Getting out of your comfort zone

[truthislie]

I´m 41 and don´t skate a lot right now even tough I never stopped skating. I have all the grown up responsibilities (family, job, house...) and live 1 hour from the next big city. In my town right now there is no one to skate with, so I go to the park solo and I usually like it. I mostly have 1-2 hour windows to skate. I feel comfortable on my board and with my go to tricks which are pretty basic.

The problem is I find it really hard to get out of my comfort zone. I´m not under the delusion to suddenly become very good or relearn all the shit from my golden days but making the effort to try something new feels kind of exhausting. Does anyone in a similar situation have some tips?

I´m very grateful to still be skating at my age and I´m not bitter about it, just looking for ways to get more motivated again.

[Pavement Diver]

New location usually kicks it up. It's harder these days when I need a longer warm-up lead in, but new areas force creativity into the session and can change the way I see familiar parks/spots.

[WashingtonNECKTIE]

Could try riding switch or fakie more. Also agree with Pavement that a change of scenery is always helpful, even a weekend or day trip is good for sparking a change-up at the local

[mfweeno]

At least for very average skaters like myself - in my experience, as you progress past a “basic” trick repertoire, the amount of time you have to spend on board to advance into new trick territory and maintain a larger trick bag increases. This explains part of why so many people quit or become frustrated with skating after getting to a certain skill level (in my opinion). Based on the way you described your “comfort zone”, I think the above is relevant to what you’re asking about.

I think an underrated practice for making “progress” and pushing yourself that isn’t necessarily aimed at additive trick practice or attempting gnarly shit is to take your fundamentals and apply them to harder skate “problems” to figure out. Take a line you like to do and try to land it three times without failing, then run that back a couple of times. Take a trick you have on lock (for me, back 5050s) and do it on something that seems challenging but in reach (right now for me, it’s getting consistent axle stalls and 5050s on larger transition, pool coping, etc). Keep a timer running for a set amount of time and see how many times you can land a set of tricks or lines. I’ve been trying to build up more transition “conditioning” (being able to skate a bowl for 60+ seconds unbroken without totally gassing out) and that has been a really fun way to push myself without putting the focus on tricks at all. This kind of stuff also builds your “XP” and expands the comfort zone, which increases the “base” for more advanced skills, trick progression, etc.

[biaherl]

If you start your day off with a shower, then at the end turn the hot water off and sit under the cold shower for at least 1 minute. That will be the hardest thing you'll do all day everything after that is pancakes

[in love w/ fs shuvs]

Don't break anything on a obstacle

[truthislie]

At least for very average skaters like myself - in my experience, as you progress past a “basic” trick repertoire, the amount of time you have to spend on board to advance into new trick territory and maintain a larger trick bag increases. This explains part of why so many people quit or become frustrated with skating after getting to a certain skill level (in my opinion). Based on the way you described your “comfort zone”, I think the above is relevant to what you’re asking about.

I think an underrated practice for making “progress” and pushing yourself that isn’t necessarily aimed at additive trick practice or attempting gnarly shit is to take your fundamentals and apply them to harder skate “problems” to figure out. Take a line you like to do and try to land it three times without failing, then run that back a couple of times. Take a trick you have on lock (for me, back 5050s) and do it on something that seems challenging but in reach (right now for me, it’s getting consistent axle stalls and 5050s on larger transition, pool coping, etc). Keep a timer running for a set amount of time and see how many times you can land a set of tricks or lines. I’ve been trying to build up more transition “conditioning” (being able to skate a bowl for 60+ seconds unbroken without totally gassing out) and that has been a really fun way to push myself without putting the focus on tricks at all. This kind of stuff also builds your “XP” and expands the comfort zone, which increases the “base” for more advanced skills, trick progression, etc.

Thank you! I think trying tricks I can do on harder or new obstacles is in line with switching up the scenery which I will try. Even though some can´t understand it - when you don´t have a crew and don´t have a lot of time to skate it gets harder to stay motivated.

[somethingmustbreaknow]

i think skating is quite a social activity. so, doing it solo can be frustrating at times. is there really no one around that frequents the same park? if yes, try to connect, maybe they're cool and new friendships can emerge, even in the old ages that's perfectly possible. if no, then forget about it and keep it up regardless homie. you got this!
for one, i am pretty grateful that i have a good crew of regulars at my age and above and we push each other to try new stuff, relearn old stuff etc. for me that is key.

[S.]

Expand Quote

At least for very average skaters like myself - in my experience, as you progress past a “basic” trick repertoire, the amount of time you have to spend on board to advance into new trick territory and maintain a larger trick bag increases. This explains part of why so many people quit or become frustrated with skating after getting to a certain skill level (in my opinion). Based on the way you described your “comfort zone”, I think the above is relevant to what you’re asking about.

