Skateboarding after 30

[MuggsyU]

I more or less stopped skating for the better part of a decade from 18 to 28ish. started back up during COVID when my girl wanted to get into it. we started going to the local school and pushing around and I was like "oh yeah this is my favorite thing in the entire fucking world" lol She lost interest after a while but I was hooked again.

Now I'm in my mid 30s and feel like I'm skating better than I ever was, although admittedly different. In my younger years, I was mostly interested in hucking and doing flip tricks down stairs, now I'm more of a ledge skater. Never been a transition skater and I've stuck to that, that's definitely the easiest way to get hurt (for me, at least). As far as the ol' bag of bones goes, I definitely stretch before I skate every time, and usually try to stretch afterwards too if I can remember. I usually bike to and from the spot when I skate, and I've found that helps MASSIVELY, both as a warm up and a cool down. I bike quite a bit in general and I think that keeps my legs pretty strong, which helps with skating.

Question for other older skaters who've gotten back into it later in life:

My switch pop (and switch skating in general) has suffered greatly from older age, much more than my regular pop. I can't do most of the switch flip tricks I used to be able to, and can't switch ollie/nollie nearly as high. I know the answer is probably strength training but just wondering if anyone else has experienced this. I try to skate switch pretty regularly too, so it's not for lack of practice.

I’m with you about biking. I mentioned this in my first post, but I really do think biking really helps with skating. I used to do bike delivery for around ten years and that helped build up my stamina and leg strength a lot and it’s definitely helped with my skating. I’m close to my mid 40s, but my body feels like I’m still in my mid 20s. I also like to go running, which also helps a lot.

[mfweeno]

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I tore my hamstring off the bone about 6 years ago. Just doing a noseslide on a curb, came out with one foot on the board and did the splits in a really weird way, couldn't get my weight off the leg. It was a year recovery, but I was mid-40s at the time (52 now.)
Anyway, hoping you didn't do what I did, heal up!

[close]

Ugh that is fucking gnarly! What did your healing timeline and recovery look like? Appreciate the well wishes homie.
I get an MRI this weekend so I’ll report back here with the damage and prognosis.

Just got back from the doc - good news and bad news.

Good news - no surgery needed!

Bad news - I have a slight retraction of the conjoint tendon, which is basically the tendon that attaches 2/3 of your hamstring muscle to your hip. Apparently the surgeon believes that I'll restore the same function with physical rehab as I would if they went ahead and operated on it.
I'm basically off the board for the rest of the year and back in PT. Not the most ideal outcome, but I was desperately hoping to avoid surgery so I'll take the hand I've been dealt. Learning lessons the fucking hard way.

[Sedition]

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I tore my hamstring off the bone about 6 years ago. Just doing a noseslide on a curb, came out with one foot on the board and did the splits in a really weird way, couldn't get my weight off the leg. It was a year recovery, but I was mid-40s at the time (52 now.)
Anyway, hoping you didn't do what I did, heal up!

[close]

Ugh that is fucking gnarly! What did your healing timeline and recovery look like? Appreciate the well wishes homie.
I get an MRI this weekend so I’ll report back here with the damage and prognosis.

[close]

Just got back from the doc - good news and bad news.

Good news - no surgery needed!

Bad news - I have a slight retraction of the conjoint tendon, which is basically the tendon that attaches 2/3 of your hamstring muscle to your hip. Apparently the surgeon believes that I'll restore the same function with physical rehab as I would if they went ahead and operated on it.
I'm basically off the board for the rest of the year and back in PT. Not the most ideal outcome, but I was desperately hoping to avoid surgery so I'll take the hand I've been dealt. Learning lessons the fucking hard way.

Well, I am partially happy for you (no surgery). The the off the board does suck. A quick and full recovery!

Make sure to stretch, everyone!

[SkierSk8r]

I'm 33. Got back into it a year ago. I'm way better than I ever was as a grom. I wear a helmet and wrist guards. If people ask, I always have a canned response "I don't wear this to look cool" lol

I feel like pretty much everyone is chill and stoked if you're out there getting after it too. I talk to people of all ages and skills at the park. Don't even mean to, just end up talking to people and making friends. Damn, I love skating.

I love skating in my 30s. I've dropped a lot of the insecurity from my 20's that I had.

