How Longboarding Changed My Life

Can you imagine getting on a wooden board with 4 wheels and no brakes? A year ago, I would’ve had the same expression of shock and disbelief you probably have right now. As scary as that previous statement sounds, these days I can’t imagine not getting on that board every day and either practicing or exploring. It would feel like a big part of my life is missing.

Here’s the story of how it came to this major change in thinking, facing my fears, and just learning to let go and go with the flow….

Skating as an adult is very different than when you’re younger. There are so many extraneous variables in play that most younger people wouldn’t (need to) think about. Getting hurt, being unable to work as a result, or facing social stigmas are all part of the deal. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard something to the effect of

“you aren’t a kid anymore, what’s the point?”

…Or my personal favourite…

“Aren’t you a little old for Skateboarding?”

My standard reply to that would be… “why should kids have all the fun?”

Though usually associated with juvenile expressions of defiance and rebellion, skating (especially longboarding) isn’t just for rambunctious kids anymore. By now I know quite a few people older than me who thoroughly enjoy cruising around on their Longboards — either despite, or because of, their age.

For me, it was a truly life-changing experience learning to control that 4 wheeled wooden board, and I couldn’t imagine not being able to skate now — it’s become such a big part of my life. I honestly think that it’s one of the best ways to see a city and for me at least, serves as a form of moving meditation.

Surely it would be easier to explore a city on a bicycle, right? While there may be some truth to that, I think there’s nothing in life that compares to longboarding in a city, which brings us to the biggest question you might have at this point:

How the hell did you give up all remaining remnants of sanity and get into Longboarding???

Well, pull up a chair, pour yourself a good glass of wine or beer, and lend me your ears if you’re curious, since this is a story of Longboarding, facing your fears, and a journey of introspection that changed my life for the better.

First Inspiration To Give Up the “Safety” of my Bicycle for a 4-Wheeled Cruiser

It was probably about two years ago now that I became interested in alternative transportation methods. After a particularly tough time for me due to a major misunderstanding with a very good friend, I needed a change and something to occupy my mind. It’s never easy losing close friends — especially over a misunderstanding and misperceptions, so I was feeling quite down and rather helpless since there was a very unfortunate and rather shocking (for adults) communication breakdown — something I had never experienced before as an adult with any friends — let alone close ones. You would definitely not see that in my native Germany, and while I do realize that different cultures and different people handle things differently, it’s never something I can, or want to get used to. Communication and trying to understand the other person — no matter what — is something so important to me out of basic humanistic respect, that this complete communication breakdown and the subsequent fallout of passive-aggressive behavior shook me to my very core.
But it happened — c’est la vie — and to change my mind and get back to normal, I needed a major change in my life.

I somehow found a few interesting YouTube channels during that difficult time, which eventually led me to discover Casey Neistat’s channel (look him up if you don’t know him! — he’s pretty much the inventor / grandfather of Vlogging).
There was something more humanistic about his channel when compared to the usual “Hey guys….”(followed by 10min. talking about themselves) fare. It was interesting, heartwarming, funny, informative, had an actual story element, and most of all, he had a certain way to cut the videos… Trying to learn more about videography, it was a perfect distraction for me.

In one of these videos, he was zipping around an airport on a Penny Board. Whoa!! A grown-ass man unashamedly riding on a little plastic skateboard?!? Despite the initial ridiculousness of the situation, it looked like tons of fun, and being a frequent traveler myself — having to go from one end of an airport to the other more times than I’d like to admit, I thought that having a little plastic skateboard you can take anywhere was just about perfect for traveling.

It would be an understatement to say that I was intrigued.

A few days later, I saw him unboxing and subsequently speeding around NY on an Electric (!!!) Skateboard.
Back to the Future II is one of my all-time favourite movies, and who hasn’t dreamed about having one of these Hoverboards?? So I was hooked on the idea immediately!!
You see, one of the major problems in Japan is that you can’t bring a bicycle on public transportation with you (at least not without the major headaches of having to disassemble the wheels and putting everything into a bike-bag), so this electric skateboard contraption seemed like an amazing urban transportation vehicle.

Last-Mile Transportation

Around that time, I frequently had several meetings all over town and sometimes in nearby cities, meaning that I’d have to go from a bike to the subway, to a regional train, for instance. With all the walking to/from the meetings and to/from the stations meant that I wore out my shoes walking an average of 8km per day. That’s 4.97miles for those of you still using imperial measurements (why, America, why??)

