, had to pick up a check, and showed dude some tricks...I ended up mentioning him for a year, he progressed and his mom was happy because she didn’t like driving him around.

I’ve found ways to make skateboarding work.  I always keep in mind what Phelps said “skateboarding doesn’t owe you shit but wheel bite in the rain”

[rocklobster]

You never know where you will find a fellow skateboarder our in the wild too. I was at a stuffy boardroom meeting on Friday and we were talking to the client about some boring business stuff. After the meeting a guy sitting opposite me asked me where I got a skateshop sticker I had pasted on my laptop. Turns out he was a skater from back in the 80 and was looking for people to roll with. Turned my Friday around completely.

Growing up, skateboarding gave us more than it took. As adults, skateboarding takes more than it gives. The day it stops being fun is the time to hang it up. I liken it to surfing - any day out on the waves is better than any day in the office.

Also: rad curb layzieyez! Got me tempted to build something at my local park!

[layzieyez]

Thanks dude. It's my warm up/gauge on how well I can skate on a particular day.

Since it doesn't require jumping, I can start out by seeing how centered my gravity is on certain movements without straining to really do anything from the get go.

Even if it is all I skate that day, it's fun enough to keep me going for at least an hour just dorking on seeing how many times/variations of boardslides/noseslides/slappies I can chain together.

All the while, I'm engaging my muscles/cardio/etc without counting reps or time in between reps etc. and getting a healthy dose of adrenaline. You know...having fun.

[rocklobster]

Thanks dude. It's my warm up/gauge on how well I can skate on a particular day.

Since it doesn't require jumping, I can start out by seeing how centered my gravity is on certain movements without straining to really do anything from the get go.

Even if it is all I skate that day, it's fun enough to keep me going for at least an hour just dorking on seeing how many times/variations of boardslides/noseslides/slappies I can chain together.

All the while, I'm engaging my muscles/cardio/etc without counting reps or time in between reps etc. and getting a healthy dose of adrenaline. You know...having fun.

Would love to make one of those, sounds like a whole day of fun without getting too banged up or for days you don't want to kill yourself trying to land 1 trick. I have a terrible pre-fab park I frequent but the layout is so shit and cramped to accommodate any more obstacles.

Back to OP: Being an aging skater really requires us to have a paradigm shift in our approach to skateboarding. We're not going to progress as quickly as when we were 16, recover as fast and will experience trick atrophy. It sounds horribly whimsical but we have to be thankful for the time we have on our boards. It sure beats not skateboarding!

[WobbleHeadBob]

Expand Quote

Thanks dude. It's my warm up/gauge on how well I can skate on a particular day.

Since it doesn't require jumping, I can start out by seeing how centered my gravity is on certain movements without straining to really do anything from the get go.

Even if it is all I skate that day, it's fun enough to keep me going for at least an hour just dorking on seeing how many times/variations of boardslides/noseslides/slappies I can chain together.

All the while, I'm engaging my muscles/cardio/etc without counting reps or time in between reps etc. and getting a healthy dose of adrenaline. You know...having fun.

[close]

Would love to make one of those, sounds like a whole day of fun without getting too banged up or for days you don't want to kill yourself trying to land 1 trick. I have a terrible pre-fab park I frequent but the layout is so shit and cramped to accommodate any more obstacles.

Back to OP: Being an aging skater really requires us to have a paradigm shift in our approach to skateboarding. We're not going to progress as quickly as when we were 16, recover as fast and will experience trick atrophy. It sounds horribly whimsical but we have to be thankful for the time we have on our boards. It sure beats not skateboarding!

I dunno man, im 30 and I definitely lern tricks faster now than i ever have. saying that, shit hurts way more and if i dont stretch i ache for days after a good skate haha

[rocklobster]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Thanks dude. It's my warm up/gauge on how well I can skate on a particular day.

Since it doesn't require jumping, I can start out by seeing how centered my gravity is on certain movements without straining to really do anything from the get go.

Even if it is all I skate that day, it's fun enough to keep me going for at least an hour just dorking on seeing how many times/variations of boardslides/noseslides/slappies I can chain together.

All the while, I'm engaging my muscles/cardio/etc without counting reps or time in between reps etc. and getting a healthy dose of adrenaline. You know...having fun.

[close]

Would love to make one of those, sounds like a whole day of fun without getting too banged up or for days you don't want to kill yourself trying to land 1 trick. I have a terrible pre-fab park I frequent but the layout is so shit and cramped to accommodate any more obstacles.

Back to OP: Being an aging skater really requires us to have a paradigm shift in our approach to skateboarding. We're not going to progress as quickly as when we were 16, recover as fast and will experience trick atrophy. It sounds horribly whimsical but we have to be thankful for the time we have on our boards. It sure beats not skateboarding!

[close]

I dunno man, im 30 and I definitely lern tricks faster now than i ever have. saying that, shit hurts way more and if i dont stretch i ache for days after a good skate haha

Same, being older and knowing your body gives you a great awareness of your body position relative to the board. You're more aware of where your head, shoulders and hips are and how that affects each motion.

[sammyz]

No body make the mistake i did...don't quit skating in your 30’s. I stopped because the slams were building up.

Getting back into it later is so much harder.

Just accept that you are older and in a 2hr session you’ve got a good hour of peak skating where you can try new stuff and the rest is either warming up or down. In older age it becomes even more important to go back to the first reason you fell in love with skating...having fun...!