[Sedition]

I wear a helmet and wrist guards. If people ask, I always have a canned response…

Has anyone actually ever asked/said anything? I’ve •never• seen it happen.

I wear pads when skating mini ramps. No one has ever said a word to me about it. If someone ever did ask/say anything, I'd prolly respond with something like, "Yeah, I am trying to alienate the cool guys. Go watch a Supreme video if you're that concerned about fashion optics."

[SkierSk8r]

Not really. Moreso like one guy said "surprised you don't have knee pads" when scuffing my knee up. Or when discussing injuries with people. No one has talked shit to me. It's more like just discussing. But yeah, people will ask about my wrist guards and what I use, etc. I tend to be pretty social when I'm skating because I'm usually in a good mood lol

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I wear a helmet and wrist guards. If people ask, I always have a canned response…

[close]

Has anyone actually ever asked/said anything? I’ve •never• seen it happen.

I wear pads when skating mini ramps. No one has ever said a word to me about it. If someone ever did ask/say anything, I'd prolly respond with something like, "Yeah, I am trying to alienate the cool guys. Go watch a Supreme video if you're that concerned about fashion optics."

[Spitefire667]

Great thread. Love the advice everyone is contributing. I’m 35, started when I was 10, never stopped except for a period in my early 30s. Been skating consistently for the past year or so and feeling better than ever. Dropped a lot of insecurities and have a really dialed in process which makes all the difference for me. Started skating transition when I was a teenager and I’ve always said that people who can’t skate transition stop skating sooner. If I’m gonna try to film a trick i go alone. Rarely ever let anyone film me just because I don’t like the pressure or taking up peoples time. I got into the gym a few years ago and thats helped me a lot. Cycling too is great for leg strength and cardio. Skating is great.

[in love w/ fs shuvs]

psa: skating anything besides flat if you are 26+ and have to make a living outside of skating is insanely cooked. it's already kinda cooked from 20+ but insanely cooked after 26.

[I-am-12]

psa: skating anything besides flat if you are 26+ and have to make a living outside of skating is insanely cooked btw. it's already kinda cooked from 20+ but insanely cooked after 26.

Huh? Isn't it typically the opposite? The older the get the more you get into transition and bowl skating because it's softer on the body.

Or what are you trying to say?

[Sedition]

psa: skating anything besides flat if you are 26+ and have to make a living outside of skating is insanely cooked. it's already kinda cooked from 20+ but insanely cooked after 26.

Yeah, couldn’t disagree with you more on this one.

[roba]

i've got 5 and a half months of skating ledges left then

[SkierSk8r]

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psa: skating anything besides flat if you are 26+ and have to make a living outside of skating is insanely cooked btw. it's already kinda cooked from 20+ but insanely cooked after 26.

[close]

Huh? Isn't it typically the opposite? The older the get the more you get into transition and bowl skating because it's softer on the body.

Or what are you trying to say?

In my experience, the old heads are more into tranny. Being a semi old head (33), I find tranny amazing. I'll take tranny any day over flat. Like tranny truly "fills my cup", as silly as it sounds. Even though I pretty much love all types of skating. Tranny feels the most pure to me, alongside boardslides (lol)

[Pbn_jake]

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psa: skating anything besides flat if you are 26+ and have to make a living outside of skating is insanely cooked btw. it's already kinda cooked from 20+ but insanely cooked after 26.

[close]

Huh? Isn't it typically the opposite? The older the get the more you get into transition and bowl skating because it's softer on the body.

Or what are you trying to say?

[close]

In my experience, the old heads are more into tranny. Being a semi old head (33), I find tranny amazing. I'll take tranny any day over flat. Like tranny truly "fills my cup", as silly as it sounds. Even though I pretty much love all types of skating. Tranny feels the most pure to me, alongside boardslides (lol)

Kinda same but I need to flip my board and pop onto and off of things. Nothing beats a good fs grind on a QP tho

[steve]

psa: skating anything besides flat if you are 26+ and have to make a living outside of skating is insanely cooked. it's already kinda cooked from 20+ but insanely cooked after 26.

How old are you?

People start to lose their pop as they get older…

[Skate34860]

psa: skating anything besides flat if you are 26+ and have to make a living outside of skating is insanely cooked. it's already kinda cooked from 20+ but insanely cooked after 26.

