No matter what your interests and favorite pastimes are, reflecting is a helpful practice that can help you track your progress over long stretches of time. For me, skateboarding has served many purposes and teaches me new things constantly. Like anything else, skateboarding hasn’t been a linear journey. I’ve encountered numerous challenges and frustrations along the way.
Facing these challenges and persevering has been a rewarding and beneficial experience for me and many others. In this blog, I’ll break down what skateboarding has taught me over the years, what it’s given me, and how it’s shaped the person I’ve become.
Patience & Perseverance
Skateboarding forces me to develop patience in a way almost nothing else does. You can’t rush a trick, you can’t force progress, and you definitely can’t fake your way through something your body hasn’t learned yet. Additionally, unlike learning music or another art form, you are taking a real physical risk in the process of learning. Some days you’re out there trying the same motion hundreds of times with nothing to show for it except sweat and frustration. Other days you land something out of nowhere, and it clicks, and suddenly all the failed attempts feel worth it.
The cycle can be frustrating, but perseverance is a natural byproduct of that. I’ve learned how to push my limits without burning myself out, then coming back the next day to do it again. Learning how to trust that your efforts eventually turns into progress, even when it doesn’t feel like it, is an essential life lesson. Off the board, that mindset sticks with you. Whether it’s school, work, relationships, or just personal goals, skating builds a quiet confidence that you can grind through difficult things and come out better on the other side.
One day, while looking for spots, I came across a small stair set that connected to a sidewalk, which spanned into a parking lot. Even though I hadn’t warmed up properly, I decided to attempt to ollie the full 12-13 foot gap into the parking lot. After a quick running start, I was flying above the set. Before I could process it, I kicked my board out, planting my left foot on the curb and falling forward to the parking lot. My right foot was twisted under me, exposing my ankle, which ended up bearing all the force from the fall.
Even though not being able to walk was rough, it did end up teaching me a few things for the better. If I had taken a moment to slow down and warm up, the whole injury probably could have been avoided. And once I was hurt, I had no choice but to be patient — waiting months just to stand on a board again forced me to slow down and respect the process in a way I hadn’t before. Since this injury, I have never forgotten to stretch before a session.
Stress Management
One underrated benefit of skateboarding is how effective it is for stress. Inevitably, when life gets hectic, having a healthy outlet is crucial. Skating forces you to pay attention to what’s directly in front of you. Instead of whatever is on your mind, you are thinking about what you’re attempting at that moment. This, combined with the intense exercise skating requires, can be a great escape if there is something bugging me. After pushing around, maybe taking a bail, and trying something over and over, your body burns off a lot of the tension you walked in with. Often after skating, I’ll be in a better position to address whatever issue I am dealing with.
Community
The communal aspect of skating has also been very good to me. I have met people and gone places that I never would’ve thought about because of skateboarding. Many of my closest friendships have started from skateboarding. Even when I was younger and not as social, I was constantly approached by friendly people offering to give me tips.
No one cares what you look like or where you’re from. People show up to skate, and that’s what everyone focuses on, not whatever you do outside of it. Skateboarding is also incredibly diverse culturally and how individuals view skating itself. That mix of perspectives is one of my favorite parts of exploring skate parks while on trips to new places.
Like I mentioned before, skating also was a great way of getting me out of my shell. The relaxed environment makes it easy to talk to random people that happen to be there. Watching contests and going to skate events with friends is also one of the best past times.
