Real skaters get stoked on seeing other skaters progress regardless of their level, we were all there at one time. There will always be better skaters then you and there will always be worse skaters than you! Learning to skate is a personal journey but one that can be greatly rewarded by sharing it with and getting support from others. Thanks for what you do.
Cheers man - thankfully i'm not blind to the strength of the community, but have found it a bit scary (mostly bringing youtube baggage with me) from time to time. guys at this park know me better now, so i felt comfortable getting the camera out.
Thoughtful and honest as usual, great video. I can totally empathise with the feeling of insecurity (I’m on the same journey as you learning to skate at 40). Don’t stop, don’t give up, you’re an inspiration :) Ps: great community in the Deptford skatepark, I was local too! Orange sweater at 4:20 is Rick, he was my teacher, reaaaaally nice guy - don’t feel intimidated and say hi next time 😊
I find your videos so inspiring. Your point of view and your feelings are so organic, i find myself always relating to your progress. We've all been in those spots with learning tricks and perfecting the ones we can do. Keep it up i always come away with ideas on aspects i need to work on with my own skating from your videos 👍
Love the new editing. It wasn't in-ya-face-trying-too-hard. It was nice, subtle, added to the video and just gave the whole thing a nicer feel. I'm absolutely with you on the embarrassment part. It's a really hard thing to overcome and though we care less about what people think in many aspects of life as we get older... in other areas we get even more self-conscious. Power through though, my friend.
new camera? image looks awesome! also, I feel like right when I began skating, I felt the need to progress as fast as I could, until a friend I made at the skatepark said to me: "you're trying to run before you can walk, it should be the other way around" - it kinda hurt at the moment, but that stayed with me. and now I'm able to get genuine joy out of going back to basics as much as I can. nothing beats solid fundamentals. great video again, thank you keeping them coming!
not new but just wanted to put a bit more effort in. it's humbling, but true... and also we don't NEED to be getting insanely good. thanks for the support as always!
What a lovely video. The narrative was very relatable. I really got a sense of a chilled session where at the beginning it’s noisy and a bit hectic, not sure where or how to get stuck in. And then gradually getting warmed up and getting in a flow and gradually moving in to sessioning something. Suddenly you’re alone trying something, unaware of your surroundings, the music fades in at 4:50 which emphasises that sensation. Very effective editing with some nice alternative photography. Your Ollie in fact does looks a lot better. The timing is a lot better, rising and popping, whereas before you were kind of standing up, pausing for a split second and then popping. And fakie shuvit looks easy for you which is great, considering only a few months ago how scary they were to you. Amazing progress.
I also get intimidated when there are people around at the skatepark and usually when it happens I retreat to my corner to work on those primo tricks, static manuals and ollies 😂 I just came back home from my first session of 2025, keep up the good work, you are a source of inspiration! Have a nice day/year!
Totally get it. I haven't skated properly for a few years now, and it's daunting to get into. I get shy in front of good skaters, but truthfully, the community is so supportive. Society could really learn a lesson from the togetherness skaters have
@ I remember learning it. Looking forward to seeing you learn it. Your video here actually reminds me of when I see a trick or watch a tutorial and I envisage myself doing it so effortlessly at the park whilst breaking the sound barrier. Then I try it and it’s seems physically impossible…that is skateboarding in a nutshell.
props for getting out and filming when the park was busy like it was. I'm like you don't like filming when its busy and I just can't ever get going. If it gets busy after I have warmed up I'm fine but if it busy at the start I struggle.
this exactly. if i can't get warm then great, but if it's busy and i'm still scuffing ollies and haven't hit a transition yet i completely withdraw. this was the first time i really openly got the camera out too with these folks around. kids were a bit snooty about it but the adults all kind of know what i do now.
Nice one! Those Ollie’s defo getting higher and man the reverts - love that noise the wheels make. Also liking the angle changes when talking - the camera in the car boot was a touch 🤌🏻
Absolutely loved the vibe of this. Plus, good to see an all-skater park, especially with the youngsters! The reverts are of course much more doable on park-like surface like this - until now I mainly tried them on generic asphalt, which isn't really for that.
