Why do people copy others? They continually recreate the actions of their brothers, sisters, friends & even strangers. But why? They must feel that what works for their peers will work for them. And, initially, that is true. At first, imitation is done by necessity - at its earliest stages, done for survival. Learning to feed oneself is a useful skill, often learned through mirroring the tasks of family and others. Yet, after meeting a particular level of mastery, that mimicry doesn’t seem so interesting or important.
Once a human learns how to clothe and feed itself, it eventually will experiment (to some extent) in the realms of fashion and cooking. And if not, usually for a specific reason based on further understanding oneself. A friend may wear black turtlenecks exclusively but only for the ease of decision making or a signature look. But I digress.
Inevitably, when there is room for improvement or testing, one will follow that path of progress. It’s bound to occur in a world where, especially now, resources are so available to us: the incremental betterment of ourselves and how we manage our time are almost definite. In the context of skateboarding, participants are always discovering ways of expanding the limits of what can be done on a board. In one way or another, skaters will improve upon what’s ABD (already been done), whether it means bringing an old trick to a bigger spot, learning a new trick at the usual spot, or finding ways to skate spots differently altogether.
Once a human learns how to clothe and feed itself, it eventually will experiment (to some extent) in the realms of fashion and cooking. And if not, usually for a specific reason based on further understanding oneself. A friend may wear black turtlenecks exclusively but only for the ease of decision making or a signature look. But I digress.
Inevitably, when there is room for improvement or testing, one will follow that path of progress. It’s bound to occur in a world where, especially now, resources are so available to us: the incremental betterment of ourselves and how we manage our time are almost definite. In the context of skateboarding, participants are always discovering ways of expanding the limits of what can be done on a board. In one way or another, skaters will improve upon what’s ABD (already been done), whether it means bringing an old trick to a bigger spot, learning a new trick at the usual spot, or finding ways to skate spots differently altogether.
Even when it is hard to see, there is always a new approach to be had. A twist to be put on a spot or skatepark obstacle. A tweak, a revert, or an extra flip that makes the trick all your own. It’s as if writing in cursive were just a series of “tricks,” each skateboarder finds their own beautifully unique handwriting over years of repetition and iteration. The skill is the result of the practice. And one's style is an eloquent byproduct.
It is nothing else but confusing to me when I see skateboarders doing the same things they’ve been seeing on the screen for over a decade. The same standard tricks on many of the same popular “staple” spots. The maneuvers are easily labeled. The terrain is easily described. The real challenge and, in my opinion, real heart of skateboarding is in approaching the same spots with a different spin. Only the very best will roll up to a spot in a way that doesn’t make sense to the viewer. They will encroach and roll away from tricks that we’ve never considered or even conceived. It’s that type of skating that makes our past time what it is.
It’s that attitude that exposes the copycats and progresses skateboarding for all of its participants to gain from.
It’s of utmost importance to create, not only to regenerate.
- 7Ply Epic
It is nothing else but confusing to me when I see skateboarders doing the same things they’ve been seeing on the screen for over a decade. The same standard tricks on many of the same popular “staple” spots. The maneuvers are easily labeled. The terrain is easily described. The real challenge and, in my opinion, real heart of skateboarding is in approaching the same spots with a different spin. Only the very best will roll up to a spot in a way that doesn’t make sense to the viewer. They will encroach and roll away from tricks that we’ve never considered or even conceived. It’s that type of skating that makes our past time what it is.
It’s that attitude that exposes the copycats and progresses skateboarding for all of its participants to gain from.
It’s of utmost importance to create, not only to regenerate.
- 7Ply Epic