I’m the original poster on this thread and I Have been skating the local park and basically it’s a giant concrete bowl and a few ledges I found warming up in the bowl carving, front side grinds and ollieng the hips are a lot less taxing on my body than skating street or even flat ground for that matter. Buttt I love skating street. Trying to relearn crooked grinds now and it’s been a challenge. The lowest ledge at the park is 14 inches and it’s tough to learn anything besides 50-50s and 5-0s. I just built a 12” ledge and most likely will chop that down to a 10” ledge. One big thing I’ve found is hitting the gym and focusing on legs and my back has really improved the knee and back pain I used to get now I’m feeling a lot better and can skate for hours if I wanted to, or if I had the time too 😂. Honestly I’m feeling better now than I did as a teen skating however I won’t be hitting big rails or stairs like I used to maybe a 3 or 4 stair but that’s about it. I mostly grew up skating street because parks were far and few. Now they’re in mostly every town near me and it’s been great. I never got to learn transition skating and now I can and honestly really enjoying it. Thing now is a lot of skateboard brands have changed and are no longer around I used to skate expedition boards and loved them but like most other brands they’ve gone out of business. I picked up a zoo York but honestly can’t stand it. It Has a bit too much concave and throws me off also the tail is too steep so when I pop my tail barely hits the ground I feel like and I think that’s why crooked grinds have been a challenge. I have an old stereo deck it’s a 7.75 a little too small but think I may pick another up as the concave was medium and the tail was a little lower but it seems they’ve gone out of business too but saw some on eBay. Any other suggestions for decks to try would be appreciated as I may have to experiment until I find what’s right. A lot of science now on YouTube with wheel base and other stuff never had this sort of info as a kid it was all 7.5 or 7.75 boards at max for street and 8 and above for transition now street skaters are skating 8.5-9” boards it’s crazy.

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

Nowadays like 60% of decks are from the same woodshop (BBS) and the quality is quite good.  I think a lot of the nuances are more so consistent to nitpicky older skaters i.e 1/16" of a wheelbase(I know one REAL well)....I'd try an 8 or an 8.25, DLX board (AH, Real, Krooked), Indys/ventures/thunders, with some F4's or Bones X's and you're good to go.  I agree that it's nice being able to skate a park which has so much more to skate. 

About being over 30...honestly I think if you took the best skaters in every city, the average is closer to 30, than 20 that's for sure.....at least around here...

[Eddy Mitchel]

props to those who NEVER quit.

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

Yes, but I don’t see anything wrong with people who are rather physically in pain,or just not having a great time to call it a day…..I think now if you skated, you’re always a skater and any minute now, I’ll shift over to if you are stoked on skating you are a skater……

[WashingtonNECKTIE]

psa: skating anything besides flat if you are 26+ and have to make a living outside of skating is insanely cooked. it's already kinda cooked from 20+ but insanely cooked after 26.

Wtf is that supposed to even mean? By this definition, it's cooked if you ollie up or down a curb on your way to the corner shop.

[in love w/ fs shuvs]

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psa: skating anything besides flat if you are 26+ and have to make a living outside of skating is insanely cooked. it's already kinda cooked from 20+ but insanely cooked after 26.

[close]

Wtf is that supposed to even mean? By this definition, it's cooked if you ollie up or down a curb on your way to the corner shop.

literally what it says. curb ollies are safe... probably...

[FatGuy92]

Piggybacking on this thread

I picked skating back up in my mid 20s and it really helped with my physical and mental health, and gave me something positive to do with my friends

Now that I’m approaching my mid 30s, it’s been hard to make time to skate consistently due to competing priorities, and my small crew of homies are the same.. everyone moved and are raising kids and doing their own thing

I’ve come to realize that being around friends was a big motivator and skating sporadically by myself isn’t fun. Like I spend so much energy maintaining a small bag of tricks and don’t have the drive to go bigger or learn something new.. it feels like a chore and more often than not, I just feel bummed for doing the same shit over and over

Anyone have advice for staying motivated? I thought about quitting, but don’t think I’m ready to hang up the towel just yet

[MuggsyU]

Piggybacking on this thread

I picked skating back up in my mid 20s and it really helped with my physical and mental health, and gave me something positive to do with my friends

