Nike had the right idea all along, "Just do it." This applies to practically anything, and it's no different for Skateboarding.

Injuries come with the sport. If you look up "Skateboarding injuries" on youtube, I guarentee that you'll find plenty of videos of skaters messing up their bodies in plenty of different ways, going down stairsets, rails, off of ramps, or even just an unlucky fall. It's because of this people are scared to try something new, or big. It's fear of the unknown, that you may hurt yourself in some fashion. It's perfectly natural all skaters do it. The only trick to overcoming it is simply,

confidence.

If you go at an obstacle with confidence you're going to injure yourself a lot less than if you try it and give up halfway through the air. But of course, saying you need to be confident in order to do something new or big is all nice and good, but it's easier said than done. I know the first time I looked down a 12 foot drop in, I was scared ****less. My knees were wobbling, I had a lump in my throat, and I probably had goosebumps. But I managed to drop in just fine anyways.

Plenty of people have different ways of instilling confidence in themselves, and that's what this article's all about. Whenever I'm about to try something new or big, I just tell myself one thing.

Even if I fall, I know I'm just gonna be up and skating again in 5 minutes.

That's all it takes for me. And I know it's comlpetely true. Even if I smack into the ground at the bottom of a 10 stair, I know I'm just going to be up and trying again practically instantaneously, or if I really took a hit, I might sit down for a couple minutes. But the fact is I'm gonna be up and trying again before you know it.


Hugo Balek is one of those naturally talented kids who can learn a trick and be doing it better than you in minutes. It can be frustrating yet so fun to watch. He really can skate anything he wants to, and if he's not feeing it or is having any doubts about trying something, he simply flips a coin-the reuslt tells gim whether he should go for it or not. I've seen him do it a couple of times, and it's funny because when he wins his coin toss, he instantly loses any doubts or fear he had and attacks the obstacle with confidence.

I kinda laughed when I read that, but whatever works for you.

So be innovative, hopefully this has inspired anyone who might have been holding out on trying anything. Just remember, even if it hurts, you'll be fine 5 minutes later. Go out and skate already!

Wise words. Thanks :D

What are you, the life coach of skating? Just kidding, it's good that your giving advice like this. I'm sure a lot of us need it. Including me. ::tongue:

It was that random person, whatshisname, he's 13, had a volcom symbol for his avatar I think, not Sheckler_Kid.

Point is, made me want to write it :p

being confident works for me when i'm trying to learn a new trick or something so i guess you're right. :P

that's basically the main rule of life, just don't be overconfident lol

Thats a good quote you found there. I might try that coin thing next time i doubt myself. Could be a psycological thing that you lose all fear after flipping a coin or something.

Thats a good quote you found there. I might try that coin thing next time i doubt myself. Could be a psycological thing that you lose all fear after flipping a coin or something.

Lol, no, the guy is just crazy :) And I read it in the latest issue of SBC Skateboard.

...................


That 12 stair is going DOWN!!!!!

lol, that influenced me so much. :D

Kind of makes me just wanna go out and fall a little.

That shouldn't be too hard, I'll just go skate.

I would skate if the wind wasn't like a tornado out.

I need a lot of concentration to commit. But once I land whatever It's so easy. I was doing this 5 stair which is pretty high with NO speed. Tried I don't know how many times but once I got it. It's smooth sailling from there:)

huh? i dont get it

That always worked for me.


Until i snapped my wrist in half =[

confidence works well with me aswell

Just doing it works, but still theres always that fear.
Theres a hand rail at my park, funbox with a rail on it to flat.
There is no way in hell to rack on it, but I'm still afraid of it :/.
Going to try it Tuesday probley though.

yeah, thanks for the post man.

thanks for the advice man

that helps a lot, thanks man.

the thing that makes me less confident and stops me trying things is if i break a bone, ive seen it happen to skaters on youtube like you said, so i always think im gonna break my ankle or smomething.

Nice, that was very motivational...Thanks :0) I'm the type of person who laughs right after falling. Even if it hurts, my first thought is "I bet it looked really funny from someone else's viewpoint"...lol :0)

That actually helped me. I was doing ollies over this rock and fell. I thought that i wouldn't wanna skate again but your post actually helped me. Thanks man :)

That was very well written, I do the same thing in skateboarding, but also in skiing, where the falls are much bigger (try falling 20+ ft to flat ice)

Those are some words of wisdom.

That was very well written, I do the same thing in skateboarding, but also in skiing, where the falls are much bigger (try falling 20+ ft to flat ice)

Heh, true enough, but skiing bails at least have a cushion of snow most of the time, and you land on a slant, which takes away a lot of the impact. Falling down a ten set to flat concrete hurts more than falling 30 feet onto a snowy bank. Especially since in skiing, you generally have a full body cover, which helps with not getting scrapes, and does help soften the impact a little. Nonetheless, I (used to) snowboard, and snowskate, and I know where you're coming from, haha. Everything is bigger, but that's because the falls hurt less. You can't deny it.

