Talent in skateboarding and the key to Life itself.

What is talent? Some would say it's a natural affinity for certain things which leads to learning quicker than average.

It's a pre-disposition that we assume to be mental and physical, similar to the strengths of video games characters who come with a score of 5/10 for speed or a 8/10 for defense.

Almost as if a person was born with a set of characteristics such as “aiming well” and if by chance they ever encountered archery, it would make them good at hitting the bullseye. Their learning would be much quicker than a person born without the skill of aiming well or the skill of having a steady hand.

This consideration alone leads to an interesting thought since it would imply that we all have unrevealed talents for lack of putting them to the test. As I write this article, perhaps I'm the uncrowned World Champion of doing wheelies on a tractor. The problem being that I have never driven a tractor.

In a world in which skateboarding had not been invented, Tom Penny, Tony Hawk or Daewon Song would be walking around with a considerable unused potential inside them. They would only be potential good skateboarders, oblivious to it all and happily going through life never experiencing greatness.

The same could have happened if all three had chosen another sport instead. Overbearing parents or a different social circle might have guided them towards cycling or ping-pong. “Look at those scruffy skateboarders, you don't want to be a part of that!”, they might have heard. “Let's play Dungeons and Dragons instead!”

Next to you and I might be standing the greatest skateboarder that almost ever lived. They just never gave it a try. Look closely at the bored cashier next time you're at the supermarket. Could they have been the true Rodney Mullen, better than the one we were given? What a tragedy if they'd missed their calling in life.

But perhaps the answer is elsewhere? By following a different life course, Tom Penny would still have become a great football referee or a visionary developer of health food stores. Talent might just be a frame of mind that leads to focusing in a certain way on whatever it is we are involved in.

The true definition of talent might not be so much the visible part of what we do but in having an ability to learn in the right way? This ability might be comprised of a number of variables such as focus, obstinacy, observation and others.

If this were true, it would also mean that we are born with a finite amount of such talent credits, just like our video game character. It would be like a glass of water which cannot be replenished. “Don't drink it all at once. This is all you're getting!” said the Creator.

I only base this theory on the amusing observation that people are usually good at just one thing, rarely two and almost never three. Have you noticed that a person is never a great trumpet player who also makes incredible cupcakes? There is never a champion weightlifter who writes the most touching poems.

JK Rowling is not a naturally gifted gondolier, Hulk Hogan is not also a talent for garden landscaping and my frustrating neighbour who is so good with tools on a Sunday doesn't also excel at respecting my tranquility.

I'd now like to share my personal story as it relates to talent. At the young age of 15, I was well on my way to becoming a pro skateboarder. I knew so because my hero Frankie Hill had turned pro at 19 while just skating for 4 years. A quick mental addition confirmed to me that I too would replicate his deed and turn pro at the same age.

It was good news and I happily looked forward to the prospect of riding for Powell in 4 years' time. I started to think about board graphics.

Contrary to Frankie, my style was more flatground-based. I was never comfortable falling off my board and dedicated my efforts to flip tricks in my local Mc Donalds parking lot. As the European weather allowed, I put my heart and soul into shredding the empty parking lot.

Quite unexpectedly, during my 4-year buildup to pro status something failed to happen. I could never ollie down more than 3 steps, never learned to backside grind a curb and never learned rock n' rolls on a mini ramp.

Observers will say that for my true talent to emerge I should have embraced grit to force myself to ollie down more steps. But then I would have fallen. And hurt myself. And if I'm hurt then I can't skate so then what?

It is probable that many of us skaters have had our pro careers derailed for similar unforeseen reasons. Instead of the life force of skateboard rightly rushing through our bodies and igniting our persons, the force simply went elsewhere.

The breeze in the sails of our ships fell flat, never more than an occasional fart to perturb the tranquil flow of mediocrity.

The sting hurt all the more when I crossed paths with a rollerskater I had met three years prior. He was now a sponsored skater, comfortably catching backside 180 flips over pyramids while I battled to keep my dignity intact by rolling over one without falling off.

What had failed to happen?, I cried within. Is this an accurate depiction of Life? How many more of us are awful at something we love?

With the benefit of hindsight, the interpretation to these ponderings can only be that Penny, Hawk and Song are not factually that good at skating. Instead, they were lucky enough to have followed early on a specific route.

And then became good. Very quickly.

For the rest of the onlookers, the Yin and the Yang of it all cruelly point towards the fact that most skaters will indeed not become the new Tom Penny.

If just 2 out of every 1000 skateboarders do, it also means that 998 skateboarders would be better off getting out of the way and do something else.

So kids, give skating a go and if you're not good within 2 weeks by all means move on! Find another hobby.

Unless being great at something doesn't procure the slightest joy. Then it doesn't matter what we do.

We might as well skate.