Do you have amazing sessions after not skating for a while?

[Suangi]

I cannot be the only person that has noticed this but when you have had a bit of time off the board and then go back to it you sometimes have the best sessions. You can land every trick and everything just feels extremely easy. My only thought is that the break has rested you and perhaps you have a clearer mind? Genuinely cannot explain it but almost always the next session is nowhere near as good.

It is more than just the feeling of skating,which is refreshing and fun, but also that the tricks seem to come somewhat easier and I do tricks that sometimes take me several tries first go.

I just came off not skating for two weeks over christmas and had a great session but have gone longer before.

Anyone else experience this and have any thoughts as to why this is?

[Prince]

yeah, i've definitely experienced this before. fresh body, fresh mind i guess. i've done tricks i've never done before or aren't go-tos like it's nothing after mild hiatuses.

[landedprimo]

I wonder if this has to do with having a clean psyche after a break? After awhile, I know I psyche myself out with overthinking things.

[Made In China]

Yeah this happens to me all the time if I don't skate for a week or two. Like everyone's said so far, I think it's related to having a clearer mind. I also think that the anticipation of looking forward to skating and still having the fresh muscle memory from my last session helps. Anything more a week or two and I've noticed that I feel worse on the board.

[Skatebeard]

I've had it both ways to be honest... but for me it's usually the first session back which is good, then the following 2-3 sessions are pretty meh.

[ssbsminotti]

Definitely! Every year after christmas I get 5-10 new tricks i feel like. I never have more than two days off the board most of the year but I always have a week off during christmas. I was suddenly able to go frontside in the miniramp this year. Backside crooks are also new and my front crooks are almost ready to shuv out of

[crob legs]

you might just feel like you're ripping and having a good old time but really, not busting the stupid dope moves. just doing some basics is funner than struggling. if you actually improved by not skating, what's teh point of even practicing then? might as well not skate and learn switch tres.

[layzieyez]

It's literally a fresh shot of adrenaline to your life. 100% organic.

[Mean salto]

Unfortunately it never really worked for me. I've seen plenty of people not skate for years and come back a hundred times better. One friend casually feeble a ten stair first session back. Had never even skated a proper sized handrail before taking a break.
After not skating for weeks at the start of covid I stepped on my board and did an inward heel on flat but now the floor creaks whenever I step on that spot so it wasn't really worth it

[Mulldrifter]

i'm not sure i would even remember how to push after 1 month off my board.

[Suangi]

I've had it both ways to be honest... but for me it's usually the first session back which is good, then the following 2-3 sessions are pretty meh.

Oh yeah. 100%. I know the next session I will eat shit doing a flat ground ollie

[BallparkFrank]

Yes! The first time back always feels great. But once I start working on some old stuff again, I realize I’m right where I left off. Definitely feel like I get worse in the couple of weeks after the first time back, just because I start practicing tedious things again. I don’t think I’m actually getting worse, it’s just the psychology of practicing versus going out there the first day and everything feels super spontaneous

[rocklobster]

Depends what you classify as "a while". I like having back to back session because I can build on the momentum from the previous one.

Newer tricks I'm working on take fewer attempts and usually cleaner. 2 days on and 1 day off work better for me.

More than a week and it feels like I'm skating a strangers board and shoes, takes me an hour to recalibrate before I start feeling normal.

[matty_c]

The Wade desarmos method

Not saying we or I skate like him but yeah older you get the better it is to skate less imo. I'll take one good session a fortnight/month over a bunch of shitty sessions

[FatGuy92]

nope not me. i took some time off the board due to bad weather, work, and some personal issues (few months). first couple sessions back it felt so awkward trying simple flatground and ledge tricks. if anything, it felt good getting some physical activity in, but it's really frustrating to not be able to do tricks that you used to be able to do without warmup before.

[big_kev_215]

I feel like a one or two week break is ideal for having an amazing session upon return.  It’s long enough that you have that renewed energy and enthusiasm as soon as you step on the board,  long enough to have tricks that you want to try or spots that you want to skate thought out, but short enough that you haven’t lost that touch or muscle memory for your tricks. 

[flocke]

I feel like a one or two week break is ideal for having an amazing session upon return.  It’s long enough that you have that renewed energy and enthusiasm as soon as you step on the board,  long enough to have tricks that you want to try or spots that you want to skate thought out, but short enough that you haven’t lost that touch or muscle memory for your tricks.

this 100%

[greenbeans]

It does feel satisfying because I need a break from an activity time to time.

[mfweeno]

I think there are probably some deeper physiological/neurological factors that make sessions after a week or two layoff more "productive"/enjoyable.

The human body wants to maintain homeostasis above all else, so the more frequently you do something (like skating), the more "shortcuts" (compensations) your body will try to find to keep things efficient and ultimately maintain that energy balance.

In my experience, if I've been skating daily or close to that frequency, certain tricks/movements feel sluggish or half assed (e.g. my flick feels "off") because my body is basically trying to devote less physical and mental resources to the activity.

I think a week or two off every so often provides the physical and mental rejuvenation to fully invest yourself/your energy into your skate sessions. This is why I find skating 1-3x a week enough to keep tricks and make gradual progress without burning myself out.

[switchfakie]

yeah, sometimes if youre skating like shit for no reason, its likely because youve skated too much recently & your body needs to relax, so taking some time off can really help & you'll def skate better

this principle works in general as well - skating like shit or not shit

[Lloyd Braun]

I have definitely experienced this but usually only if I take a few weeks or month off. It also isn't always the case for me either, I've had plenty of sessions with extended breaks and skated poorly. I am currently getting back on the board after only skating once every 5-6 months over the last two years or so. I can definitely tell how rusty I am and wouldn't call any of my recent sessions amazing, but I am stoked to be back skating never the less.

[sharkin]

There’s almost always a random dude ripping at the park who “hasn’t skated in years” 

I don’t get to skate as much as I used to so I find I am always well rested when I do and can get a nice 3 hour session in. That second hour is golden when I’m loose and confident before my body runs out of gas