Skateboarding in middle age can help people to navigate depression, bond with their children and cope with personal difficulties, a study has found.
Older people who partake in the sport state that it boosts both their wellbeing and happiness.
Skateboarding can allow them to access a community and gives them an identity which is completely separate to other parts of their lives, Wales Online reports.
One reason could be because the measure of success in skateboarding is more fluid compared with other more competitive sports, with failure being seen as part of the activity.
Dr Paul O'Connor, from the University of Exeter, carried out a total of 30 interviews with middle-aged skateboarders.
He also observed skateboarding in Hong Kong and the UK, skateboarding himself with communities there.
“Skateboarding provides a serious emotional outlet for people who have experienced personal trials in the collapse of long-term relationships, career challenges, parenthood, and substance abuse,” Dr O’Connor said.
Many skateboarders had children who had either ignited or rekindled their parent’s passion for skateboarding, and as a result altered the relationship they had with their boards and the skateboarding community.
Dr O’Connor said: “For those I spoke to, skateboarding was more than about looking after physical health.
“Indeed, the notion of sport was regarded with caution. To them, skateboarding seemed to mean more.
“On at least two occasions when I asked informants to try to explain what skateboarding meant to them, I was confronted with grown men fighting back tears, literally lost for words in grasping to communicate the importance and gravitas of their pastime.”
The study, Identity And Wellbeing In Older Skateboarders, is published in the book Lifestyle Sports And Identities.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
.jpg?w=600)
