Why skateboard?

[Kakadu445]

Hello guys, tell me what you like most about skateboard, why not cycling or rollerblading ?

[dofrenzy]

Have you asked the cyclists and rollerbladers why they aren’t skateboarding?  Curious what they might say to that.

I am skateboarding because I made a good effort to do *one* thing on a skateboard about 2 years ago and I just can’t stop.  I even suck at it and have had *wicked* injuries but at no time, not even once, did I think that maybe I shouldn’t do skateboarding.  I just thought I would be more careful when I got back to it.

I even made things worse for myself by building a ramp that’s a bit too gnarly and has robbed me of 75% of my tricks.  But I *will* get them back and then >I< will be gnarly.  That’s my plan anyway.

[in love w/ fs shuvs]

It's fun. the second im not having fun i'll move on.

[SneakySecrets]

I’m afraid of people seeing the outline of my penis if I wore those fruity bicycle tights, so cycling’s out.

I wasn’t dropped on my head as an infant, so no rollerblading.

[Urtripping]

Cuz of Tony Hawk

[wilk]

Because rollerblading got boring.  No I'm not joking, I'll probably get kooked for this but you asked and I don't care, and you specifically said rollerblading and the other thing. I used to be pretty serious about rollerblading from age 10 to around 25...I used to be on Be-mag forum, and I actually found out about slap from there back a while ago when there were silly things going on between this forum and that one.

Anyways, yeah it got boring...and I got burnt out, wasn't fun anymore. Always liked skateboarding I had friends that did it growing up, and messed around with it every so often but never seriously, using other people's boards etc, used to watch videos, was actually fairly knowledgeable of skateboarding even though I didn't do it. Until rollerblading got really boring and honestly for some reason it just got lame, everything about it got lame to me, I wasn't into doing it or watching people do it, friends were fading away from it or being weird about it, never liked the complaining whinny bs a lot of rollerbladers do over skateboarding and vice versa, or the "we deserve to have more representation" kind of talk yet always wanting to stay super core and not let anything in blah blah, there were a lot of reasons why I stopped...but mainly because I lost the desire to learn anything new, and didn't care to get it back . I only say those things because I wasn't just some rollerblader... I knew a lot of people around my country and in other countries, knew industry heads and "pro's" I was like pretty deep into it, but never took it far enough to film or pick up sponsors, but I definitely had the skill to take it that far, it was an important thing to me for a large portion of my life.

So I figured it was perfect time to pick up a new thing, I had been thinking about it anyways before I completely quit, would talk to skateboarders at the local I used to go to and ask them questions about boards etc. It's been 7 years and I still enjoy it, I'm terrible at it...I'm a slow learner, I'm older and feel it, basics of skateboarding are way way harder to master especially with the lack of time, never rolled my ankles ever until I started rollerplanking...but I enjoy it, it's as simple as that. I haven't wanted to strap on the old fruit boots since either. If I see a rollerblader I'll talk to them or whatever, maybe tell them I used to do it...but that doesn't make me want to start again, I've even had some tell me start again..old friends hit me up like "you still blade?" I tell them no, I skateboard though..end of conversation, seriously straight like that.

I like that flat ground is actually really fun, and challenging...on rollerblades it's really not unless you are shooting around a city. There's more options, more things to learn etc.  That's why I do it, and apparently the TBI from being dropped on my head as an infant must have healed or whatever. Ntm the whole telling your parents...NVM.

[ManimalChin]

I mountain bike and ski too. At some point in the next year I plan on buying a motorcycle. In my youth I played hockey, so I ice skated and yes, shamefully had rollerblades. I'm into things.

[Sila]

Because rollerblading got boring.  No I'm not joking, I'll probably get kooked for this but you asked and I don't care, and you specifically said rollerblading and the other thing. I used to be pretty serious about rollerblading from age 10 to around 25...I used to be on Be-mag forum, and I actually found out about slap from there back a while ago when there were silly things going on between this forum and that one.

Did that guy ever find his VG Roots video? Ha, I know about this story because the same guy posts on music forums

[OldCandy]

Why not?

for me, i was a fucking loser before skating so i skate for validation/ego now i gotta lotta homies and it makes me happy
somewhere along the way of being a poser i started trying and progressed at a decent pace now its fun. its really the sum of all the little things in skating ie grindfeel, catching a flip trick, getting a good flow going and stomping bolts.

[botefdunn]

it's too late for me to turn back now, I wouldn't make it.

[skatingisntspecialstupid]

With a skateboard you just set it on the floor and you’re good to go. Pick it up and carry it, easy. Bikes are big and rollerskates have to be put on. So really it’s just pure convenience.

