If you’re reading this, we’re super glad you found us. Because you’re our kind of people.
At GOSKATE, we’re dedicated to spreading the love for skateboarding to as many people as we possibly can because we know first hand the positive impact skateboarding has had on our lives. And we get it, everyone should want to skate but it’s not always easy to convince your friends to try something that for many seems too dangerous or as we’ve commonly found– mistakenly thinking they’re too old or not skilled enough.
In this article, we’re going to provide you with words of wisdom and encouragement to learn how to get your friends to skateboard despite intimidation or false beliefs; not only with counter arguments for when people might be too afraid to skate but also proven tips for getting someone safely rolling in the right direction… literally and figuratively.
For starters, we’re going to provide you with general ways and tips to get your friends interested in skateboarding. Then we think the easiest way to provide you with any counter argument is by listing the reasons why someone might not want to skate with our advice following for how to get your friends to skateboard.
General Ways to Get Your Friends To Skateboard
Help them discover skating versus forcing it: We totally understand, you love something so much you want to share that with your friends. But some people need to feel like they are discovering something rather than someone forcing them. Consider trying to make it feel like you’re discovering something together or just be more subtle in your approach.
Share with them viral videos of skateboarding: When we say viral videos of skateboarding, we mean the ones that go into the general public like a super cute dog pushing a skateboard or the clip of Tony Hawk doing a 900 at 50 years old. These videos will help them understand just how cool skateboarding is without a deep experience of skateboarding themselves.
Show them where skateboarding intersects with popular culture: Skateboarding is so much more than riding it skateboard. It’s film, fashion, art, design, architecture, and so many facets where they intersect for a more global culture. You can help spark their interest by combining it with something else they already like.
Watch a skate video with them: There are so many amazing skate videos out there from the 70s,80s,90s, 2000s, etc that were made by some incredibly talented videographers that capture everything people love about the past decades. These videos have an untenable aesthetic that they might not notice in today’s social media age of skating. Pop in a skate video almost like popping in an old film from childhood and watch their eyes light up.
Watch a skate film with them: There are not too many skate films out there but the ones that are, are really, really good. Films like Mid 90s, Street Dreams, Grind, and Lords of Dogtown are some of the best films (regardless of being skate films) that help paint the picture of what it means to be a skater in a very inspiring sense.
Take them to a skatepark to watch: Sometimes all it takes is seeing someone do something to believe you’re able to do it too. This is especially true for young girls, who might not easily see other young girls skating. If you go to the skatepark you’ll see all kinds of people of all skills and backgrounds skating, helping to paint the picture that really skateboarding is for everyone and anybody can have fun doing it.
Ask them to go for a cruise: While we’re hoping you want to learn how to get my friend to skateboard so you guys can learn skateboard tricks together, we do know a lot of people just want to cruise at first. Asking your friend to go on a cruise, even on a penny board or longboard, can be a good way to introduce that amazing feeling of skating on four wheels.
After all, skating no matter what level will involve a lot of cruising and skaters of all skill levels love a good soul skate.
Book them a GOSKATE One-On-One Skate Lesson: Learning how to skateboard can be intimidating, especially if they or you are someone who has a hard time doing things alone. At GOSKATE, we’re the largest network of professionally trained skate instructors, with decades of skate heritage under our belt. We can guarantee after one lesson your loved one will master the foundations of skateboarding and begin rolling in the best direction possible.
Teach them how to skateboard in a safe area: Sometimes we think the best place to learn to skate is a skatepark, but this is usually not the case. Skateparks can become quite crowded very easily and actually act as a deterrent to learning how to skate because they are so intimidating.
