Skate Old or Die!

Skate Old or Die!

Rick Sulz founded NYSkateboarding.com in 2009 at age 30 and has been skating New York City streets since age 16. He is on Twitter.

UPDATED MAY 15, 2012, 11:05 AM

The secret to lasting youth is never to stop making memories. And to make those memories, we have to keep enjoying the ride, whether it’s on a skateboard or doing something else that challenges us. Why should an activity like skateboarding be perceived as a pastime for kids when biking, running and surfing are all ageless?

Every minute spent skateboarding -- even if it includes a fall -- is one not wasted in front of a TV or dwelling on regrets.

Throughout the two decades that I’ve been skateboarding, every push, ollie, kickflip and twisted ankle has shaped my approach to the art form. Just as the wisdom that comes with age improves any athlete’s game, every year of persistence and hard work that a skateboarder invests in pays off in both skill on the board and in life experience.

Let’s not forget that skateboarding as a sport is relatively new, so today’s 45- or 50-year-olds were truly its pioneers. Many of the now-gray-haired pros of the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s still regularly outperform skateboarders half their age. (One example is professional skateboarder Lance Mountain, whom I looked up to as a kid in the ‘80s. He’s still releasing videos to this day that are better than ever -- a fact that makes me never want to complain that I’m “getting old.”)

But even amateurs have a place on the board, no matter their age. It’s part of us just as much as our jobs or our families or our possessions. For lifelong skateboarders, the feel of wood and wheels beneath our feet is a thread connecting our present reality to the kids we once were. Everything has changed, yet something inside survives.

And every minute spent rolling down New York’s streets -- even if it includes a fall -- is one not wasted in front of a television or dwelling on regrets.

The only thing that’s embarrassing about seeing a 45-year-old on a skateboard? The moment you realize he just landed a trick that you didn’t.

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fonte: The New York Times