I think an underrated practice for making “progress” and pushing yourself that isn’t necessarily aimed at additive trick practice or attempting gnarly shit is to take your fundamentals and apply them to harder skate “problems” to figure out. Take a line you like to do and try to land it three times without failing, then run that back a couple of times. Take a trick you have on lock (for me, back 5050s) and do it on something that seems challenging but in reach (right now for me, it’s getting consistent axle stalls and 5050s on larger transition, pool coping, etc). Keep a timer running for a set amount of time and see how many times you can land a set of tricks or lines. I’ve been trying to build up more transition “conditioning” (being able to skate a bowl for 60+ seconds unbroken without totally gassing out) and that has been a really fun way to push myself without putting the focus on tricks at all. This kind of stuff also builds your “XP” and expands the comfort zone, which increases the “base” for more advanced skills, trick progression, etc.

[close]

Thank you! I think trying tricks I can do on harder or new obstacles is in line with switching up the scenery which I will try. Even though some can´t understand it - when you don´t have a crew and don´t have a lot of time to skate it gets harder to stay motivated.

I am 40 with a kid and a job. I live in a large city and thankfully I still have a lot of skate friends. Still, I end up skating by myself sometimes, because I only have very specific windows when I have time and that doesn’t always match with the other older dudes I usually skate with.

Skateboarding alone for me feels just as you have described it. I am more scared to fall and I usually stay in my comfort zone. I have tried giving myself challenges like the ones described by mfweeno. For me it has had mixed results, because I tend to become hard on myself when following a set goal or routine and then skating can start to feel like work and: Fuck work! (I am skating to get away from that shit)

That said I used to do it a lot. I still do tricks I only learned because I forced myself to try them 100 hundred times per session.

A little project I enjoyed was to film a video part for my 40th birthday. I set myself the goal to film 40 different tricks. It was fun to think about creative ways to connect tricks in Lines and to find good obstacles to do them on. I didn’t learn any new tricks, but I feel it still helped my progress.

[noxiousPond]

I’m ina similar boat although much more of a beginner. I’m 36 and don’t have too much experience but I’m finding that I should start looking at skateboarding as a fun little hobby at this point. Do I want to get better? Yes but am I going to work so hard at it like a younger teenager would? Absolutely not.

Skateboarding is an escape from reality for me so as long as I’m having fun I have to understand that’s the most important thing. I’ve progressed very slowly because of this mindset but I’m 36 years old and this isn’t my career.

If going out skating is giving you joy despite a lack of progress then that’s all that matters for me. But it can be easy to get bummed out when you’re doing the same bag of tricks over and over so I get that.

[Bupstop]

I’m 47 and always skate alone and at times I progress a little but it’s in really small increments. I feel like I have a pretty good bag of tricks but I’m not consistent and I land stuff sketchy a lot so I’ll go back and try to clean up one of those tricks during a session. Or I’ll take a trick and try to do it on or off something that scares me a little. What I also find that works for me is to try to set some small goals for the session too.
Lately I’ve been trying out some nightmare set ups like really wide shaped decks with soft wheels and rails and see what I can do on a heavy set up. That’s been keeping things fresh for me and it’s actually injected alot of fun. I still prefer my normal set up but it’s been great switching things up.

[Gnarler_]

New obstacles or spots for sure. Also skating with friendly supportive people who will get some stoke going.

I usually skate alone now as everyone can’t seem to get away from family life or their injured. Recently went to see a friend I haven’t skated with for months in another city and went to the local DIY. There were a few other guys there who were super welcoming. I shocked myself what I was trying, nothing even remotely challenging for your average skilled skater but just that bit of stoke made me push myself.

[back smith]

Stay doing it consistently, preferably every day, and your comfort zone will expand without you even noticing it.

[bartlaser]

I'm 41 as well and totally happy staying in my comfort zone.  Nowadays, I like the simple sensation of being on the board doing basic tricks just to feel those motions and the surface feedback through the board and my feet.  I really do love the simple feeling of just rolling on a nice surface, carving around a park or downtown area, popping up and down sidewalks, the textural feeling of a long 50-50 or noseslide.  Cracking a super crisp ollie over some shit.  Long boardslides on the flat bar with a cheeky nose poke out.  Simple shit but done well and hopefully with some stee.

I don't really care to try and session a single obstacle for long anymore.  I like to do lines and catch those fun feelings under my feet, regardless of the difficulty level.  I just like to be on my board in motion dicking around and see what happens.

