Times where skateboarding wasn't an integral part of your life

[Laban Fetus]

What have been the periods of your life where you weren't on the board much or at all?
Jobs, hobbies, addictions, relationships etc

The local skate park closing down and watching most of my friends become junkies was one. That got me into weed and being a townie pretty heavily for about a year which eventually ran it's course. Music also became a huge part of my life during that time which resulted in a lot of bedroom dwelling and learning how to play guitar. Nowadays it's more of a happy balance between the two interests.
Seeing anybody flat out "quit" something they used to be passionate about is always a bummer to me.

[paraquat]

Mid twenties art music partying girlfriends phase. I'm back baby!

[AssBandit]

Was living on the rough side of the city for a min during high school and no one in my school/hood skated.  Got in a fight with some dudes while I was minding my business rollin down the street, but the cops came and no one got to seriously pop off.  I felt like I should keep a low profile because i obviously stood out.  I switched my style and everything and laid off the board for a min.  And I could have easily got shot, so I wasn't gonna go out like that.   

There was plenty of times when I should have put the board down to do real life shit, but at all points of my life, i chose to skate instead. 

[stevedave]

i quit at a pretty pivotal point in skateboarding/my life.  I stopped skating when I graduated high school and started college.  i wasn't into the whole big pants/small wheels/chain wallet/pressure flips.  I felt that college was the phase that was going to make me an "adult".  Boy, I sure was wrong about that one!!! hahaha...after college I started skating again. 

[GAY]

I stopped for a while after I got outed to my dad and he kicked me out of the house/family...it was like at that point I was just "all in" with the gay thing and I didn't think skateboarding would have me any more. I came back to it once I got comfortable with myself and realized none of my friends who I skated with cared about who I put my penis into. Now I am terrible but I still love skating and ollieing up and down curbs.

[dask8d00d]

I've had maybe 2-3 times throughout high school where I was just smoking weed & making music and wasn't really focused on skating for a couple months or so. It was usually around/during winter so usually when the weather got better I got back to skating again.

More recently was after my mom died in September last year and I was just so busy taking care of all that shit plus mental/emotional strain skateboarding was really the last thing that was on my mind for a while, especially since it was getting colder & more close to winter. I probably didn't skate for a good 3-4 months but once spring came around I got back on my shit & haven't stopped since. I've also noticed that whenever I stopped skating for a while & got back into it, once I shook off that initial rust the first few weeks I started to progress at a faster rate than i was even before I stopped skating

[JB]

started skating when i was 12.

started smoking pot every day around 18 and by 19 i really didnt skate much. then i got busted and put on probation so i quit smoking. around the same time though i started playing drums and put a lot of focus on being in a band for a about a year so i still wasnt skating much. the band fizzled out quick and started skating a lot more around 21.

landed a full time job a little over a year ago and around the same time started dating my girlfriend. im happy with my life right now, but 2013 was by far the worst skating year ive ever had. i skated only a handful of times each month, lost a ton of tricks, whatever friends i had that still skated never want to skate when i hit them up. nothing has really forced me to skate less, i just got lazy since skating isnt really a routeen anymore. i get out of work at 5, drive an hour home, eat, then usually if i dont have anything left to do that night i like to drink a few beers and relax. it doesnt help that i dont have decent flat ground right outside where i live like i had when i lived with my parents. so if i want to skate, i have to get in the car and drive somewhere.

i basically joined slap as a way to get my skating fix from what i was missing on the board and honestly id say that i love skating now more than ever. its what i think about the most. im always hoping that ill find the motivation to skate harder, but honestly the biggest thing holding me back is that i always skate alone. im not a show off by any means, but its way more fun doing tricks when your friends are there to see you do it or motivate you to land something difficult. even just having someone else to just goof around with during the session makes it way more enjoyable. when i skate by myself, i feel like its too serious and i give up a lot faster if im struggling with something.

anyways thats my two cents. im going skating tonight so im stoked on that. going to try to learn wall rides. i gave them a try last week but wasnt successful.

[Endless Toedrag]

I stepped off board when my girl got pregnant and I needed to start stacking chips.  Started back up when my kid was around two, and shit felt like it was on autopilot.  It's like, if you don't skate now, you never did...because it's too hard to stay off forever.

[Coastal Fever]

Right now.  When I moved to this city 8 years ago everything was fresh and new, and skateboarding was tolerated.  Now, street skating is totally illegal, and our shitty, scooter infested skatepark has cops that come give helmet fines.  Everything and everyone I know and love in my life is here, so to move elsewhere so I can skate more seems like a stupid thing to do.  

All I want is a fucking flatbar and ledge I can skate bust-free, but I don't see that happening.  So yeah, I still follow skating and go out sometimes.. but my current surroundings have gotten unbearably stale.  Plus the ground is going to be covered in ice, snow and salt for the next 8 months.. think I'll stick to the gym.

[GershonSweaty]

When I got kicked out of home at 17 became pretty introverted for a good 7/8 months. Consequently after that period I started skating more and if it weren't for the friends that were around (and still are) I wouldn't be where I am now. I owe skateboarding everything.

[wildbillhiccup]

Right now

[A.J.K.]

Right now

[8BitSeinfeld]

the womb

[wildbillhiccup]

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Ive been doing such little skating Ive had the same board for like 7 months.

Isnt there a loss of motivation to skate thread somewhere?

[GAY]

the womb

U r kore with a capitol K...so...Kore.

[vegan*shawn]

Skating has always been a part of my life since I started in 1985, I also have always done stuff on the side as well. I am still involved in the local punk scene, love video games, have a family but skating is still my love.