Tricks are cool, pushing limits are cool, but its going to reduce the amount of time of your board then its ultimately eating into the longevity of fun. So you have to question things before you try them and ask, even if i can get this done, is it worth the risk?

[j....soy.....]

to me, skating is a gift and it's on me to find a way to enjoy it....what I've shifted is my expectations... There's days where all I do is warm up...and talk....that's it.  Beats the shit out of sitting around with a bunch of adults complaining...about affordability or some bullshit...every 180....every shuv....a bunch of 50-50's and some board slides....I'm good....I'm not gonna let sample day at Costco be the best part of my week. 

I'm ok with getting shittier as long as I'm still getting out there...and even after that, I'll prolly still be interested in skating. 

It's like any other relationship with something, it has to evolve with you as you get older.  Doesn't mean you necessarily end it. 

[sammyz]

to me, skating is a gift and it's on me to find a way to enjoy it....what I've shifted is my expectations... There's days where all I do is warm up...and talk....that's it.  Beats the shit out of sitting around with a bunch of adults complaining...about affordability or some bullshit...every 180....every shuv....a bunch of 50-50's and some board slides....I'm good....I'm not gonna let sample day at Costco be the best part of my week. 

I'm ok with getting shittier as long as I'm still getting out there...and even after that, I'll prolly still be interested in skating. 

It's like any other relationship with something, it has to evolve with you as you get older.  Doesn't mean you necessarily end it.

Perfectly said...sounds exactly like the sessions i have these days too.

[JamesFardy]

Ok so a little bit of background first.
Just about every year I have an injury that takes me out for a few weeks at a time.
Injuries by nature can change your perspective on skateboarding in general.
I’m 33 and have been skating for 23 years, my body isn’t bouncing back like it used to.

So my question, In what ways do you find balance between pushing yourself to progress without killing yourself ( metaphorically) and just having fun ?

I’m 31 and am about at the same spot. Been skating around the same length too. I obviously don’t jump down things anymore. And have lately felt more happiness trying to be creative with things I never got around to learning (first real frontside airs on steep transition at 31! ) but like others have said if it’s fun keep going if it’s not fun don’t. I have a son now and am ready to really pull back and just focus on being a dad, hopefully he will get into it

[rocklobster]

Expand Quote

Ok so a little bit of background first.
Just about every year I have an injury that takes me out for a few weeks at a time.
Injuries by nature can change your perspective on skateboarding in general.
I’m 33 and have been skating for 23 years, my body isn’t bouncing back like it used to.

So my question, In what ways do you find balance between pushing yourself to progress without killing yourself ( metaphorically) and just having fun ?

[close]

I’m 31 and am about at the same spot. Been skating around the same length too. I obviously don’t jump down things anymore. And have lately felt more happiness trying to be creative with things I never got around to learning (first real frontside airs on steep transition at 31! ) but like others have said if it’s fun keep going if it’s not fun don’t. I have a son now and am ready to really pull back and just focus on being a dad, hopefully he will get into it

That's an incentive to stay in shape and stay skateboarding. Would be fucking awesome to have your first session with him and he sees you ripping.

[JamesFardy]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Ok so a little bit of background first.
Just about every year I have an injury that takes me out for a few weeks at a time.
Injuries by nature can change your perspective on skateboarding in general.
I’m 33 and have been skating for 23 years, my body isn’t bouncing back like it used to.

So my question, In what ways do you find balance between pushing yourself to progress without killing yourself ( metaphorically) and just having fun ?

[close]

I’m 31 and am about at the same spot. Been skating around the same length too. I obviously don’t jump down things anymore. And have lately felt more happiness trying to be creative with things I never got around to learning (first real frontside airs on steep transition at 31! ) but like others have said if it’s fun keep going if it’s not fun don’t. I have a son now and am ready to really pull back and just focus on being a dad, hopefully he will get into it

[close]

That's an incentive to stay in shape and stay skateboarding. Would be fucking awesome to have your first session with him and he sees you ripping.

I Fully agree with you. His mom is really into “CrossFit” so I’m doing it with her so that I stay in shape, but yes I would love to at least be able to do like a 3 flip by the time he sorta understands.

[satan]

Just a for instance. I've always wanted to skate a double sided curb in peace to land some dream tricks since I started skateboarding in 1987. A couple years ago, I researched all I could about cement and finally got around to making my dream real with this. It didn't break the bank, and being able to go downstairs for an hour to play on this is such a quality of life improvement.

Fucking A!!
Props for just making this. And a HELL FUCKIN YEAH!!! for putting it in your basement!!

What are the dimensions? And how many bags of crete did it take?
Did you reinforce with rebar?

Seen the vids where they add the pvc tubes to help lift it?
I've been wondering if I could run some steel tubing lengthwise to make a lightweight version.
Now that I think about it a wooden form covered with stone tile would be simpler.


I've actually googled curb and parking block dimensions. I'm a dork like that..
Check out the truck and log versions below
https://www.nitterhousemasonry.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Parking-Stop-Blocks-Flyer.pdf

[rocklobster]

That parking block looks so fun! I can imagine trying a whole bunch of tricks I don't have the balls to try to on a ledge or rail.

[layzieyez]

6" tall, 7" wide base, 4" wide top. I made my form 4' long so I had to make two for the 8' length it is (easier to lift and move around 120 lbs alone). I used construction adhesive to bond it to the floor and to affix the two lengths together.

I've made a duplicate that is currently curing to put outside of my garage so I can skate it outdoors when the weather is nice out and I have more room to fall.