Why

[Antwan]

Just real put down today
the effects skating is having on me and my body
always coming home with a new cut next one bigger than the last
Trying the same trick for a few hours getting frustrated and just moving on
try it again the next day still getting no where
EXHAUSTED, stamina seems to be sitting no progress in this field
At first, wheel bite..
now my wheels just slip out when I do any kind of manual rotation or just try to turn a corner
board is falling apart again
it's starting to frustrate me...
and I left my pop tricks video up for comments, something I wasn't doing
second comment is some dude I don't know hating..
and when I go to the parks people hate on me there..
Just not feeling it lately.
Obviously it's for me..
but it seriously doesn't feel like it anymore
people affect me.

[briden]

A few years ago I decided to just stop giving a fuck, and it has worked wonders. Highly recommended.

[i am a snail]

A few years ago I decided to just stop giving a fuck, and it has worked wonders. Highly recommended.

if this was facebook i would like the hell out of this

[pawnluvguitarist]

A few years ago I decided to just stop giving a fuck, and it has worked wonders. Highly recommended.

i was real self conscious about my skating when i first started, especially when i first started venturing into the freestyle kinda skating. But nowadays I find its a lot more enjoyable just not giving a fuck. Easier said than done, but its a process man, give it time...

[Antwan]

It doesn't seem like a self thing at all man..
I never seemed to care
maybe because I'm older I'm thinking more
gotta get back in that focused mindset or something.
thanks guys.

[replicant]

I've had a board under my feet since Christmas 1978 and I've known a lot of skaters over the years.
Every single skater at some point in time gets down in the dumps because other people make comments on
their skating. You also go through slumps when it just feels like you're not progressing and that can mess with
your head. We've all had those times and most of us just plow on through and work it out (some simply quit).

The main thing to keep in mind always is that skateboarding is about personal expression. If other people
don't like how you skate, then they can go fuck themselves. Skate for yourself and have fun. It doesn't matter
if you're flipping 10 steps, airing out on a half-pipe, learning to manual, or simply concrete surfing around a
parking lot since we're just all doing it to make ourselves happier.

You're going to have to get used (if you haven't already somewhat) to people giving you shit over your style
of skating because it's simply different from the "norm" park riders. Most of the people who are pointing
fingers at you are immature young skaters or your basic jerks. You have to shine that shit on and do your own
thing. Easier to say than do I admit, but it's the only way without swinging bats at their heads for coping.

As for your progression I have to say that the best guidance I can give you is to simply break down the tricks
to their simplest moves and work on each section before trying to throw it all together. I'm geek as shit
because I always watched people and wrote notes down about tricks and then cut the trick into segments and
worked on each part until I had that nailed, so it was easier when I did full attempts. Your Pop video showed
you attempting lots of stuff that involved mulitple phases to the trick.

The simplest one that I'll segment is the Half-Ollie (Or Ollie Kick Out) 360 Hand Board Varial which was your
2nd trick.
Step 1: Ollie kick out to your rotation hand (you are simply working on the catch)
Step 2: 360 Board Varial (basically, you are only focusing on getting the right spot to grab and how your
hand/wrist needs to rotate before releasing the board. practicing the spin itself)
Step 3: Varial Release (now you're focusing on when you need to release the board and how to spot
your landing)
Step 4: Putting it together stationary. (Doing it all chained together on grass, carpet, where you're
comfortable till you have it on lock)
Step 5: Applying it all while moving (minor adjustments made simply due to speed and terrain)
Step 6: Adding obstacles (ramps, inclines, etc all add another dimension if it's your thing)

This type of approach always worked for me because I want to understand the hows and whys before
I wind up with a face full of asphalt. I teach kids today the same way I taught myself. An ollie for example
was simply standing on a deck on the grass/carpet learning the motion for the ollie. Then I graduated to
nailing some blocks on the deck roughly the same height as trucks/wheels and practiced. After that I had just
my board set up on there to get used to landing on wheels. When I felt comfortable it was stationary ollies on
concrete which led to slow rolling ollies. After getting my speed up it became about pulling an ollie off small
curbs, 2 steps, small stair, dumpsters, distance, etc. Too many skaters don't take these baby steps and wind
up hurting themselves or simply learning tricks poorly. I've seen too many snapped decks just because a
kid never learned the basic of landing on your truck bolts.

As for your not feeling the skating and getting frustrated whether it be because of other people or yourself
then I have two words for you. Step Away. Take a break for a day or two. Avoid the park for a bit. If you're
not getting a trick then set yourself a number of tries and if you don't get it, then move on to something else
for a little bit then come back. Some days you're simply off and other days you can't miss. It just happens,
but you can't stress over it because this is suppose to be how you relax. I myself can go out and soul surf a
parking lot for hours or spend all day sessioning a parking block. When I am on my skateboard I am at my
happiest. Nothing in my life from drugs, sex, etc has ever made me happier than just simply going outside to
skate. Yeah, that stuff has made me feel good, but I am talking about truly being content.

