Veterans.
I'm not sure what is more strange, the fact that Chris Cole is considered a "Veteran" skater or the fact that he is only 32 years old. I first heard Cole get called a veteran in Street League 2010... when he was barely 28 years old! In 2 years I will be that age, and nowhere near as good as Chris is now. This whole "Veteran at 28" speaks to the nature of the sport, and the stigma attached to it. Skateboarding is for kids! Plain and simple. The whole culture was based around this "against the grain" and grimy subgenre that just screams "Teen Years".
Aging.
The idea of cruising around or kickflipping a 5 set is just harder than before. Most of us in our midtwenties work in a sedentary environment, office setting. It changes your body, 40 hours a week of sitting, with no muscle engagement in the lower half just KILLS your balance. Also going to the park and seeing that every kid is better than you is kind of a downer. Combined with having to wait 4 turns before you can try a trick it just a waste of time. I myself have gone to the park as early as 6am just to have it to myself.
Why do it?
Honestly I find myself skating more now for the workout. Skating for half an hour is equivalent to running a few It is also rips your core muscles hard. Every ollie is an ab workout; imagine jumping, doing jackhammer crunches into a squat all while maintaining your balance and moving.Those are the mechanics behind a proper ollie. It feels great and my footing just feels more confident after.
Set a Goal.
The way I'm approaching this sport is as follows: I need to master the basics. Once a week I have an early sesh at the park, early enough that no kids will show up. I ususally just cruise for a few minutes, then start with the basics and set an achievable goal to achieve by the end of the sesh. It helps me still live the skate life without the self consciousness doing something considered "Youth Culture".
No comments:
Post a Comment