Have them wear proper protective gear: proper protective gear will help with confidence and injury prevention. Here are some of the most common types of proper safety gear:
- Helmet
- Elbow Pads
- Knee Pads
- Wrist Guards
- Proper close-toed Shoes
- Proper Attire
Reasons Your Friends Might Think They Can’t Skate
As lifelong skateboarders with literal decades of teaching skateboarding, we’ve heard every excuse in the book. We’ve also seen the pure joy, smiles, and satisfactions when someone conquers their fears and learns how to skateboard. Without further ado, here are some reasons your friends might think they can’t skate and how to get them to skateboard.
They bought the wrong first skateboard: We cannot stress enough how many times we’ve seen someone roll through to their first skate lesson with the wrong skateboard – that’s why we made the GOSKATE Beginner Skateboard Package to have anyone looking for the correct skateboard to get off to the right start. A longboard, penny board, or a poor quality skateboard will almost certainly affect your skating goals either in a misconceived or negative way. If they don’t have a great board, they won’t have a great experience. Let them borrow yours if need be or direct them to the GOSKATE Beginner Skateboard Package.
They slammed really hard the first time: Not everyone has a pleasant first experience when skateboarding and often since they were unprepared for the experience they slammed really hard and are now scared to skate again. Often, they were not wearing the proper protective gear or did not know the proper foot positioning. Be there for them to show them the proper foot positioning to master the balance needed for the foundations of skating. Which brings us to our next reason.
They don’t feel comfortable when standing on a skateboard: Not feeling comfortable on a skateboard at first is completely normal but many new skaters don’t realize this. They pick up a basketball for the first time or kick a soccer ball for the first time and it feels natural and some skaters will feel pretty natural on a board. They just need some encouragement and proper showing of foot positioning. Hold their hand and remind them that even Tony Hawk was once in their shoes.
They believe they are too old to start skating: We can’t tell you enough that you are never too old to start skating. You are your own coach, your own mentor and your own decider on what you want to do on your skateboard. But you don’t have to take our word for it. Share with them this impressive video from our YouTube of this incredible 80-year-old skater. We also invite you to check out some of our editorial on how to skateboard as an adult.
They believe they are not skilled enough to start skating: Skateboarding takes a tremendous amount of skill but what is often not said enough is that believing in oneself is a skill in itself. Sure, for many of the reasons above, they might think they are not skilled enough to start skating. But that is simply not true. There are infinite baby steps to learning how to skate and we promise if they keep taking step after step, they’ll be gaining momentum in no time. We’ve witnessed even our most timid first timers go on to be amazing skateboarders.
Skateparks are too scary for them: The skatepark can be a scary place and it’s completely understandable for a new skater. However, there are plenty of places to learn how to skate to master the foundations of skating and gain some confidence for when it is time to hit the skatepark. Take them to an empty parking lot or even right there in their driveway or cul de sac. Just make sure it’s a safe space to skate – which brings us to our next reason.
They have nowhere to skate: Someone might say they have nowhere to skate, and unless they live on a farm with absolutely no concrete (well even then you could build them a mini ramp made of wood) they generally just don’t understand they can skate really anywhere with flatground. Even so, there has to be a town nearby that either has a basketball court, an empty parking garage, or some form of cement they can learn how to skate on.
Skateboarding is too expensive: The entry point for skateboarding can sometimes seem like a lot of money. Our GOSKATE Beginner Skateboard Package was priced with this in mind, but if you’re really skating on a budget you can sometimes go to the skateshop or skatepark and ask people if they have any spare parts. You will be surprised at how many skaters will help other skaters secure a skateboard as they know how much it means to them to learn how to skate. You can also find complete skateboards priced online for less than piecing them together with brand new pieces. Skateparks are generally free as well and you can always skate the streets. Skateboarding is very accessible and over time if they fall in love with skating they will realize this and be thankful for it.
You Don’t Invite them to GOSKATE: Honestly, this is the only reason that is on you as the friend to do your part in making sure you are inviting them to GOSKATE. Sometimes people just need a little push or encouragement and you can’t always expect them to be motivated on their own. So remember, call your friends, head to the skatepark, have fun and GOSKATE!