If you're not having fun. Don't do it.
Sorry for the long ass rambling post, but skating is a passion of mine.
I don't like seeing people down because of jackasses or their own lofty goals.
Keep it simple and keep it flowing.

Take into account that in the 80's Tony Hawk, Mike Vallely, and Rodney Mullen were mocked because of their
looks and riding styles. They seem to have done alright for themselves.

[pawnluvguitarist]

one thing i can recommend if you are skating by yourself is find a familiar, comfortable place. When I skate alone i almost always skate at this park, its nice to have a hang out, a place to skate that feels like home:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-jmA...el_video_title
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpB6V...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Urmy...eature=related

Been skating there almost daily for many years, so everybody knows me and will just let me do my thing without asking if i can kickflip starring at me or calling out tricks. I find i can really just zone out there, even if the park is packed, something i can't really do anywhere else unless I am alone. And its nice no matter when i go theres always at least one familiar face there even if i dont know half of their names haha

[Antwan]

Rep that was really long but I read it haha..
thanks
and yeah pawn
there's a few parks like that for me
maybe I will.

[EternalRewind]

Trying the same trick for a few hours getting frustrated and just moving on
try it again the next day still getting no where
EXHAUSTED, stamina seems to be sitting no progress in this field
At first, wheel bite..
now my wheels just slip out when I do any kind of manual rotation or just try to turn a corner
board is falling apart again
it's starting to frustrate me...

Thats skating for ya... Its hard and some tricks can take years for some people to get..

As for people hating on your style dont mind them but they're most likely thinking why doesn't he just do real flip tricks the stuff hes doing looks stupid...

And maybe you should try proper flip tricks along with your own stuff you do now, give it a try, even Rodney mullen had to get a push in the other direction and look what happened to his style after he started skating more street and evolving his style but keeping it his own..

[Antwan]

That's so true Eternal.

[DonVigo]

First off, I'm just going to say the most important thing: Antwan, you seem like a good dude. Fuck anyone talking shit to you for no good god damn reason. Fuck them in the ass with a big rubber dick, break the end off, and let 'em choke on it. If I knew you in the real world, I'd be at the park with you flipping those kids shit for ya's.

Anyway man, Rep nailed down a lot of good points. I'm a bit younger, got my start in 1987, but have more or less the same story to tell. Any trick I've ever learned has been a LONG process, as I'm the first to admit... I love the hell out of skateboarding, but realistically, I SUCK at it. Sure, I can bomb around the park and tag coping on 11-12 foot walls now, but that's taken me as many years as I've been at it to get to. Most people at this point would be able to do a million more tricks than I can, and that gets frustrating. Just don't let yourself lose the fun. As soon as you wanna focus your deck, move onto another trick. Maybe one you have down super solid to boost your confidence back up, or maybe just another one you're working on, but just don't focus on one until the sport is getting you down.

As far as the skating goes beyond that, warm up on what you have on lock so you feel good, and save the "trick of the day" for the end of your session. To me anyway, if I don't land that big trick, I can say I worked on it, and come back to it later, but at least I hit the other three tricks I know. Seeing your efforts thus far, I'd be willing to bet you could spend a lot of time, and regain a lot of your skating esteem by just cleaning up what you already know how to do. Take your two step tricks down to one step before you call 'em done, or something like that. Sometimes improving a trick to the point where it's clean feels better than landing something for the first time.

As far as the shit talkers, man... I know people say brush it off, but I don't. Beat the fuckers at their own game! I'm 5'11" and pushing a good 240 after a massive dump. I'm a big, awkward goofball. I know I don't skate with a whole lot of grace, but I know I enjoy doing it. Anytime some lame ass kid wants to talk shit about that, I have a few comebacks ready that always shut 'em down.

"Oh, I'm a poser?! I'm the guy here having a good time, you're the one with nothing better to do but talk shit about other people... Who's the poser?"
"Yeah, I suck, but I can get better. Chances are, you'll always be some twigdick with nothing better to do than talk shit."
"I'd take that seriously if you weren't some random fuckwad who's just flapping his jaw."
"Okay, lets see you do better." *Hand over board*
"No, you're right, I suck. I should spend all my time trying to be as cool as the dickless wonder here."
"I'm sorry, but with your head that far up your ass I really can't tell... Are you talking shit, or farting?! It stinks either way."

In the end, it's never "fuck me." If you spin it around to "fuck you" the asshole gets what he has coming, and you can protect the ego a bit.

Anyway, you know it's in your head. Just let yourself be a bit more agro in your own defense when it comes to yourself or some craptalking asshat at the park. You deserve it, bro.

[Antwan]

Yeah the older guys in the game know all about it haha
much respect, dudes.