[ADOLF SHITLER]

when a nigga gets on da grind pitchin rocks n bussin knocks

[Young Satchel]

The past 11 years. Got off the board around age 19, got back on a few weeks before I turned 30. I had a brief flirtation with skating again in my mid 20s and purchased an antihero 7.75 and some indys. Didn't work out for me. But even during all the years I was away, I have given credit where it was due; skateboarding has been a huge part of my life,influenced my artwork, shaped my taste, and enriched my understanding of (and frustration with) urban planning and architecture in cities. Thanks skateboarding...

[SodaJerk]

From about 24 to 29 I partied way too much and it was a struggle to get out because I felt like shit. I still handled work but would just pile out in my spare time. Then I met my soon to be wife and she encouraged me to start skating again. Even when I wasn't skating though I still scoped spots everywhere I went and read magazines but didnt really watch videos. I was always a skater I just didn't skate for a long time.

[cretard]

This past year I've been pouring my heart and soul into architecture school, not sleeping for days at a time, and moving back in with the rents to cut back on waiting tables so much and my skate life really got put on the back burner when it seems I had a lot of missed opportunities with friends moving out to LA. Basically gave up on wanting to be a photographer in the skate industry because of school. It sucked recently that Midtown skatepark closed it's doors but I'm glad to see so many homies from the park are blowing up in the past year. Now I make the most of every chance I have to go skate. Fuck, I skated through downtown Orlando and back by myself until 4AM yesterday.

[Kanye Omari West]

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Ive been doing such little skating Ive had the same board for like 7 months.

Isnt there a loss of motivation to skate thread somewhere?

I don't know if I'll ever really come back after ACL surgery in May, I'm still mentally scarred from the pain and overall shitty experience of the whole thing and I'm honestly just not sure if my leg is really strong enough despite the fact my skating has always been low impact, I know I don't have the explosiveness and movement I used to and I'm scared of rehurting myself in efforts of trying to recapture it, my board is just gonna have to chill in my closet for now but I miss the shit out of it

I did go down the street and I attempted to pop a legit ollie, somewhat boned and everything and it was only about 6 inches off the ground and that shit was a struggle in itself

[Pango]

I started skating in 8th grade but throughout high school i played 3 sports, one for every season.  Also to boot I wrecked my left knee when I was a Junior (sucks even more cuz I'm goofy) so I honestly never skated all year around until I graduated high school.  Even now though because of college I mostly skate on the weekends, but when I graduate this spring I expect to skate almost everyday because thats a perk of being a teacher 

[phatwheelz]

weed/music phase, junkie phase

with some skating in between but not much.  Been really immersed in skating the past year and I feel more connected with it than I ever was before.  I think I cycle my hobbies in 1 or 2 year periods but it's all good as long as my hobbies don't include banging dope or speed. It's good to switch things up and it makes coming back to an instrument or a board more exciting to me.

[dask8d00d]

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Right now

[close]

[close]

Ive been doing such little skating Ive had the same board for like 7 months.

Isnt there a loss of motivation to skate thread somewhere?

[close]

I don't know if I'll ever really come back after ACL surgery in May, I'm still mentally scarred from the pain and overall shitty experience of the whole thing and I'm honestly just not sure if my leg is really strong enough despite the fact my skating has always been low impact, I know I don't have the explosiveness and movement I used to and I'm scared of rehurting myself in efforts of trying to recapture it, my board is just gonna have to chill in my closet for now but I miss the shit out of it

I did go down the street and I attempted to pop a legit ollie, somewhat boned and everything and it was only about 6 inches off the ground and that shit was a struggle in itself

depending on how young/healthy you are you still should be able to recover eventually. most athletes say that it usually takes a full year or more before they get their full strength & confidence back. you just gotta put forth the effort to eat somewhat healthy & regularly rehabbing that knee and try to get it strong again. if you stay with it after a while you should be OK

[Makaveli]

quit my junior year of high school when i was in this band. i just played music, partied, and smoked out. my freshman year of college i quit too. just studying, smoking, and partying. i'll probably have to put it on the back burner again next semester, taking a bunch of tough classes and working two jobs and all.

[A.J.K.]

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Ive been doing such little skating Ive had the same board for like 7 months.

Isnt there a loss of motivation to skate thread somewhere?

I've had the same board for almost a year, and I would still have the Magenta I bought over a year ago if I hadn't given it to a friend who needed a board. 

Between school and work I rarely have a free day, and when I do there's usually other things i'd rather be doing, or have to doing.  Not having a park that I can cruise to in 15 minutes and screw around for an hour or two also helped to eliminate my drive to skate.  I know the streets are raw as fuck and where real skateboarding happens, but skating a shitty ledge and getting kicked out within 10 minutes is unsatisfying when all you want smooth flatground and a manny pad.

[Caps Lock]

Right now

I have been on 4-5 year sabbatical from skateboarding right now.

[Tarela]

Right now

Owe my college some money gotta pay it off so work is the focus..plus i rolled the shit out of my ankle skating a handrail i wasn't taking seriously. I finally just got back full range and can put pressure on my ankle but it still gets real sore...Weird to say but Koston 2s may just be better walking shoes..

[Morty Seinfeld]

had one summer when I just turned 17 and I was super piled out, got some criminal charges, didn't skate for 6 months. Got back to it and was better than ever.

When I first moved to Arizona last year, I didn't really skate much for about 3 months. just super uncomfortable with my surroundings. Now I'm feeling way more comfortable, I skate about 5 days a week, and I'm skating better than I ever have before. Just need to get out in the streets more. I get spoiled having a nice park 2 blocks from my house.

[JBones]

Some of my breaks away from skating have been longer than most dudes have actually been skating.
Longest one was almost 11 years away.
Music, bands, gigs, studios, albums, touring, girlfriends and repeat over and over again has been the culprit everytime.
No more leaving - ever! Means more to me now than ever before.
Skateboarding keeps me alive, even if it is killing my body.