This is awesome dude. I just posted a video of my last year of skating (I’m 36). I spent a long time being so nervous about filming myself since I’m not super good. One day I was at the park and had my GoPro setup, and tried to manual across a box with a big drop at the end. When I landed it a bunch of twenty year olds started hyping me up and I never felt nervous again. That’s why I love skating. Everyone is just so pumped for each other. Cheers bud
haha. well that's fair, i haven't played much on that one. i tried a lot in summer (couple of intense videos on that) but has been a while. I'll be at this park a lot more, so it'll happen.
@Ungracefulmovement I've made myself a curb spot near my house, sadly, UK curbs aren't as smooth as the US ones we constantly see on vids. Need a skatepark one like you've got there
Mate the quality of your videos is truly outstanding. I don't know if you got a new camera for Xmas, or if it's because it's the first time I have watched on my TV rather than my phone 😂
It's a Sony A7C. I used to film most of my vids with it, but relied on the GoPro recently for "throw in the bag convenience" 4K though as always, so hopefully looks crisp.
@@Ungracefulmovement yeah it made a massive difference, it's the close up shots and the focal length and all that. That's why I use my Sony RX100 now but the autofocus is a bit laggy and it struggles with lighting at the indoors. I like to think mine will look just as good when outside 😂 obviously your editing and eye for angles helps a lot too. Great work dude
@@DadLeisureSkateboarding getting a new mic for the Sony was a game changer. Check your setting re auto-focus, you might have something that changes for quicker re-focusing.
Nice, i got into working on fs/bs powerslides too together with bs 180. You're doing transition a way better now, i can see you hitting coping e.t.c well done. Nice video! Merry Christmas 🎁 as for me its today!!!
Hey man… I know how you feel about turning up at a skatepark to film. I have an a7IV but lately I’ve been using my Iphone with a cage and a VND which has made my set up a lot lighter and a lot less intimidating too. Skateboarding is the best thing ever but we also know how difficult it is. So regardless of your level, it’s normal to feel discouraged sometimes. You’re doing great man! I’m skating in London fairly so who knows we might bump into each other. ✨👊🏼✨
Hey man think you’re ready to start trying to ollie up a small curb or similar. It’ll force you to start popping a bit harder/quicker & lifting your knees up more. Hippy jumps are great to train this too & can easily be incorporated into your session.
Bro add a small pop to your backside revert your got the backside Ollie 👊 don't worry whos at the park we all started somewhere dude your progressing dude 💪
Doesn’t matter what video you make mate, they’re always easy to watch. Even with the cheesy intro and outro 😂 skating wise… go watch one of your first ever vids in comparison to how you skate now! Looking smooth on the mini mate
Liking the half cab boots, never tried them but keen on getting a pair. Can’t seem to ever leave more than 1 comment per post as it disappears. Keep me posted on your trip to Somerset in March as I’ll shoot up the M5 to meet for a chill sesh, put a UM sticker aside please 🙏🏻recon I’ll be out of action for at least 1 more week 🤞🏻
Nice, Yeah that’s why I never really got into the Tony hawk games back in the day, I’d always rather be out doing the real thing. I heard the EA Skate games were pretty good though.
THPS was definitely part of my youth, but mostly i play a game called Session Skate Sim which does a better job of replicating the experience of skating - and in fairness was part motivation to get me on the board.
Nothing is more intimidating than showing up to a skatepark, a middle aged beginner, and having a group of seasoned, advanced skaters shredding. I know because that was me this past September. After hitting the park 2-3 times a week this fall after dropping kids off at school, and practicing what I can put front of the house, I was more than comfortable skating a beautiful New Year’s Eve day here in New England with a group of guys much younger and better than I. It’s all a learning game. Keep at it!
true true, we've all been there. one thing that annoys me about myself is defaulting to my comfort zone around better skaters, instead of continuing to try the new thing i'm learning.
