<p>When I'm on a skateboard, I forget all the stress and feel so free. From a small kid who started skateboarding because it looked cool, I have now been skating for 25 years. Skateboarding has become everything in my life.</p>
<p><strong>Watch the Video:</strong> <a href="https://citalks.com/talk/skateboard-to-break-out-of-your-comfort-zone/">Geng Jakkarin - Skateboard to Breakout of Your Comfort Zone Script</a>.</p>
<h2>Geng Jakkarin Petchvoraphon</h2>
<p>Hello, I am Geng Jakkarin Petchvoraphon. I am a Professional Skateboarder, and a former skater in the Thailand National Team. When I was 12 or 13, I had a chance to skate with people who were older and more experienced and I really wanted to improve. That motivated me to practice and to learn and fine tune skills and tricks. Then fellow skateboarders began inviting me to contests in the provinces like Phitsanulok and Chiang Mai.</p>
<h2>Thailand National Skateboard Team</h2>
<p>I was 13 when I attended my first contest and I was the first runner-up in the amateur category, the lowest tier. When I was in the last year of high school, I entered a contest to qualify for the Thailand National Team to go to the Asian X Games in Malaysia. It was a single-round qualifier with 100 contestants. Only the winner and the 1st runner-up would qualify. With luck and a polished and practiced performance, I ended up as the 1st runner-up. That is how I got to compete at the Asian X Games.</p>
<p>Going to Malaysia in 2004 as part of Thailand National Team was an eye-opening experience. I realized that Skateboarding didn't just involve dedicated practice, but also that sponsorship played a big part. I saw how other countries did it. There were so many cool kids from across the world. I gained a lot taking part in the games and continued to represent Thailand through 2005 and 2006.</p>
<p>In 2010, I entered another qualifying contest and got back into the Thailand National Team. In 2010, I competed in world-class events starting with the AXC or Asian Extreme Association. I got the first prize for Best Trick. Now into world-class events, the Maloof Money Cup in South Africa was where the world's big names participated and my friend and I were the only Asians there. The result was satisfactory.</p>
<h2>How do you do an ollie step by step?</h2>
<p>The trick I am about to teach you is a basic trick for everyone. Before advancing to more daring tricks, you have to be able to jump first. It's called "Ollie". Ollie is a jump where you strike your rear foot at the board's tail against the ground. And when you are about to jump, bend your front ankle and slide your front foot towards the nose and jump in one motion. That will make a perfect Ollie.</p>
<p>The tip is to put your front foot behind the bolts or in the middle. Line your rear foot that will 'pop' the tail at the centre of the board. Not too far out. Just line it in the centre. First thing is you need to 'pop' or strike the tail to the ground. Just like this. Once you are used to it and not afraid of falling, strike it harder. Bend your front ankle a bit. Slide up to the nose.</p>
<p>70-80% of this trick is on your rear foot. Gather your force into striking the tail to the ground. The greater the hit, the higher your jump will be. Your upper body needs to be parallel to the ground, especially your shoulders. Don't bend them. This is an issue for many people. So let's try and practice this.</p>
<h2>Getting Sponsored to Make Skateboarding Videos</h2>
<p>Around 2007, I felt rather saturated from all the contests. So I tried something new. I started making 'street skateboarding' videos. Then some sponsors were interested. They sent me to participate in various events and paid for my plane tickets. Being able to film in so many places opened up my world and travelling around the world to skate provided me with opportunities to meet many pro skaters. When I learn from a pro, my outlook and attitude changes, motivating me to be even better. I also loosen up more in contests and events, taking the pressure off myself so that I can compete as myself. That's all.</p>
<h2>5 Skateboarding Tips to Help You Break Out of Your Comfort Zone</h2>
<p>I want to share 5 tips for skateboarders who want to improve their skills or for those who want to turn professional.</p>
<h3>Don't be afraid of falling</h3>
<p>First, don't be afraid or shy of falling. For those who have just started or even those with experience, this is crucial. Falling or making mistakes on a skateboard is not failing. From my experience, those who aren't afraid of falling or those who try new stuff but fail, learn quicker. They learn new tricks from their mistakes better than those who are afraid of falling. This is very important.</p>
<h3>Always Improve Yourself</h3>
<p>Second, keep improving yourselves both on and off the board. You need to improve your level and skill on a skateboard. Of course if you want to become a professional skateboarder, this is something you must do. Off the board, you need to improve yourselves in other aspects too; language, concentration, patience, physique and discipline.</p>
<p>These are the things that will make you a professional skateboarder. When opportunity presents itself and you have improved in these aspects, you will have more chance of getting selected than others.</p>
<h3>Think Out of the Box</h3>
<p>Third, always think out of the box. For me, skateboarding doesn't require you to be like others or follow any standard form. To anyone wanting to improve their skill, I recommend that you be creative. By mixing in your best and favourite tricks, and arranging them into new combinations, your style will be more outstanding and memorable.</p>
<h3>Are You A Version 1 or Version 2?</h3>
<p>Fourth, get to know the first and second versions of yourself. The first version worries about techniques. The second version is a confident you who is ready to go with your own flow. This is very important.</p>
<p>Skateboarders who are trapped in Version 1 of themselves, are obsessed with technique; what to do for this trick, feet placement. They become too worried and that impacts their performance, making them not able to do what they set out to do.</p>
<p>The second version is a more confident version of yourself that lets you go freely with the flow. You have put in lots of practice, are confident and ready to just go with the flow. Believe it or not, most successful skateboarders fall into the Version 2 persona.</p>
<p>If you are aware of these two versions of being, learn to apply each when the time is right and at the right moments. You will then be even more outstanding.</p>
<h3>Stay Hungry and Having Fun</h3>
<p>Fifth, stay hungry and have fun. By staying hungry, I mean you need to constantly remain eager to keep improving your skills. It also applies to events and competitions. Don't be satisfied with winning a contest. Because if you stop there, you will not go any further and that will hamper your development.</p>
<p>As for having fun, no matter what you do, if you enjoy doing it you won't be bored and will want to continue and advance. Thus, by staying hungry and having fun, you will constantly improve.</p>
<p>In fact, throughout my life, I've applied negative energy to skateboarding. When I skate, I forget all the issues or problems. It's like a friend to me. When I fall or when I make whatever mistakes, it's normal and only natural because everyone does it. What is more important is that you need to get up, rise and fight, and succeed.</p>
<p>These are my lessons from skateboarding.</p>
<p><strong>Video Talk:</strong> <a href="https://citalks.com/talk/skateboard-to-break-out-of-your-comfort-zone/">Skateboarding: Breaking Out of Your Comfort Zone</a></p>