I'm that quiet kid though focused but a crowd helps..
it's silly but even when I skate alone I think of the passing cars and peds as an audience
one more reason to get the trick done..
some times people do watch around the apartments and that boosts confidence
all while having fun..
I was just ranting really the image skating has taken..
the youth becoming more angry for whatever fucking reason..
and that's all fine but toward me I get seriously offended.. a 20 year old soon 21
talking back to some kids or even teenagers a little younger does not look good
if you're thinking ego I would say it would be more of an ego boost and even then
makes you look like a bigger dick, right?
I've seen one of my friends get put into a squad car and several regular cop cars came to the park
because he was talking shit! That more than likely is just my location but it doesn't seem worth it..
We do what we do though.. not going to drag on anyone
Great feedback, has helped me cope in two short days..
I should be back out there once my bruises and cuts are gone.
OH and I've realized it's the surface that is making me bust ass friends haha
the tennis court is effing slick I'm just realizing this with my brand new wheels..
time to take it elsewhere and make it something.
thanks again.

[DonVigo]

Guess it's a defense mechanisim or something, but if someone shit talks me openly, I tell 'em to fuck off. Don't care what age they are. It's the older guys that corrected my behavior growing up that made me a better resident of my local park. I'm just calling it like it is, it's all about ego... But I never just let someone say something rude to me without firing back. Again, it's about having the pride to stand up for yourself, and that much is fair.

[pawnluvguitarist]

Hey Antwan, if you find yourself getting frustrated try breaking up your skate seshes into sections. There will be days where you just suck and can't seem land anything or the specific trick you are working on, just gotta let it go and move on to something else, come back later.

I usually split it up into:

warmup- just cruising around, nothing but carves, manuals, pivots, maybe some really small manual spins. Just getting loose, my heart rate going, and breaking a sweat.

lines/sequences- just trying to link all the tricks i know i already have into long freestyle contest kinda lines. Just practicing linking any trick with any trick. Since its mostly tricks i rarely mess up its a great work out, just skate till you bail or cant breathe, rest for a bit then back at it. Its a good confidence booster because you'll see how many tricks you actually have instead of sitting there for half an hour bailing on a new banger trick.

bangers/new tricks- almost always save these until the end, i find i get better results when im dead tired, (same thing goes when im playing hockey, maybe its a mental alertness thing? haha) I'll spend 20 mins or so at the end of the sesh trying the hardest tricks, what i dont have on lock, and working on new ideas.

Just my 2 cents, I spend about the same time warming up as I do working on new stuff, and the bulk of my time is spent perfecting and linking the tricks that i already have. And i seem to be getting good results. Especially with the long contest style lines, really gets you in shape, which helps you so much in every aspect(I lost 25 pounds in 3 months and i can say other than getting that freestyle board that has been the biggest cause of my improvement this year).

[Boxerman08]

Just real put down today
the effects skating is having on me and my body
always coming home with a new cut next one bigger than the last
Trying the same trick for a few hours getting frustrated and just moving on
try it again the next day still getting no where
EXHAUSTED, stamina seems to be sitting no progress in this field
At first, wheel bite..
now my wheels just slip out when I do any kind of manual rotation or just try to turn a corner
board is falling apart again
it's starting to frustrate me...
and I left my pop tricks video up for comments, something I wasn't doing
second comment is some dude I don't know hating..
and when I go to the parks people hate on me there..
Just not feeling it lately.
Obviously it's for me..
but it seriously doesn't feel like it anymore
people affect me.

that's skateboarding. you can't bring yourself down for haters because let's face it, there's haters everywhere. briden has an amazing point = not give a fuck (I should REALLY do this too, since I'm actually pretty self-conscious about my skating; i don't want to look stupid or whatever for trying something, but I should really start to not give a fuck about what others think and just have fun on my board) i know you've got this old-school skating, and that's sick, but for some reason, most people don't like different styles of skating. just do whatever you enjoy doing and fuck what the other douches can think, skate for yourself. you can always plug in your ipod and shred with some music. this helps me to just do my own thing, and not be as self-conscious about my skating.

i've recently been in a downfall in skateboarding because i've fucked up my ankle badly a month and a half ago or more and I still can't do any flip tricks and it kills me. it's what i've always been practicing; new flip tricks, getting consistent with old tricks and all, and i can't do them still after nearly 2 months after my ankle injury. i've been working on shuv variations, like fs bigspins and shit, but it kills me when i skate because i have this urge to just pop out a fs flip or a fakie tre flip or whatever, but i can't because my ankle is messed up. but i won't quit just yet, because i've been skating for like 10 years now, i'm not that great but i still enjoy it so much, and I know there will be better days. there's good and bad days for everyone man, and I guess that day where you wrote that thread, was a bad one, but don't give up and just keep at it

[Slamooh]

if you care more about the others as you get older, there s something wrong with you

[Antwan]

if you care more about the others as you get older, there s something wrong with you

Elaborate? or is it just an insult?