Still don't see you trying the manuals, really beginner friendly, and everyone loves a good manny, gets you warm too... hit the curb fakie do your shuvit out,, keep positive and jus worry about yourself don't care wot other peeps think..... stay loose bud
Stick with it, winter is something just to get through when you're a skater! Brighter days are coming and everything is easier to learn when the sun is out
One thing I noticed with yer ollies - your legs are bent thru the whole thing - when you pop, as you jump your legs will straighten as your body moves upwards and then they will bend again as you suck them back up into your body at 'peak ollie' - not sure if that made sense!? EDIT: Just seen your text at 8:38 - exactly that!
oh yeah - it's one thing no one ever commented on - that I jump too soon (?) - until my mate nathan took one look and said it. popping feels way less effort like that.
"I get intimidated so I don't want to try anything, I don't know what that is?". A basic human need is to be accepted and be a part of the community, you're intimidated because you want them to accept you and you fear they won't accept you unless you're at a certain standard. You're forgetting there's lots of reasons they might accept you as part of the tribe, maybe you're a nice guy, maybe you bring good energy, maybe you make good fairy cakes... or maybe you're a guy trying to put a positive spotlight on learning to skate through a series of RUclips videos? Remember that these people are skating at your age may have done so for a long time, they aren't stil doing it because their accountant friends who go to the wine bar think it's cool, they do it for the genuine love of skateboarding and that's where you and they bond. FWIW I came back to aggressive rollerblading at 47 a couple of years ago and went through the same intimidation. Nothing I knew from my 20s was still there and it was a slow progress (still is). But the community accepted me because I showed up to the organized skates, I built skate obstacles, I helped people with their tricks, I entered the beginner competition and put together the worst competition run ever seen but still went for it. This summer I co-organized a skate festival that brought 1000 skaters together. This Summer I'm moving back to the UK from Seattle and I'm leaving behind many of the new friends I've made. Lots of people have said they're sad to see me go and it was only 18 months ago I was stood atop a quarterpipe, looking down hoping I could still do it in front of these people I now call friends. In summary, show up as you and let them judge you on who you are, not what you can do on a board. From your RUclips videos you seem lovely.
Real skaters get stoked on seeing other skaters progress regardless of their level, we were all there at one time. There will always be better skaters then you and there will always be worse skaters than you! Learning to skate is a personal journey but one that can be greatly rewarded by sharing it with and getting support from others. Thanks for what you do.
Cheers man - thankfully i'm not blind to the strength of the community, but have found it a bit scary (mostly bringing youtube baggage with me) from time to time. guys at this park know me better now, so i felt comfortable getting the camera out.
Thoughtful and honest as usual, great video. I can totally empathise with the feeling of insecurity (I’m on the same journey as you learning to skate at 40). Don’t stop, don’t give up, you’re an inspiration :)
Ps: great community in the Deptford skatepark, I was local too! Orange sweater at 4:20 is Rick, he was my teacher, reaaaaally nice guy - don’t feel intimidated and say hi next time 😊
oh yeah i know Rick - he's the main guy that has been really welcoming. all the adults have been pretty good tbf, which reminds me it's all in my head
I find your videos so inspiring. Your point of view and your feelings are so organic, i find myself always relating to your progress. We've all been in those spots with learning tricks and perfecting the ones we can do. Keep it up i always come away with ideas on aspects i need to work on with my own skating from your videos 👍
thanks man. i appreciate people watching, and if you getting some motivation from it, that's awesome!
Love the new editing. It wasn't in-ya-face-trying-too-hard. It was nice, subtle, added to the video and just gave the whole thing a nicer feel. I'm absolutely with you on the embarrassment part. It's a really hard thing to overcome and though we care less about what people think in many aspects of life as we get older... in other areas we get even more self-conscious. Power through though, my friend.
Cheers Ben.
Same. Awkward at times. Oh well, give it 2 yrs.🤘
Good things come to those who wait - I think.
new camera? image looks awesome!
also, I feel like right when I began skating, I felt the need to progress as fast as I could, until a friend I made at the skatepark said to me: "you're trying to run before you can walk, it should be the other way around" - it kinda hurt at the moment, but that stayed with me.
and now I'm able to get genuine joy out of going back to basics as much as I can. nothing beats solid fundamentals.
great video again, thank you keeping them coming!
not new but just wanted to put a bit more effort in. it's humbling, but true... and also we don't NEED to be getting insanely good. thanks for the support as always!
