The Holistic Benefits of Skateboarding: How it Nurtures Mental, Physical and Creative Wellness

Growing up in a conservative household from a foreign culture, expressing my feelings through any means was never encouraged, and it simply wasn't part of our culture. However, skateboarding has had such a profound impact on my life that I feel compelled to share my story; this is how serious this s*** has changed my life.

I’m currently 21 years old, and started skateboarding on the 26th of August 2020. It has been two years and 240 days at the time of writing this since I started. Since then, I’ve graduated university and landed a full-time job at a notable company, and still to this day, with 100% confidence, can say that no day has been more meaningful than the day I took up skateboarding.  It’s crazy to think how a ply of wood with four wheels can impact your life, your mental, physical and social wellbeing.

I started skating sometime after high school, and if you’ve been to high school, you’ll know it can be a bit of a s*** show. I believe a majority of high school is figuring out who you are, as a person, your likes, dislikes, who you wanna hang around with, etc. Even after high school, I still hadn’t quite figured it out. It sounds so f***ing corny to say, but I guess I was in the ‘popular’ group? A short little foreign kid who gained notoriety on making fun of himself and eventually lost his own identity. Cringe, right? Anyways, I knew something felt off. Don't get me wrong, I still had fun hanging around those type of friends, but it got to a point in time where I hit the breaking point, the peak, and so I got ever more distance with them, slowly but surely. It was confusing; they were my friends, but I couldn't be f***ed hanging around with them anymore outside of school. I had literally preferred the company of myself rather than others, the bliss of silence rather than being the source of laughter. And then came the 26th of August 2020.

For context, my younger brother had wanted a skateboard for his birthday and behind our house, about 500 meters away, was a DIY skatepark. I had always known you could do tricks on a board, but I didn’t quite understand the art or beauty behind it until I started to do so. Anyways, I bought him the board, and while he was at school decided to f*** around with it at the DIY. This is when I met an older fella, Brendan, who is now one of my closest mates, and his two Kelpies, Darla and Ziggy. This is where everything would change.

I vividly remember him teaching me how to ollie. Within 10 minutes of me trying and I had got it – mind you it was a s*** ollie but nevertheless, the wheels left the floor. That's when he gave me his board, a ‘Lurker’ 8.5 inches, and told me these exact words, “If you keep skating like that, you’ll end up ripping one day.” And so from then forth I just kept skating, with him, with his mates, alone, night, day, didn't matter. As long as there was a plank under my feet, I was having fun.

I became addicted, but not addicted to skating, addicted to everything else that came with it: the feeling of progression, the sense of wanting to be better, the urge that this next shot was the land, eating s***, the hype up, and so many other weird details I can’t put into words. I had built a routine and, more importantly, found a hobby, unlike playing video games, but something I induced in that would have my sole concentration, nothing on my mind except landing the next trick. Something I could go to if I was having the s***test day. I would forget about it all and almost be in a different world, an escape from reality. That dopamine release is something different, the act of perseverance, when you've tried and tried, and eaten so much s*** for countless hours and everyone is hyping you up and you finally land the f***ing thing and everyone is going crazy – it seriously is one of the greatest feelings.

The stereotype that all skaters just smoke all day, are lazy, and behave delinquently is so bulls***, seriously. There’s this guy I know with a crazy front board and he’s the smartest bloke I’ve met; quote from some chiller who lives interstate, “Smartest guy in Adelaide.” It is through skateboarding that I have met some of the kindest, wisest and smartest people who to this day I can call my best mates. Despite knowing them for just short of three years, it feels like I’ve been friends with them my whole life.

It’s so weird because when you’re in school, those are the only type of people you are exposed to, but then you branch out and you see how different people act, their values, morals and ethics. It gives a different perspective on the type of people you've hung out with previously and realise there are so many good people out there. You hang out with these people because you like them, their presence, what they offer,

not because you go to the same school and are forced to see them every day. Age isn’t even a factor; it’s so weird, some of my best mates are three years older than me, or 20 years older than me or ten years younger than me. It’s funny cause I went to Sydney with my board and became super tight with a 12 year old shredder who showed me around the city. You realise how mature some kids are, despite their age, or how well you get along with people who you would’ve thought would be too old or young to hang around with. It's a crazy f***ing thing, seriously, and if you told me five years ago that I’d be spending my Saturdays with some old geezer and his dogs in the middle of nowhere, I'd think you’re capping. Despite this, skating has also rekindled my relationship with my other mates, and that time apart really allowed me to grasp and dictate who my true friends were.

The feeling of improvement is surreal. Being able to see in real time how you've progressed is a huge motivator. Not just in skateboarding, but in life. I’ve started to set goals, in skating and in life, build better habits, have routine, strive for growth, etc. It’s crazy to see how these things align and how it has affected components of my life, concepts I would never even think about if it weren’t for skating. Another great way to compare skating is that it’s like going to the gym. There’s a feeling of progression, at first you suck, maybe you can’t lift heavy or do an ollie, but eventually you try and try and start to see results, then everyone notices your improvement, so you end up building relationships with the locals, and then you set goals and push each other, and it becomes routine that you go together. It really is two sides of the same story.

I seriously couldn't picture my life right now without skating. Skateboarding has been more than just a sport for me; it has taught me about perseverance, self-improvement, and the importance of surrounding yourself with good people. I hope this article has inspired at least one person to go out and start trying, maybe not even skating, could be the gym, or something completely different and new, something that has progression and makes you want to me be better, not for others, but for yourself.