Zaturdays: The 100 Best Things About Skateboarding

Maybe you’ve seen it on the Gram. The guy antagonizing everyone with his 100 Worst Things About Skateboarding posts, skewering Steve Berra to Stage XI Indys and everything in between, getting people stoked, bummed, and all riled up in general. It’s actually a great gimmick, his followers are up I’m sure, but the list says a lot more about the person posting than it does about skateboarding itself. He frowns on kids ollieing over cones, WKND’s logo, Trade shows, good people dying etc. Most of it is pretty harmless; some of it’s mean, but I respect his right to say whatever he wants, we’re all entitled. In reaction I decided to do a 100 Best Things About Skateboarding but come on, no time. So here’s my 10 Best, and they’re really just the things that came to mind first, there might be 100 things, 1000 things better than these, but I need your help with the other 90. So let’s fire it up with the #100BestThingsAboutSkateboarding. Tag me in on your picks at @paulzitzer. The sense of accomplishment and the feeling we get from doing something new on our skateboards is unparalleled. Who cares about longboarding, we’re skatin’ over here. Imagine how Shane O’Neill and Daewon must feel every day. This one ranks right up there with new tricks. We live for new spots, they open up a world of possibilities and give our imaginations something to chew on. Even better if it’s a spot where lines are possible, or if it’s one no one’s ever skated before, you might have to go to China to experience that one though. Skateboarding by yourself is a noble thing, it allows you to experiment, hone skills, etc. but it can never give you the same sensation of those life affirming great times you can have with your bros. High fives, chicken soup for the skater’s soul. I don’t care how rinky-dink the spot, 99% of the time it elicits the same reaction, “This is way harder to skate than it looks in the video.” Either way, it’s always fun to leave your mark on it. “I’m riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight…. THERE!” I know, this probably doesn’t really belong in the Top 10 but whatever, it’s still cool. Yes, your hero might turn out to be totally barnyard, but at least now you know. If he’s cool, consider it a bonus. And yes, Wes is cool. Maybe the most fun you can have on roughly 200 square feet on the surface of Earth. Mix in some bros and sprinkle with new tricks and you just might experience Nirvana. Hopefully it has some sort of extension on it. The more difficult the process, the better the feeling when it’s finished. Sure you’ll always probably regret that you dragged your toe a little bit on that one trick, or that that one line you landed was the one where you did your worst nollie flip, but we’re all our own worst critics. The point is you did something, made your contribution, now it’s our turn. If you’re strictly a low impact flatground and ledge chomper you might never get to experience this one, and that’s sad. It’s a whole other world up there, just you among the clouds with nothing but your thoughts to keep you company. I’m kidding, it’s just super fun, so if you have some big transition within reach I suggest practicing blasting, totally worth the effort. No you probably shouldn’t aspire to own a shop (big ups to those who do though) but if you have a core shop in your town that has the latest video playing on the TV and will special order that 8.75 you’ve had your eye on, do your best to support them even if a deck costs $5 more than you saw it for online. Skateshops are the foundation for a healthy scene, and a healthy scene is the foundation for more good times. Okay, this one actually makes it 11 things, but I couldn’t help myself because road trips offer up the best chance for the #100BestThingsInSkateboarding to all converge into one magical life hammer. You’re with your bros, filming at new spots, maybe ones you’ve seen in the videos, with no responsibility other than to experience everything skateboarding and life have to offer. You should stop in at local shops along the way, maybe ask if there’s a good mini ramp nearby.