How to Skateboard in Your 30s

older-skater-drop-in-how-to-skate-in-your-30s

Whatever your skateboarding goals may be, this article will teach you how to skateboard in your 30s

Whether you’re learning how to skateboarding in your 30s or are someone who has skated in the past and would like to step back on the board in your 30s, this article is going to give you tips to protect your body, develop the mental confidence to progress, and give you decades of skate advice from our GOSKATE instructors in just a few minutes.

Our ethos is simple. We’re lifelong skateboarders who through our passion for skateboarding have made it our mission to not only introduce as many people to skateboarding as possible, but them riding forward. Your goals might be different. Some of you will want to kickflip, some of you will want to drop in on a ramp, and some of you will just want to cruise around on a longboard.

Whatever your skateboarding goals may be, this article will teach you how to skateboard in your 30s.

Need help understanding our skateboarding terminology? We’ve put together the world’s largest glossary of skateboarding terminology.

We also invite you to subscribe to our YouTube Channel, where we provide detailed trick tips for beginners and skate vets alike.

Check out this video from our YouTube Channel of a 60 year old learning how to skate!

Advice for New Skaters Starting in their 30s

skater-ollie-older-skate-skateboarding-30s

First and foremost, congratulations! Committing to learning how to skate in your 30s is something to be celebrated. Plenty of people began skating in their 30s and have gone on to enjoy skateboarding just as much as the young skaters who started in their teens. In fact, we teach GOSKATE lessons to skaters in their 30s and encourage anyone to call or click today to book a one-on-one lesson to get you rolling in the right direction. But here’s some more practical information and advice for new skaters starting in their 30s.

Your First Skateboard is Very Important: Your first skateboard is honestly so important and for so many reasons. For one, big retailers like Big 5, Walmart and Target, sell cheap beginner beginner skateboards that leave you looking down at your feet like, what the heck is this? That’s because their boards are made from cheap materials, low quality wheels, trucks and bearings, making skating forward feel like a slug even when going downhill. Instead, you should head to your local skate shop and ask what the person behind the counter recommends based on your skateboarding goals.

If you are intimidated by your local skate shop, instead of giving into the giant that is Amazon, we invite you to check out our GOSKATE Beginner Skateboard Package, where we supply you a high quality complete skateboard, with the option for full protective gear as well. Which brings us to our next point. We also have a free online skateboard size calculator for you to gauge what size wheels, trucks, and skateboard deck you might want to pursue.

Wearing Protective Gear that Works for You: Listen, it is our goal at GOSKATE for skaters to be as safe as possible while riding a skateboard. That being said, when you’re in your 30s, you’re old enough to make decisions for your own safety. While we encourage every new skater to wear a helmet, as well as the protective gear of elbow pads, knee pads, and wrist guards, we know some adult skaters would rather not skate than show up to a skatepark wearing full pads. So we encourage you to wear the protective gear that works for you. Some of you will just wear a helmet, some of you will wear a mix, maybe wrist guards and a helmet, whatever the case may be. Wear whatever inspires you to skate and at the safest capacity possible. Oh yeah, and make sure you’re wearing the proper skate shoes.

The Ollie is Arguably the Hardest Trick to Learn: One thing we have come to find when teaching skate lessons to new skaters in their 30s, is how hard it is to learn how to ollie. They have this idea in their head that ollie can be learned in a day or two. While it’s true, some lucky new skaters will learn how to ollie in a few days, for most skaters it takes a very, very long time. Weeks, months, and even like the author of this article, a year. Even when you do learn how to ollie, you’ll spend your entire skate life improving it. So don’t get hung up on learning how to ollie. Don’t self reject or be down on yourself. You have plenty of time to learn and remember, keeping skateboarding fun will always help you progress, even when you can’t see the results right away. Skateboarding is a new skill and for the absolute beginner, it can take time to even learn how to ollie on flat ground, let alone land a frontside ollie.

Have Skate Goals: Skate goals are important for new skaters at all ages but we find it especially important for new skaters in their 30s. Why you might ask? Well, by your 30s, you probably have had a professional job or two that required similar thinking. Maybe you like to map out a to-do list or set yearly or five year plans and goals. Skateboarding is no different if you want to progress or achieve results. It’s also important for visualization, positive affirmations, and things of this nature that encourage you to conquer your fears or stay motivated to skate.