What a lovely video. The narrative was very relatable. I really got a sense of a chilled session where at the beginning it’s noisy and a bit hectic, not sure where or how to get stuck in. And then gradually getting warmed up and getting in a flow and gradually moving in to sessioning something. Suddenly you’re alone trying something, unaware of your surroundings, the music fades in at 4:50 which emphasises that sensation. Very effective editing with some nice alternative photography.
Your Ollie in fact does looks a lot better. The timing is a lot better, rising and popping, whereas before you were kind of standing up, pausing for a split second and then popping. And fakie shuvit looks easy for you which is great, considering only a few months ago how scary they were to you. Amazing progress.
means a lot coming from you. thanks.
I also get intimidated when there are people around at the skatepark and usually when it happens I retreat to my corner to work on those primo tricks, static manuals and ollies 😂
I just came back home from my first session of 2025, keep up the good work, you are a source of inspiration!
Have a nice day/year!
just have to remember it's all in our heads. but also to know where to be for those static practices. Thanks for the support!!
Wise words throughout mate, new shoes look sick. Noseslide Fakie Shuv at the end was awesome to see mate. Fakie Shuv on lock.
cheers Kieran. i'll take nose stall / fakie shuv for now, but noseslide soon :)
Totally get it. I haven't skated properly for a few years now, and it's daunting to get into. I get shy in front of good skaters, but truthfully, the community is so supportive. Society could really learn a lesson from the togetherness skaters have
Love the content BTW. You're helping create the spark I need to get back onto the board
i was just thinking about this - the culture (generally) is so positive.
thanks man. glad it's helping
I’ve watched a few of your videos and I enjoy the vibe. On the mini ramp, tail stall is right there if you really want it!
much appreciated. i definitely think i'm padding up soon to tackle the tail stall properly.
@ I remember learning it. Looking forward to seeing you learn it. Your video here actually reminds me of when I see a trick or watch a tutorial and I envisage myself doing it so effortlessly at the park whilst breaking the sound barrier. Then I try it and it’s seems physically impossible…that is skateboarding in a nutshell.
props for getting out and filming when the park was busy like it was. I'm like you don't like filming when its busy and I just can't ever get going. If it gets busy after I have warmed up I'm fine but if it busy at the start I struggle.
this exactly. if i can't get warm then great, but if it's busy and i'm still scuffing ollies and haven't hit a transition yet i completely withdraw. this was the first time i really openly got the camera out too with these folks around. kids were a bit snooty about it but the adults all kind of know what i do now.
Great video man, looks like much more speed going into the reverts and ollies much higher! 🔥
feeling a bit more confident, and having a purple patch on ollies (not trying to ollie high, is somehow making them higher)
Nice one! Those Ollie’s defo getting higher and man the reverts - love that noise the wheels make.
Also liking the angle changes when talking - the camera in the car boot was a touch 🤌🏻
thanks Rich. recently found a groove on ollies and hoping it sticks.
Absolutely loved the vibe of this. Plus, good to see an all-skater park, especially with the youngsters! The reverts are of course much more doable on park-like surface like this - until now I mainly tried them on generic asphalt, which isn't really for that.
thanks dude. not all concrete is the same though, this part is quite sticky.
Great stuff and Happy New Year!
Happy new year dude.
YES RICH KEEP THE CONTENT COMING MATE! 1.7k subs now!
getting there innit! cheers man
This is awesome dude. I just posted a video of my last year of skating (I’m 36). I spent a long time being so nervous about filming myself since I’m not super good. One day I was at the park and had my GoPro setup, and tried to manual across a box with a big drop at the end. When I landed it a bunch of twenty year olds started hyping me up and I never felt nervous again. That’s why I love skating. Everyone is just so pumped for each other. Cheers bud
shoutout those skaters that gave you the confidence!! i'll check your new vid.
Looking good chap! ❤
ta very much.
