Everyone has to start somewhere.
The world of skateboarding can seem equally freeing yet daunting at the same time. But guess what? That’s ok.
That’s the beauty of it. Skateboarding has become a sport in which it has catered and appealed to people who fit in with variety of different aesthetics. Some take it competitively. Some do it with their friends as a hobby. Some use it as a form of exercise and a way to relax.
It doesn’t matter what you look like, what clothes you wear and where you are from. It can bring people together. Take for example Ned Mescudi, 32, who says: “I use to BMX when I was really young, I’ve always wanted to skateboard instead, fast forward to me being 30 and my co-worker being like ‘you come to the park fam’ and that first day at the park without a board turned into my last day at the park without a board.”
Most people believe skating is for the youth, when, in reality, it’s for anyone. Skating had its cultural boom in the 90’s, catering to the rebellious teens of that generation. You had to look a certain way, act a certain way, maybe even skate a certain way depending on who was the big shot skater of the time.
Now, Skating culture has become a lot more inclusive. In today’s day and age, it is easier than ever to jump into the culture of skateboarding. Most people use social media websites such as Youtube, Reddit or Twitter to join a community and get tutorials for tricks and gear. People are more connected than ever before.
For many, Skateboarding also gives a sense of accomplishment. The feeling of freedom. The feeling of getting better with their passion more and more, day by day.
It can be as simple as showing off your talents. For example, Serenity Conner said: “I was 13 years old and thought that boys that skated was the best. I hung out with them and I was told by one (who actually became one of my best guy friends) that I couldn't hang with the big boys. I proved him wrong.”
Joshua Lynch, 32, said: “My friend got me into sk8ing and taught me how to kick flip. Fell in love with sk8ing. That was when I was 10 years old. I am now 32 and after taking a very long break, I still have a lot of tricks in the bag and I enjoy sk8ing more now than I did it I was younger. I appreciate sk8ing because it keeps me out of trouble, makes me focus, keeps me in shape, and teaches self-discipline.”
There are also a plethora of ways to get into skateboarding culture without every needing to ride a skateboard. There is a misconception that in order to be a fan of skateboarding you need to skate. Although it would be ideal, that just isn’t the case.
Not Every fan of rock music knows how to do a crazy solo on the guitar. If you just love to watch skate movies, the X games or simply just play old tony hawk video games. That’s ok.
FEATURED IMAGE CREDIT: Matt Moloney
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