5 Things NOT To Say To A Skater

It may come across as ostentatious to compile a list of things not to say to skaters but if you’ve ever walked down a busy high street with a board in hand, you’ll understand the severity of the situation. What may be a bit of banter to members of the public can sound like a broken record to someone who’s on the receiving end of these remarks on a weekly basis. So, we did what any frustrated person would do, and we wrote that list.

“Do A Kickflip”

Every skater knows this one is the first contender. Either “do a kickflip” or “do an ollie”, mainly because they’re the only tricks that every non-skater knows. Most of the time it will be a group of ‘lads on the lash’ who think they’re edgy for naming at least one trick. But the truth is, as skaters, we hear this sooo often, we know it’s gonna happen before it does. You can usually spot the hecklers from a mile away and it does get really, reeeeaally annoying.

Singing “He Was A Skater Boi, She Said See Ya Later Boi”

Urgh honestly, if we could get a pound/dollar/*insert relevant currency here* for every time we have Avril Lavigne lyrics sung at us, believe me, we wouldn’t be complaining. However, the only compensation we get from this is knowing that whoever is singing probably only knows that one line of the song anyway (phew). Even still, it can feel a bit intimidating/embarrassing to be walking through a busy street with a bunch of randos singing at the top of their lungs at you.

“OMG Do You Know Tony Hawk?”

Yes, obviously!! :D We’re actually very good mates. 

S👏T 👏U👏P👏I👏D question. It’s like asking every boxer if they know Mike Tyson. How would that even work? (Can you tell this really annoys us?!)

“Can I Have A Go On Your Board?”

While I personally don’t usually have an issue with this one, as I love encouraging anyone who has never skated to have a go, I totally get why this would get annoying - especially if you’re in a rush or just simply not in the mood. It’s not very easy to come off as polite when declining someone the opportunity to skrrt around in whichever car park or street spot you may be in. It’s usually a drunken 40+ year old with his mates at 9pm on a Tuesday night, sipping a warm tinny of Special Brew and wearing scuffed up trainers from the 90s. Never the vibe you’re going for.

“Can You Teach Me How To Ollie?”

This always baffles me, as if people think they’ll miraculously learn something they’ve never tried in the space of this 5-minute window. I would be impressed. I don’t think people realize just how much time and effort goes into skateboarding. 

Ok, rant over, we felt it was important for any non-skaters to know the etiquette of what not to say to anyone you see carrying a board. And to all the newbies: here’s what to expect.

We know that most people are actually quite intrigued by the world of skateboarding and probably just say these things to join in, have a bit of banter, or maybe even impress. In which case it is always best to treat these people with a bit of patience, or if you’re feeling brave you can direct them to this article 😜