The new shoes look so good! Great choice 👌
yeah i'm half cabs all the way for the time being
I do believe we need a good few weeks worth of learning to slappy videos since you have that sweet little curb 😎
haha. well that's fair, i haven't played much on that one. i tried a lot in summer (couple of intense videos on that) but has been a while. I'll be at this park a lot more, so it'll happen.
@Ungracefulmovement I've made myself a curb spot near my house, sadly, UK curbs aren't as smooth as the US ones we constantly see on vids. Need a skatepark one like you've got there
@@noelruthven that's commendable! i'd like to make my on private one
love the content
gracias!
Looking good for the NY man!
Reverts 👌, Shuvits 👌, Ollie’s 👌, Nose stalls 👌
You know it!
mate try those reverts over a hip or something. It looks great and will feel better when you can do them both ways going over a hip.
oh yes! scary but needed.
Mate the quality of your videos is truly outstanding. I don't know if you got a new camera for Xmas, or if it's because it's the first time I have watched on my TV rather than my phone 😂
It's a Sony A7C. I used to film most of my vids with it, but relied on the GoPro recently for "throw in the bag convenience" 4K though as always, so hopefully looks crisp.
@@Ungracefulmovement yeah it made a massive difference, it's the close up shots and the focal length and all that. That's why I use my Sony RX100 now but the autofocus is a bit laggy and it struggles with lighting at the indoors. I like to think mine will look just as good when outside 😂 obviously your editing and eye for angles helps a lot too. Great work dude
@@DadLeisureSkateboarding getting a new mic for the Sony was a game changer. Check your setting re auto-focus, you might have something that changes for quicker re-focusing.
Nice, i got into working on fs/bs powerslides too together with bs 180.
You're doing transition a way better now, i can see you hitting coping e.t.c well done.
Nice video!
Merry Christmas 🎁 as for me its today!!!
Cheers dude. i've been doing those reverts for a while now, the fs ones feel so comfy. Merry Christmas ;)
@Ungracefulmovement nice, yeah i got into doing reverts too to help me with powerslides and 180s ... ;)
Hey man… I know how you feel about turning up at a skatepark to film. I have an a7IV but lately I’ve been using my Iphone with a cage and a VND which has made my set up a lot lighter and a lot less intimidating too.
Skateboarding is the best thing ever but we also know how difficult it is. So regardless of your level, it’s normal to feel discouraged sometimes.
You’re doing great man!
I’m skating in London fairly so who knows we might bump into each other.
✨👊🏼✨
yeah the 'big camera' is definitely a challenge hence i shot the last 6 months on gopro. i'm gonna check out your vids!
Hey man think you’re ready to start trying to ollie up a small curb or similar. It’ll force you to start popping a bit harder/quicker & lifting your knees up more. Hippy jumps are great to train this too & can easily be incorporated into your session.
has to be done i know - absolutely no confidence for it.
You’re definitely ready & the dopamine rush of that 1st ollie up worth a 100 falls trust!
@@hardgrafter2787 can't just cut straight to the dopamine rush?
Bro add a small pop to your backside revert your got the backside Ollie 👊 don't worry whos at the park we all started somewhere dude your progressing dude 💪
okay that's a thing for 2025 - bs ollies
Doesn’t matter what video you make mate, they’re always easy to watch. Even with the cheesy intro and outro 😂
skating wise… go watch one of your first ever vids in comparison to how you skate now! Looking smooth on the mini mate
keeping me honest!
@ love ya 👊
Liking the half cab boots, never tried them but keen on getting a pair. Can’t seem to ever leave more than 1 comment per post as it disappears.
Keep me posted on your trip to Somerset in March as I’ll shoot up the M5 to meet for a chill sesh, put a UM sticker aside please 🙏🏻recon I’ll be out of action for at least 1 more week 🤞🏻
Is there any way I can DM you? Instagram?
Love the skating what sk8 park is this
Folkestone Gardens, Deptford
Nice, Yeah that’s why I never really got into the Tony hawk games back in the day, I’d always rather be out doing the real thing. I heard the EA Skate games were pretty good though.