I needed something more economical that I could take with me and would make my commutes easier. This Casey guy was on to something, I thought. “But I’m a grown man!?!”. Though he’s not much younger than me, he’s probably been doing it for his whole life. “How can I possibly learn to skateboard at my age, having no previous experience?”

Through my research, I found out about urban kickscooters, which I’d seen in use all over Europe on previous trips. In Germany, there were businessmen/women and college students using these things, but I had never seen anybody in Japan use one. I’ve seen plenty of kids here on scooters, but not adults. But after a few YouTube searches for adult kick-scooters and plenty of promotional videos of young professionals riding around London, Singapore, NY, Berlin, etc. on these things, I couldn’t resist any longer and ordered one — a beautiful, sturdy, easy to use, and foldable adult kick-scooter.

About a week later it was at my door — along with a cheap Penny-style Board I had ordered for an upcoming trip overseas. I thought that if I can learn to ride a scooter, I might be able to transfer those skills and perhaps one day be able to use the Penny Board in an airport as well. While the scooter was great and I loved riding it, it wasn’t the end-all be-all transportation revelation I had hoped for.
First of all, I felt strange being the only adult using one in this city (Nagoya), secondly, it was a bit heavy to carry for long periods of time. And it just wasn’t as “cool” as the skateboards I saw in the videos.

Something was missing.

Penny Board Troubles and humble beginnings in skateboarding

While I liked the experience riding the scooter, the skateboard was the real goal for me. After about two weeks of the package sitting in a corner, I determinedly took it out, and put it on the ground for the first test-ride in my room. I stepped on the board and next thing I know I was looking up at the ceiling with my back hurting (yes, I fell, hahahah).

Man, this was a lot harder than I had thought.

The last time I was on a skateboard prior to that was at least three decades ago, and I wasn’t very good back then. As soon as I got a bicycle from my parents, I never looked at the skateboard again, so this was definitely a new experience for me, but I was determined.

Over the next two months, I carefully practiced each night after work in my apartment building’s garage. — V E R Y slowly and carefully at first.

Even though it was only a small plastic board, it scared the bejesus out of me. This tiny contraption had the power to break my arm, leg, foot, cause a concussion, or other “fun” injuries, yet at the same time it also held a weird fascination for me.

Still seeing it as the solution to my transportation dilemma, I continued practicing, and at some point felt comfortable enough on it to start pushing a bit harder (meaning going faster)…. That was a true turning point for me…

the feeling of utter freedom and fun I had on the board (even though I was still very much a beginner) was indescribable.

It made me forget about all the other troubles going on in my life at that time, and I felt the same rush of zest for life I always felt as a child.

Was I crazy? An adult on a skateboard? But by that point it was too late… I was already hooked on this new feeling of what essentially boiled down to street surfing and self-expression.

Living in Japan, I sometimes miss being able to go surfing as much as I used to when I lived in the States. That feeling of standing on the board, the wave pushing you forward, the wind in your hair, and the mix of fear and exhilaration… I had completely forgotten what that truly feels like. Now, with this thing, I could have that on any smoothly paved road in the city… The wave never had to end… I could carry it anywhere…. and there were no pesky sharks to deal with (only the police, but more on that another time,

). I loved it, but also feared it at the same time — falling on hard concrete is a lot more painful than falling into water.

By that point in my “training” I had a few close calls falling off the board, and to progress further I needed some safety gear. Amazon Prime (<-Wishlist) to the rescue, and the next day, a helmet and some wrist-guards arrived on my doorstep.

I kept practicing, and my trip to Germany was coming up the week after, so I wondered if I was truly ready to take this thing to the airport with me…

Going to Germany for Christmas

You’re probably wondering if I was able to reach my goal of zipping through the airport like Casey…. Not a chance!! Hahahah. I was nowhere near comfortable enough on the board to take it anywhere near crowds of people rushing through an airport…. Not a bloody chance!
So when it came time to travel to Germany, I left the board behind — also due to carry considerations — turns out camera equipment is quite heavy and having that much weight on your back makes riding a skateboard much, much, much more difficult (different weight distribution) compared to cruising through the streets unencumbered for fun.