Anyways, not to sound like a whiner or anything, but any chance this could get stickied? :) I've received a lot of positive comments (and rep) over it, and I figure it's the kind of thing that should be stickied. Yeah, yeah?

some good stuff man!I think I might finally go man up to the local six stair!

Confidence is extremely hard for me to gain... Whenever I try, I always end up thinking of a previously (agonizing) injury, or I panic when I'm about to land.

Thanks, very inspirtational that just made me want to go for that 5 stair 100% more.

Heres another one.... you only live once go for that S***

wow...those are like words of wisdom haha

*try's to find a coin to take everywhere with me*

Nice, that was very motivational...Thanks :0) I'm the type of person who laughs right after falling. Even if it hurts, my first thought is "I bet it looked really funny from someone else's viewpoint"...lol :0)

HEY, I'M EXACT SAME WAY!! I've fallen enough times to the point where falling ain't the issue... its the EXECUTION!!

When I've fallen, I'm usually thinking "What the hells he laught about, hes just fallen!!"

i think too many people think this for example a kid land a tre flip and he say awesome and keep only with that tricks and dont try new things

Yah i can relate. The other day i was trying to heelflip this curb and the first few times i landed and fell to the side or i barley got my feet on. But my confidence in me landing that heelflip made me keep skating till i did.

Nice words

Sticky?

Sticky?

That's what I said.

Let's start a petition. :P

Good.

I'll stick it, as others may find it helpful :)

Nike had the right idea all along, "Just do it." This applies to practically anything, and it's no different for Skateboarding.

Injuries come with the sport. If you look up "Skateboarding injuries" on youtube, I guarentee that you'll find plenty of videos of skaters messing up their bodies in plenty of different ways, going down stairsets, rails, off of ramps, or even just an unlucky fall. It's because of this people are scared to try something new, or big. It's fear of the unknown, that you may hurt yourself in some fashion. It's perfectly natural all skaters do it. The only trick to overcoming it is simply,

confidence.

If you go at an obstacle with confidence you're going to injure yourself a lot less than if you try it and give up halfway through the air. But of course, saying you need to be confident in order to do something new or big is all nice and good, but it's easier said than done. I know the first time I looked down a 12 foot drop in, I was scared ****less. My knees were wobbling, I had a lump in my throat, and I probably had goosebumps. But I managed to drop in just fine anyways.

Plenty of people have different ways of instilling confidence in themselves, and that's what this article's all about. Whenever I'm about to try something new or big, I just tell myself one thing.

**Even if I fall, I know I'm just gonna be up and skating again in 5 minutes.**

That's all it takes for me. And I know it's comlpetely true. Even if I smack into the ground at the bottom of a 10 stair, I know I'm just going to be up and trying again practically instantaneously, or if I really took a hit, I might sit down for a couple minutes. But the fact is I'm gonna be up and trying again before you know it.



I kinda laughed when I read that, but whatever works for you.

So be innovative, hopefully this has inspired anyone who might have been holding out on trying anything. Just remember, even if it hurts, you'll be fine 5 minutes later. Go out and skate already!

Weird but i figured this out around 10 minites before reading this :D

I always find myself ten times closer to landing a trick by just saying "do it", or "**** it", and really sticking with it. That's how I landed my first four stair. I had never ollied off anything, even a curb, and I was decent at ollieing over stuff. We headed to the four stair. I landed it third try thanks to this method.

Cheers dudes!

i must say, those were some inspiring words.

When I was about to try the six stair in "The Hague pwnage" I first thought "Will it actually hurt if I don't make it?" So I just went reaaaaal slow and ollied onto the stair and I fell real hard xD But I stood up and was like "I'm still alive" and I immediately did it next try =D So maybe it's not so bad to fall first.

that was inspyering

every time i fall trying a trick, i feel like i am just a little bit closer to landing it
thanks for the words of wisdom

Be sure to wear some protective gear if your experimenting with something new. Because confidence is pretty hard to come by after you've knocked all your teeth out. Or broken your legs, or lost a teste. So be sure to protect yourself, not after your experienced with a trick, but when doing a trick for the first time.

i really needed that thanks alot dude :icon_bigg

aw man i needed that. i get scared of hurting myself and that's why im hesitant a lot of times. this really helps. thanks for the wise wrods;)

when i fall i get up.. sort of a pride thing..

if i can get up, even if it hurts like hell.. and get somewhere where i can sit down i can be happy that i put myself through that and managed to come out in the end

if i stay on the floor, whimpering, i tend to feel like a pussy.. when i broke my ankle i hopped to the nearby wall so i was sat there, rather than lain on the floor..

I use pride to help me get up.

that one kids going two face on us... lol

but ya awesome "guide"/advice. ill probably end up trying that coin thing or something similar it just sounds cool. Mind over matter is what ive always been told

just curious what happened to jhh?