THPS was definitely part of my youth, but mostly i play a game called Session Skate Sim which does a better job of replicating the experience of skating - and in fairness was part motivation to get me on the board.
What skateboarding game wer you playing?!?
I might have to try the Vans half cabs some day, i been loving the high top Lizzie Vans myself.
Session Skate Sim - i just spend hours trying to get lines together
I HAVE THE SAME FEAR PAL
all the fears. it's unreal
Nice vid mate, what is this skatepark?
It's in Deptford, South East London
Hey mate, what program do you use to edit your videos? It’s really well done.
i have access to premiere pro, otherwise davinci does the same job. and cheers, much appreciated!
Where is this park?
It's in Deptford, South East London
Jazz
great
(that's supposed to be a fast show reference, in case it just sounds like i'm being rude)
@@Ungracefulmovement Noice
More steez needed on those reverts bro 🤙
noted. and i think applies to all my tricks.
@@Ungracefulmovement haha true for everyone man. Reckon it's probably the no1 rule of skating 🤣
Nothing is more intimidating than showing up to a skatepark, a middle aged beginner, and having a group of seasoned, advanced skaters shredding. I know because that was me this past September. After hitting the park 2-3 times a week this fall after dropping kids off at school, and practicing what I can put front of the house, I was more than comfortable skating a beautiful New Year’s Eve day here in New England with a group of guys much younger and better than I.
It’s all a learning game. Keep at it!
true true, we've all been there. one thing that annoys me about myself is defaulting to my comfort zone around better skaters, instead of continuing to try the new thing i'm learning.
Still don't see you trying the manuals, really beginner friendly, and everyone loves a good manny, gets you warm too... hit the curb fakie do your shuvit out,, keep positive and jus worry about yourself don't care wot other peeps think..... stay loose bud
these damned manuals! i know they are a cumulative trick but because there's no instant satisfaction i've not put the effort in. 2025.
@Ungracefulmovement jus gotta set a distance and keep making the distance bigger, car park lines are good..
Stick with it, winter is something just to get through when you're a skater! Brighter days are coming and everything is easier to learn when the sun is out
One thing I noticed with yer ollies - your legs are bent thru the whole thing - when you pop, as you jump your legs will straighten as your body moves upwards and then they will bend again as you suck them back up into your body at 'peak ollie' - not sure if that made sense!? EDIT: Just seen your text at 8:38 - exactly that!
oh yeah - it's one thing no one ever commented on - that I jump too soon (?) - until my mate nathan took one look and said it. popping feels way less effort like that.
"I get intimidated so I don't want to try anything, I don't know what that is?". A basic human need is to be accepted and be a part of the community, you're intimidated because you want them to accept you and you fear they won't accept you unless you're at a certain standard. You're forgetting there's lots of reasons they might accept you as part of the tribe, maybe you're a nice guy, maybe you bring good energy, maybe you make good fairy cakes... or maybe you're a guy trying to put a positive spotlight on learning to skate through a series of RUclips videos? Remember that these people are skating at your age may have done so for a long time, they aren't stil doing it because their accountant friends who go to the wine bar think it's cool, they do it for the genuine love of skateboarding and that's where you and they bond. FWIW I came back to aggressive rollerblading at 47 a couple of years ago and went through the same intimidation. Nothing I knew from my 20s was still there and it was a slow progress (still is). But the community accepted me because I showed up to the organized skates, I built skate obstacles, I helped people with their tricks, I entered the beginner competition and put together the worst competition run ever seen but still went for it. This summer I co-organized a skate festival that brought 1000 skaters together. This Summer I'm moving back to the UK from Seattle and I'm leaving behind many of the new friends I've made. Lots of people have said they're sad to see me go and it was only 18 months ago I was stood atop a quarterpipe, looking down hoping I could still do it in front of these people I now call friends. In summary, show up as you and let them judge you on who you are, not what you can do on a board. From your RUclips videos you seem lovely.
Oh, and ask for help. Most people love helping others and sharing their craft.
I am lovely :) thank's for this. all resonates.
@@Ungracefulmovement If you ever want to dive deeper into the topic, happy to get on the blower to chat about it.