Fear is a Good Thing (to Conquer): When you’re a young kid, you are not as concerned with hurting yourself because let’s say you roll your ankle or hurt your wrist, you’re not going to miss work because of it. As an adult, you’ve maybe hurt yourself in the past as well, and you’re worried about your back before you try your first drop in. This is normal. However, don’t lose track of why you started skateboarding in the first place. The ability skateboarders harness to conquer fear is what has made us cultural leaders and pioneers in so many areas of life. Learning new skateboard tricks in the face of fear is going to conquer whatever mid life crisis you might be going through. The fear is never going to go away, you’re just going to get better at conquering it. Trust us, we’ve witnessed it for thousands of new skateboarders. It’s why we’re in this business.

Learn the Fundamentals of Skateboarding: Every skater has had to master the fundamentals of skateboarding–even Tony Hawk. But skateboarding for your first time can leave you wondering what fundamentals are going to actually help you progress and eventually learn skateboard tricks. One of the most important aspects of skateboarding fundamentals is where to place your feet. Your front foot should be just below the front bolts, with your back foot being on the tail of your skateboard. You also want to make sure you have the proper nose and tail orientation of your board–with the nose usually being the large of the two skateboard ends. You want to learn kick turns and commuting skateboarding first. Head to an empty parking lot or an open area like a high school or local skate park to get comfortable with these fundamentals. Remember, you can’t spell fundamentals without fun!

Consider Hiring a GOSKATE Instructor: As the number one skateboard instructor supplier in the world, GOSKATE has had the pleasure of teaching adults how to skateboard for years. We’ve made some terrific friendships that still last to this day, and most importantly, we’ve helped skaters in their 30s reach and exceed their skateboarding goals. Find out what GOSKATE instructors are local to your area and call or click today to GOSKATE!

Returning Tips below also apply for most new skateboarders learning how to skateboard in their 30s.

Tips for Returning Skaters in their 30s

skater-skatepark-learning-skate-ollie-transition-skate-park-skatepark

We know for most young people, they’ve gone through a skater period or two in their lives. You maybe were a member of your local middle school skate crew but went on to other things in high school. You maybe even learned how to ollie or do a boardslide but if you’re a returning skater in your 30s, you will come to find a lot has changed. Not only about yourself but about skateboarding as a whole.

Skateparks Have Evolved: If you’re a returning skateboarder, you’ve hopefully skated a skatepark or two in your day. That being said, skateparks have evolved tremendously over the last 10, even 5 years. Before, cities would do their best to employ a designer who was maybe, maybe, a skateboarder. But not, California Skateparks and other companies have two plus decades under their belts and construct world class skateparks all over the country. You can check our skatepark directory but one thing you should know is how skate plaza or street skating has become a focal point in design. Not every skatepark will have a transition section anymore or even beginner friendly areas. So you’ll have to be diligent in your skatepark search.

Tutorials are Your New Best Friend: You might be returning from an era before YouTube or bite size snackable content or maybe you’re a new skater in your 30s; either way, the same rule applies. YouTube and article tutorials are your new best friend when learning how to skateboard in your 30s. You can subscribe to GOSKATE on YouTube or check out some more of our trick tip articles to learn exactly what we mean.

Taking Extra Care of Your Body: Listen, we’re not as young as we used to be and you don’t need us to tell you that. But the simple truth of the matter is we’re not in high school anymore. Our bodies do not heal as fast or respond the same way to falling. You’re going to have to invest in taking care of your body. Whether that be stretching longer, eating healthier, or taking longer breaks between skate sessions, listen to what your body is telling you. But also know it’s okay if you’re injured or too tired to skate. Skating is about having fun and no one likes to get hurt.

Social Media is the New Skate Media: For better and for worse, social media has played a pivotal role in skate media. For an industry once dominated by VHS tapes and print skate magazines, is now an online viewing party of dot coms and follow backs. But that being said, more skateboarders than ever before are being seen by the skate world. People in China are sharing videos with people in Canada and so forth. New skaters, new brands, new spots, and new tricks. are being discovered every single day. So take the new skate media with a grain of salt and rest assured, the more people that skate, the better skateboarding will be in the future.

Your Favorite Brands Might Not Be Around Anymore: It’s a sad truth but many of the most popular brands are no longer in existence or have been bought by another company. That doesn’t mean amazing new brands don’t exist worthy of your patronage. Just maybe do some research before you go into a skateshop asking if the bone brigade is still around.

Zane Foley

Zane Foley has been writing professionally since 2014, since obtaining his BA in Philosophy from the California State University, Fullerton. Zane is an avid skateboarder and Los Angeles native. Follow him on Instagram for links to his other published works. @zaneyorkfly