Years ago, I was watching something with Gonz, and he said the real trick to skating is just staying on your board and connecting things.  I thought that was dope and has remained my approach.  I wish I could remember what that was from.

[truthislie]

Thank you for all your answers.

As I said I don´t necesserily want to learn new tricks but it seems to get harder not to loose the ones I have due to lack of motivation when I skate. For example when I think today I´m going to try a nosegrind or a 5-0 on the park ledge (both felt very basic up until a year ago) I warm up with a 50 50 and enjoy it. I don´t even fall on the 50 50 but it might feel a little hard to get up on the ledge and I don´t even bother to try nosegrind. If I skate with someone who does it easily that motivates me and I ll do it too.

Right now there are two dudes who skate and are around 20. Both skate better than me but dont really take it seriously so they don´t go to often and our schedules seldom match up. The sessions with them are the funnest by far.

I´m a bit torn between being grateful and appreciating very simple things like @bartlaser said and also wanting to skate a little better. Sometimes I think I m turning into a skate-fan who enjoys all the videos and slap gossip but just doesn´t go skating as often (for obvious reasons). Of course that´s no substitute for the real thing and I´m not planning on stopping anytime before my body gives in

[Hyliannightmare]

I just enjoy still being able to do my basic bag. Instead of learning new things I've traveled across the entire state and even taken trips with boys to different states to hit street and park. Never learning or doing new tricks but adapting my 5 tricks to new parts and obstacles. All while working full time and being a single father

[in love w/ fs shuvs]

Fuck a injury, skate responsibly.

[Lifer]

Fuck a injury, skate responsibly.

I think you can still push yourself responsibly

[Sedition]

At least for very average skaters like myself - in my experience, as you progress past a “basic” trick repertoire, the amount of time you have to spend on board to advance into new trick territory and maintain a larger trick bag increases. This explains part of why so many people quit or become frustrated with skating after getting to a certain skill level (in my opinion). Based on the way you described your “comfort zone”, I think the above is relevant to what you’re asking about.

I think an underrated practice for making “progress” and pushing yourself that isn’t necessarily aimed at additive trick practice or attempting gnarly shit is to take your fundamentals and apply them to harder skate “problems” to figure out. Take a line you like to do and try to land it three times without failing, then run that back a couple of times. Take a trick you have on lock (for me, back 5050s) and do it on something that seems challenging but in reach (right now for me, it’s getting consistent axle stalls and 5050s on larger transition, pool coping, etc). Keep a timer running for a set amount of time and see how many times you can land a set of tricks or lines. I’ve been trying to build up more transition “conditioning” (being able to skate a bowl for 60+ seconds unbroken without totally gassing out) and that has been a really fun way to push myself without putting the focus on tricks at all. This kind of stuff also builds your “XP” and expands the comfort zone, which increases the “base” for more advanced skills, trick progression, etc.

Solid assessment and advice. 

[in love w/ fs shuvs]

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Fuck a injury, skate responsibly.

[close]

I think you can still push yourself responsibly

Accidents happen. Avoid obstacles at all costs imo.

[Lifer]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Fuck a injury, skate responsibly.

[close]

I think you can still push yourself responsibly

[close]

Accidents happen. Avoid obstacles at all costs imo.

To each their own homie..

[maikus]

Skating in your 40s is basically a stealth game now, sneak out, avoid injury, land one trick, and get back before the knees file a complaint. Maybe start “comfort zone expansions” like they’re quests: unlock front shuvs, win XP, reward = beer

[Sisig]

Trying/learning new tricks is something your body needs to get used to and the more you do it the better your body will feel when trying new stuff

Depending on how I feel I’ll either try a new trick, a trick I know but havnt done in a while, or just do the tricks I can land first try but a little faster/higher or grind a little longer

[in love w/ fs shuvs]

Skating in your 40s *while adulting is basically a stealth game now, sneak out, avoid injury, land one trick, and get back before the knees file a complaint. Maybe start “comfort zone expansions” like they’re quests: unlock front shuvs, win XP, reward = beer

[Mike Oxwelling]

Learn inverts.

[steve]

find things to skate in the little town where you live.

did you skate as a kid in a shitty little town/city? look at wherever you live, or the next town over, with the eyes of a kid living a shitty little town/city. Industrial parks. Shopping plazas. Apartment complexes. bumps on sidewalks.

Get out of the comfort zone of being worried about being too old to be skating street or worrying about having a conversation with a cop, business owner, citizen, whatever.

[Pbn_jake]

Hit it with your purse. I’d say variety helps but in my older age I dig a routine