Now that I’m approaching my mid 30s, it’s been hard to make time to skate consistently due to competing priorities, and my small crew of homies are the same.. everyone moved and are raising kids and doing their own thing

I’ve come to realize that being around friends was a big motivator and skating sporadically by myself isn’t fun. Like I spend so much energy maintaining a small bag of tricks and don’t have the drive to go bigger or learn something new.. it feels like a chore and more often than not, I just feel bummed for doing the same shit over and over

Anyone have advice for staying motivated? I thought about quitting, but don’t think I’m ready to hang up the towel just yet

I’m pretty much the opposite. I’ve always been a more shy “loner” type person, so skateboarding was perfect for me because I could just do it by myself or with other people. I get motivated by just skating. Even if I do the same tricks over and over, any time I land one really clean it always brings back that feeling of the first time I ever landed it. So I guess that feeling motivates me to keep skating. Also, when I’m learning new tricks (or trying to) I always convince myself I’m very close to landing it even if it’s been months of me trying to do it and not coming close. I don’t know if this helps.

[FrAnKenFrEd]

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psa: skating anything besides flat if you are 26+ and have to make a living outside of skating is insanely cooked. it's already kinda cooked from 20+ but insanely cooked after 26.

[close]

Wtf is that supposed to even mean? By this definition, it's cooked if you ollie up or down a curb on your way to the corner shop.

[close]

literally what it says. curb ollies are safe... probably...

c'mon... you don't have to surrender that easily at 26...

[MMongrel]

Piggybacking on this thread

I picked skating back up in my mid 20s and it really helped with my physical and mental health, and gave me something positive to do with my friends

Now that I’m approaching my mid 30s, it’s been hard to make time to skate consistently due to competing priorities, and my small crew of homies are the same.. everyone moved and are raising kids and doing their own thing

I’ve come to realize that being around friends was a big motivator and skating sporadically by myself isn’t fun. Like I spend so much energy maintaining a small bag of tricks and don’t have the drive to go bigger or learn something new.. it feels like a chore and more often than not, I just feel bummed for doing the same shit over and over

Anyone have advice for staying motivated? I thought about quitting, but don’t think I’m ready to hang up the towel just yet

I'm used to skating by myself a lot so it might be that I have a different outlook than someone who has consistently skated with other people, but for me it's very freeing to skate by myself and a lot of the times I don't even think about linking up with anybody. But what keeps things fresh for me is just finding things that make me get excited. It can be a certain trick to work on a certain obstacle, a line, just cruising and feeling the movement, a new board shape etc. It doesn't even have to be all skate related. It could be just some fun thing you can do after skating at a certain place like grab a beer/coffee/dinner at someplace nice or go for a walk in the nature or see a part of town you haven't before while rolling around. Whatever makes you get out of the house.

Of course I get burned out or uninspired too. In those times it's okay to just not skate and direct attention elsewhere.

[FatGuy92]

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Piggybacking on this thread

I picked skating back up in my mid 20s and it really helped with my physical and mental health, and gave me something positive to do with my friends

Now that I’m approaching my mid 30s, it’s been hard to make time to skate consistently due to competing priorities, and my small crew of homies are the same.. everyone moved and are raising kids and doing their own thing

I’ve come to realize that being around friends was a big motivator and skating sporadically by myself isn’t fun. Like I spend so much energy maintaining a small bag of tricks and don’t have the drive to go bigger or learn something new.. it feels like a chore and more often than not, I just feel bummed for doing the same shit over and over

Anyone have advice for staying motivated? I thought about quitting, but don’t think I’m ready to hang up the towel just yet

[close]

I’m pretty much the opposite. I’ve always been a more shy “loner” type person, so skateboarding was perfect for me because I could just do it by myself or with other people. I get motivated by just skating. Even if I do the same tricks over and over, any time I land one really clean it always brings back that feeling of the first time I ever landed it. So I guess that feeling motivates me to keep skating. Also, when I’m learning new tricks (or trying to) I always convince myself I’m very close to landing it even if it’s been months of me trying to do it and not coming close. I don’t know if this helps.