While I was in Germany, I really missed my nightly training sessions though, so I once again took to Amazon and ordered another penny board for Germany (these things are super-cheap). Yep, now I was two boards and one scooter into this new hobby. I guess it’s safe to say at this point that I was hooked.

Luckily, there are a few smooth roads around the building where I live in Germany, but I was still too scared to really take the board out into public. So I practiced in the parking garage across from the building. Still scared shitless of falling though, I didn’t really make that much progress…
On this small board, I always felt a bit… unbalanced…
I couldn’t get enough however, so I looked at Skateboarding videos as much as as I could. Eventually, I found the guys from Braille Skateboarding, and they had just reviewed a board called a Board Up Longboard, that you could fold up like a briefcase.

I must’ve watched that video about 10 times back to back. Could this finally be the end to my worries… the size of a longboard would make it much, much more stable to stand on and maneuver; it wasn’t really made for tricks, so that temptation probably resulting in at least a broken arm at some point, wasn’t there; and it seemed relatively light to carry around.
Back in Nagoya at this point, and Credit Card at the ready, I hit the “Buy” button, and before I knew it, was the proud owner of the very first Board Up Foldable Longboard in Nagoya — possibly even Japan.

Longboarding in Japan

That board was a true revelation for me. It was a lot more stable, easily maneuverable, and light enough to carry anywhere. Due to the newfound stability, I made quick progress on the board (still going out every night), learned to push and keep it steady at higher speeds, and even managed to pick up a few easy tricks, like switching feet while riding (going from regular to goofy-footed, cross-step, ghost ride kick flip). I must’ve taken the board everywhere whenever I had a chance — work, meeting friends, going out on the weekends to parks, etc. I was always looking for new paths to explore, and enjoyed every minute of it.

When I wasn’t riding, I had google maps pulled up to research possible cruising routes, I was thinking about foot placement and weight distribution even while riding the trains, and was always dreaming about cruising on that board. Was I crazy? I didn’t care anymore… this was too much invigorating fun to pass up.

Sure I got a few strange looks from people, but at the same time, I loved it, since I was the only person my age enjoying long boarding here; there was something truly special about it. While relatively “normal” in Germany/Europe, Longboarding — especially for adults — was pretty much unheard of in Japan (or so it seemed at the time). When I went out to ride, I got a lot of stares from people on the street, but gradually there was a hint of “man, I wish I could do that as well” in their eyes, and from time to time certain exclamations of “kakoii” could be heard by passerby’s when I cruised by them.

At first they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then they join you.

Gandhi

The sense of freedom and excitement was unparalleled, and it is actually a really convenient form of transportation to/from the nearest station, around the city, and for going to other cities, since you can always carry it with you — no matter which form of public transport you use. By now I’d taken it to Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, and Tokyo. It saved me a ton of time going around these cities, and even my morning commute to the station was fun now.

It truly opened my mind to many things; the deep depression I fell into before was completely gone, and it re-kindled a certain passion I had for exploration, resulting in me wanting to go out as much as possible and just explore to my hearts’ content. On the next trip to Germany, one of the highlights for me was taking a longboard trip near the Alps with a good friend who makes his own boards.

Just like with surfing, there’s nothing quite like it in the world. The incredible feeling of rejuvenation and respect for the simplicity you get when you’re on a wooden board with 4 wheels, cruising down a winding bike-path in nature, or towards beautiful castles like Neuschwanstein for instance, is absolutely unparalleled.

Yes, I still worry about falling down and breaking all kinds of things, but that fear is also what drives me to get better on the board. It’s a challenge, and I love a good one. Will I ever become as proficient as some of these kids doing their tricks/dancing? No way!!! Nor would I want to.

Riding a longboard is all about taking it easy and enjoying the cruise! It’s surfing the seemingly endless wave and having a great time just chillin’ and enjoying the view along the way. It’s going back to a simpler mindset — almost meditative in a certain way (there’s even a discipline of long boarding called Chi-Pushing).
With these boards, you can get on and just let go, see a lot more in one day than you could ever do on foot, and you’ll undoubtedly make some new friends along the way. That’s also what I love about it — there’s a certain community aspect to the whole sport/discipline.

That’s it for part one of this journey. Thanks for reading, and see you guys in part 2…