Stoooke and some dumb questions

[Cuna]

Alright so this is sorta a question out to all you guys on the forum!

I love longboarding, this summer picked up a dropseed and the change of board re-ignited my stoke for the sport! I love bombing hills (Or whatever it's called when I try my best at it :p ) and just being on my board.
Lately with actually trying at school and shit to do on weekends I've had less and less time to get out my board and go for a sesh, it's not a great situation but you work with what you got right?

I'm still stoked on getting out and working on new stuff but with less time to do it I sorta feel like when I do finally get out it's sorta frustrating, cause without all the practice my skills (Or lack of them) seem to be moving backwards.
I'm sure this has happened to most of you so I'm wondering...

When you don't have time to ride as much but you still love it, it can be frustrating to not be at the level you once were. What do you guys do to keep up your stoke and to keep trying new things.

I find that cause I haven't had the time on my board that I like when I do go out I'm not as willing to fall on my ass as I used to be to learn.

If you've ever experienced something like this what do you guys do to push yourself to try new stuff and keep ripping?

Seems like a dumb question but really I'm just looking for something to keep my stoke up over the winter, it's getting cold out and I'm hoping for something to keep me pumped over the upcoming winter?

May not make much sense but I just got home... And it's late so I did my best! 

[James]

Watch some skate videos and observe how the pros do it. You should get an "Ah ha! So that's how you do it!" moment. Next thing you know, you'll be excited to go outside and try what you saw.

[Dictator Chicken]

Having just graduated post-secondary, I get you 100%.  It has taken me all summer to start scratching the heels of the guys I ride with.  Four years without much skating blows chunks.

My suggestion is to drop out of school, move to the base of a mountain, get yourself a job as a dishwasher, and live out your days ripping. You'll have way more fun doing that, haha, and probably be richer in the end.

[neosurf]

I keep at least one board on the floor of my kitchen at all times.   Makes the trip from the living room to fridge that much better, especially on those long snowy nights.   

[Swainer]

If I ever go through a funk of non-skating, I try and jump back into it by riding with ppl much better than me. It can help push you to achieve your previous skill MUCH faster. Also helps with confidence I find.

[Ponyta]

Speaking from experience, it can't be avoided. There will be times in your life when you will skate more, and then times when you will skate less and maybe... wait for it... maybe not at all! It might be very hard for you and most of the super-stoked people on this forum to believe, but many things can get in the way of skating, especially in your thrirties. If you look at the statistics on this board, people seem to longboard in their 20s, they slow down A LOT in their 30s (career, family and other obligations) and then they "re-discover" skateboarding and/or longboarding in their 40s.

Fact is, once you've felt yourself flying over pavement, the feeling NEVER goes away.

For years when I barely skated at all because I was too busy with playing/recording music while trying to keep food on the table, I still salivated when I saw patches of smooth pavement and I would make a mental note to come back one day with my skateboard. Your skill level will fluctuate up and down and this is normal. Mine has, too. But I always focus on how much my body actually remembers and that makes me happy.  

Besides, skating is a mindset. Although some people choose to clock their exact speeds - and I admire them GREATLY for constantly taking themselves to new levels - I have always skated for the shear joy of it, regardless of whether I was good or bad at it, knowing that I am often the worst skater on the block.

Don't put pressure on yourself... skating will always be there for you.

Love, Grandma

[dirtyd]

Once the snow hits the ground, move into the parking garages and skate all winter. If you prefer the speed on a longboard then find a garage with a spiral and try to master that for the winter. If you want to work on your balance, then pick up a Dancer and just rock out on one level of any parking garage. Or you could get crazy and dance from the top to the bottom, but that's just crazy.

[p-sto]

Definitely feel what you're saying, barely been on my board at all this year.  Still feel that I very much love riding and want to get back to it when I can.  But it's like this in all things life.  Emily's boarder yoga thread seems to have gotten into my head but I feel my yoga experience seems somewhat relevant.

I've practiced yoga on and off for more than five years now.  There have been periods where I've done it every day and times where I've dropped it for months.  Every time I come back it's hard but I very quickly remember why I loved it.  At times like this I recall what's said so frequently in yoga, "every time you come to your mat you come as a new person."  It's not about trying to repeat the performance you had a week ago or six months ago.  It's about listening to yourself and being within the limits of where you are right now.  Some times you'll be way behind where you once were other times you'll be pushing new limits.

If you really love what you're doing it really won't matter at what level you're doing it, you'll be happy just to be out there doing it in some way.

[Tyrie564]

Love, Grandma

You act too youthful to be even considered in the same age group of grandmother's ponyta!

I have spent the last year traveling and following winter which didn't give me much opportunity to skate. When I did finally come back to toronto in may and again in august I had a total of 14 skate days in 2009. Not much when you think about it. In those 14 days I learned Toeside and heelside pendy's, speed checks, stand-ups ans some shovits. I couldn't have done it with out a few select people, but the passion comes from within. Whenever you jump on a skateboard attack each skill relentlessly until successful.

When you have such little time to skate, you have to make each minute mean so much more.   

[dirtyd]

Love, Grandma

You act too youthful to be even considered in the same age group of grandmother's ponyta!

I have spent the last year traveling and following winter which didn't give me much opportunity to skate. When I did finally come back to toronto in may and again in august I had a total of 14 skate days in 2009. Not much when you think about it. In those 14 days I learned Toeside and heelside pendy's, speed checks, stand-ups ans some shovits. I couldn't have done it with out a few select people, but the passion comes from within. Whenever you jump on a skateboard attack each skill relentlessly until successful.

When you have such little time to skate, you have to make each minute mean so much more.   

Thats pretty impresive that you leaned all that in just 2 weeks.

[Dictator Chicken]

You could learn it all in a day, but that's a SOLID day, 12 hours of skating.  Just takes a lot of work on the riders part, but yea, 2 weeks is awesome for learning all of that.

[dirtyd]

shit load of bruises and scrapes no doubt.

[Cuna]

Thanks guys! All the comments are appreciated, hopefully I get out before snow really hits! 

[Hadis]

Love, Grandma

You act too youthful to be even considered in the same age group of grandmother's ponyta!

I have spent the last year traveling and following winter which didn't give me much opportunity to skate. When I did finally come back to toronto in may and again in august I had a total of 14 skate days in 2009. Not much when you think about it. In those 14 days I learned Toeside and heelside pendy's, speed checks, stand-ups ans some shovits. I couldn't have done it with out a few select people, but the passion comes from within. Whenever you jump on a skateboard attack each skill relentlessly until successful.

When you have such little time to skate, you have to make each minute mean so much more.   

Holy Fuck, I'm slacking 

awsome progress in two weeks man