I'm sure the bloard is familiar with the "10,000 hour rule", which basically boils down to "it takes a lot of practice to be good at complex tasks."
Skateboarding is not only a complex task, but one that can expose participants to significant degrees of danger and potential harm. The potential harm escalates as you progress into more advanced levels of skating (an obvious example is the difference between a kickflip on flat versus a kickflip down a 10 stair.)
Because of this, the outliers in skating (high level ams and pros) must have a deep obsession with achieving and maintaining high-level skills, an obsession that ultimately outweighs the potential dangers (injury or death) of the practice involved to achieve that level of skill.
To contrast this idea - in my experience, the majority of people who pick up skating end up following two general paths:
1) They quit due to difficulty and/or the above mentioned factors (fear of injury/harm/death).
2) They don't quit, but become complacent/satisfied at a certain skill level (whether consciously or not).
I think the underlying rationale of the second case is that the cost (time, effort, exposure to danger) it takes to attain elite level skill level isn't proportionate to the benefit of having that increased skill set (especially a skill set that can be as fleeting as the ability to do tre flip noseblunts down handrails or backflip over a mega ramp).
This rationale definitely makes sense for skaters that aren't following the contest or sponsorship route - why would you put your body or life on the line if nobody really cares or is rewarding you for it?
However, for the outliers (high level ams and pros), the obsession to perfect their craft and reach their highest potential - even despite the potential dangers - manifests in hours and hours spent on the board. The obsession drives intense focus and practice, which over a long enough period of time (and under the right circumstances) can lead to mastery.
This is why I think that obsession is one of the key attributes that makes great skaters great - they can't not skate because they are obsessed with it, and that obsession can produce incredible skill and determination to fight through trick battles, injuries, and other adversities.
This is also why it's sometimes tragic to see skaters with great potential fade from the limelight or get caught up in bad shit. The obsession either fades or gets directed into darker, more self-destructive ends.
Topic: psychological attributes in great sk8rs (Read 2557 times)