[baaaaaaguette]

Cool thread, I haven’t really thought about it.
I think I always was interested in skateboarding, I saw a skate video while buying shoes when I was a kid and I started to watch them more and more and eventually asked a complete for my birthday. I remember stepping on, trying to push and thinking “holy shit this is hard”. I stuck to it and two years later I can ollie over a bench so that’s cool. I guess what I really like is the adrenaline rush right as you’re doing a trick over/down/on top of something, or doing this huge gap/stairs. And how blurry it all feels. I love it. It’s so fast you can’t really see what’s going on, the realization you made it and the homies cheering is the best feeling out there.
It also gave me an incredibly tight knit community of people to talk to and interact with and a lot of good friends.

[Youoverthere]

I hate everything else. And honestly at this point if I don’t keep skating I’ll kill myself.

[Doodily]

It's a combination of the difficulty of mastery and the culture. For cycling, you hop on a bike and go. Skateboarding has continually changed, developed, ebbed, and flowed.

[rawbertson.]

I like biking still, nothing wrong with it
i actually wish i was better at bunny hopping shit because i dont live in really a good city for skateboarding anymore. its a fiarly shitty method of transportation unless you live in like really specific places. but biking you can do on the grass and shit.

never liked rollerblades cause i hate putting on equipment i am very slow. also they felt like shit on my feet, idk i never liked the way they felt.

the thing that impressed me the most about skatebaording was just how they can ollie so high with not being strapped in. that in itself to me i thought that was impossible. it did not seem like i was in real life anymore. i was like man i want to be able to do that.

it does feel really amazing just to be able to ollie up curbs and stuff as you are cruising through a city, that has probably been some of my most fun memories was just flying through hitting mini spots on the way to spots

[winnasoda]

because its so much fun to have something to look forward to, have a medium to hang with your homies more, and always look ahead to getting better. also going fast and feeling like you might die while going down a big hill. skateboarding is the sound of living.

[Brguy]

Kind of a dumb question, I mean skateboarding is the biggest, is the one with culture, with cool shit revolving around it. Simple answer is because the kids at my street started skateboarding.

[TheLurper]

Why not skateboard?

[Mr. Stinky]

Because I tried not skateboarding and it's way worse. 

[Lloyd Braun]

It’s the best all consuming hobby. It’s active has a social element, teaches you hard work and determination Pay off. Nothing like the feeling of a good session or learning a new trick. Shit even just going out and skating a curb does it for me.

I cycle some and I like it, but it’s not the same as skating and doesn’t give me that satisfaction.

Idk how people don’t have hobbies tbh, life would be so boring.

[OldCandy]

one of the best feelings is skating down a slight incline and whizzing past people biking/walking grrr

[pica]

Because rollerblading got boring.  No I'm not joking, I'll probably get kooked for this but you asked and I don't care, and you specifically said rollerblading and the other thing. I used to be pretty serious about rollerblading from age 10 to around 25...I used to be on Be-mag forum, and I actually found out about slap from there back a while ago when there were silly things going on between this forum and that one.

Anyways, yeah it got boring...and I got burnt out, wasn't fun anymore. Always liked skateboarding I had friends that did it growing up, and messed around with it every so often but never seriously, using other people's boards etc, used to watch videos, was actually fairly knowledgeable of skateboarding even though I didn't do it. Until rollerblading got really boring and honestly for some reason it just got lame, everything about it got lame to me, I wasn't into doing it or watching people do it, friends were fading away from it or being weird about it, never liked the complaining whinny bs a lot of rollerbladers do over skateboarding and vice versa, or the "we deserve to have more representation" kind of talk yet always wanting to stay super core and not let anything in blah blah, there were a lot of reasons why I stopped...but mainly because I lost the desire to learn anything new, and didn't care to get it back . I only say those things because I wasn't just some rollerblader... I knew a lot of people around my country and in other countries, knew industry heads and "pro's" I was like pretty deep into it, but never took it far enough to film or pick up sponsors, but I definitely had the skill to take it that far, it was an important thing to me for a large portion of my life.

So I figured it was perfect time to pick up a new thing, I had been thinking about it anyways before I completely quit, would talk to skateboarders at the local I used to go to and ask them questions about boards etc. It's been 7 years and I still enjoy it, I'm terrible at it...I'm a slow learner, I'm older and feel it, basics of skateboarding are way way harder to master especially with the lack of time, never rolled my ankles ever until I started rollerplanking...but I enjoy it, it's as simple as that. I haven't wanted to strap on the old fruit boots since either. If I see a rollerblader I'll talk to them or whatever, maybe tell them I used to do it...but that doesn't make me want to start again, I've even had some tell me start again..old friends hit me up like "you still blade?" I tell them no, I skateboard though..end of conversation, seriously straight like that.

I like that flat ground is actually really fun, and challenging...on rollerblades it's really not unless you are shooting around a city. There's more options, more things to learn etc.  That's why I do it, and apparently the TBI from being dropped on my head as an infant must have healed or whatever. Ntm the whole telling your parents...NVM.