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Piggybacking on this thread

I picked skating back up in my mid 20s and it really helped with my physical and mental health, and gave me something positive to do with my friends

Now that I’m approaching my mid 30s, it’s been hard to make time to skate consistently due to competing priorities, and my small crew of homies are the same.. everyone moved and are raising kids and doing their own thing

I’ve come to realize that being around friends was a big motivator and skating sporadically by myself isn’t fun. Like I spend so much energy maintaining a small bag of tricks and don’t have the drive to go bigger or learn something new.. it feels like a chore and more often than not, I just feel bummed for doing the same shit over and over

Anyone have advice for staying motivated? I thought about quitting, but don’t think I’m ready to hang up the towel just yet

[close]

I'm used to skating by myself a lot so it might be that I have a different outlook than someone who has consistently skated with other people, but for me it's very freeing to skate by myself and a lot of the times I don't even think about linking up with anybody. But what keeps things fresh for me is just finding things that make me get excited. It can be a certain trick to work on a certain obstacle, a line, just cruising and feeling the movement, a new board shape etc. It doesn't even have to be all skate related. It could be just some fun thing you can do after skating at a certain place like grab a beer/coffee/dinner at someplace nice or go for a walk in the nature or see a part of town you haven't before while rolling around. Whatever makes you get out of the house.

Of course I get burned out or uninspired too. In those times it's okay to just not skate and direct attention elsewhere.

Thanks for the replies. Reading through these, I think I have a mental block of some sort like the feeling of trying/landing a new trick or doing one I know really proper used to get me stoked, but something changed. Maybe I’m just going through it rn. That’s something I can be more mindful about though

[Sedition]

I’ve come to realize that being around friends was a big motivator and skating sporadically by myself isn’t fun.

Then quit.

[layzieyez]

Piggybacking on this thread

I picked skating back up in my mid 20s and it really helped with my physical and mental health, and gave me something positive to do with my friends

Now that I’m approaching my mid 30s, it’s been hard to make time to skate consistently due to competing priorities, and my small crew of homies are the same.. everyone moved and are raising kids and doing their own thing

I’ve come to realize that being around friends was a big motivator and skating sporadically by myself isn’t fun. Like I spend so much energy maintaining a small bag of tricks and don’t have the drive to go bigger or learn something new.. it feels like a chore and more often than not, I just feel bummed for doing the same shit over and over

Anyone have advice for staying motivated? I thought about quitting, but don’t think I’m ready to hang up the towel just yet

Film yourself. Document whatever you’re doing and push yourself to one up yourself. I wish I spent more time doing it during my 30’s.

Now that I’m in my 50’s, I can see how important my self filming in my 40’s was.

Or quit. Then, when you realize you still had a couple of good decades of rolling around but you blew it, maybe it will motivate you to finally invent a working time machine to get back to now.

[ferguu]

psa: skating anything besides flat if you are 26+ and have to make a living outside of skating is insanely cooked. it's already kinda cooked from 20+ but insanely cooked after 26.

hahahahahahahhahahahahahaha no way

[steve]

Start working out and push switch like 1/4 of the time you’re skating. Doesn’t have to be switch tricks, just pushing. Eventually Ollies will come, 180s, etc. its like starting all over again

[DaSk8D00D]

Turned 32 a few months ago and I feel my skating is better than it's ever been by far. I want to film a street part within the next year or two while I still can push my limits on jumping down shit. I need to film my Stay Gold lol.

That being said, this is only possible because I worked on and invested in my fitness and flexibility for several years now. I tore the meniscus in each knee on separate occasions in my teens and had achy knees up until my early 20s where I hired a personal trainer to essentially build my legs up. I joked with him the day after my birthday that Im considerably more flexible and stronger in my knees and ankles at 32 than I was at 22. In my late 20s I was having hot pocket issues in both ankles but I nipped those in the bud as well over the past year after emphasizing ankle mobility and leg work for a while.

While I feel I still got plenty of juice left, I know I can't jump over and down everything forever so I've been slowly trying to get more well rounded skating transition and switch/nollie more so my muscles and joints don't get overworked on my goofy side over time as I continue to age


My diet is where I really need the most work tho I feel like that's my next real challenge to overcome but once I build better habits there, I feel like I have a pretty good window from 32-35 to really get it in and do my most gnarly shit. Then as I get older I'll do more smoother transition skating and maybe even get on some manual shit. There's so many older dudes out here killing now and even still jumping down shit so that gives me hope that I can continue to rip well into my 40s so long as I really take care of myself and diversify my skating from the high-impact style I've always had