Sun, 14 Jun 2026 22:35:37 -0400

Conor Dougherty writes for the NYT about growing older in skateboarding and the loss that can come with that. I felt gratified when he used the same description of curbs you can ride with ease that I did in a post a few weeks ago: low stakes terrain.

At a time when people are lonely and disconnected, a bunch of 40- and 50-year-olds gather around low-stakes terrain, reconnecting with old friends and joking about tricks they can no longer do.

The article doesn’t just explore loss from the perspective of losing a friend to a terminal disease, but also the loss that comes from getting older and losing the capabilities you once had.

I had been thinking about this very subject as a kept noticing the perfect-height curb that stretches across the elevator section of the parking deck I use when I go into the office. A few old dudes could teach that curb a thing or two about the grind.

Source: At an LA Costco, Skateboarding and Learning About Loss

Skateboarding on Canned Dragons