Sick post! Nothing wrong with rollerblading, whatever floats your boat.

But don‘t you miss grinding gnarly rails with ease?

I was always jealous on rollerbladers for those handrails.

[MadeYouLook]

A lot of stuff in life feels forced and makes me feel dull.

Skating makes me feel truly alive. I appreciate how skating makes me hyperaware of the world around me but in a natural flowy kind of way.

Skateboarding is the one thing I don't mind romanticizing. It is really that good!

Btw I ride my bike everywhere with the board on the handlebars. It makes the whole experience of going skating even better.

[Tacos Liz]

Reading that made me want to go skate^
I can relate.
I’ve wondered that
if I was the only person left on earth... would I still skate? The answer is yes.

[matty_c]

It’s almost as fun as jerking off and loads easier to get away with when you when you do it outside

[WoodRat]

I've been skating like shit since '87. It's freedom, it's creativity, it's therapy for the all the craziness that surrounds. As far as why I don't do something else? A good board cost less than a bike, and rollerblading never felt like it has a culture.

[Skibb]

It's a thrill.
It's an artistic outlet.
It's exercise.
It's a reason to travel the world.
It's a reason to meet people that you otherwise wouldn't ever come close.

I trip out on how it opens a parallell dimension of our man-made surroundings, where every objects reveal characteristics that no-one else will (or even can) notice. The textures, angles, sizes of objects, the amount of space between them and so on.

I trip out on how skateboarding has conditioned me into feeling like sitting down on a sidewalk is a completely normal thing to do. Such a simple little thing that I probably never-ever would otherwise because it's something that "you just don't do".

And it is so fucking beautiful in it's simplicity – you're just a human standing on top of a rolling toy. You don't need any special gear, no protective gear, no tracks or fields, no licenses. You're simply an adult, playing with a toy in the midst of everyday life, eating shit on the dirty streets. That's gotta be unique.

But primarily its because you can't do slappies with anything else.

[MadeYouLook]

It's a thrill.
It's an artistic outlet.
It's exercise.
It's a reason to travel the world.
It's a reason to meet people that you otherwise wouldn't ever come close.

I trip out on how it opens a parallell dimension of our man-made surroundings, where every objects reveal characteristics that no-one else will (or even can) notice. The textures, angles, sizes of objects, the amount of space between them and so on.

I trip out on how skateboarding has conditioned me into feeling like sitting down on a sidewalk is a completely normal thing to do. Such a simple little thing that I probably never-ever would otherwise because it's something that "you just don't do".

And it is so fucking beautiful in it's simplicity – you're just a human standing on top of a rolling toy. You don't need any special gear, no protective gear, no tracks or fields, no licenses. You're simply an adult, playing with a toy in the midst of everyday life, eating shit on the dirty streets. That's gotta be unique.

But primarily its because you can't do slappies with anything else.

This got me hyped. Can't wait to skate today.

[CannerSpaghetti]

I was like 8 when I first saw a skate video, so I dont remember it that well, but something about the way a person looks while riding a board is just so cool compared to everything else. I really cant explain it but even as an 8 year old who didnt know shit about shit I could see it was special. I thought BMX was cool too but skating stayed in my mind consistently for the years up until I started taking it "seriously".

[primo]

I rollerbladed for hockey when I was 13.


I ride a bike for transportation.


I skate because even though I'm shit at it and always have been, sometimes I have a good skate day and it's amazing. It's hard to explain but everyone here probably knows what I mean.


When I skate, I skate to the spot. That's my warm up. Just skating through the city is fun and feels so good to be skating and not sitting in front of a computer or dealing with anyone's bullshit. When I get to the spot I'm struggling the whole time and sometimes land something. When I skate to the next spot or skate home though... that's when I feel like I'm on some other plane of existence or something. I'm moving fast, I'm in tune with my board, I'm good and warmed up so ollying up curbs is nothing and I can land a few flip tricks here and there, and if I don't I just keep moving. I might even randomly try a trick on or over something I see. The spontaneity of skating through cities is why I love skateboarding.


I have also felt something similar on a bike or when I used to run regularly. People call it "flow state". I get that when I work too (I'm a web developer). But it's different with skating because skateboarding is really hard, and when I'm skating well it just feels fucking awesome. Everyone likes to feel like they're good at something.


I've quit skating a few times too due to frustration or feeling like I should give up because of relationships, becoming a dad, or because I wasn't as good as I should have been at that age. But I've always come back to it. My longest time not skating was from 2014-2020. I've been skating again for six months after six years off. Now I'm 40 and don't give a shit if I'm not good enough or if someone thinks I'm a poser or a kook, or if a non-skater thinks I'm childish. I do this for me.