Find out how can break out of your comfort zone as a skateboarder on CI Talks. Get tips from a Thai skateboarding pro to help in business & life.

Skateboarding - Break Out of Your Comfort Zone | CI Talks

Skateboard to Breakout of Your Comfort Zone Script

<p>Bangkok is hardly a skateboarder&rsquo;s paradise. The sidewalks are so uneven that even walking on them can be a challenge. The traffic is so heavy that it makes skating out of the question, even if you did want to be in amongst the thick exhaust fumes. It&rsquo;s not easy to find a skateboard park in Thailand, and security guards are common, making it difficult to find an ad-hoc skateboard park to use. All these factors, and more, mean that skating opportunities are limited in Thailand, but that&rsquo;s still not enough to deter some.</p>
<p>Geng Jakkarin is a professional Thai skateboarder, born in Bangkok, whose skateboard background started when he was just 9 years old. As with most other skateboarders, Geng started with a junior skateboard that helped him get started but wouldn&rsquo;t allow him to do any tricks. At 12-13 years old, Geng progressed to the kind of skateboard that did let him do tricks, and he&rsquo;s been doing tricks ever since.</p>
<p>Skateboarding isn&rsquo;t the only sport that Geng has been interested in. He used to have a sports scholarship playing basketball &ndash; a scholarship that would help to pay for his education. It&rsquo;s perhaps understandable that Geng&rsquo;s mom wasn&rsquo;t exactly over the moon when Geng said he wanted to skate. After some resistance, Geng&rsquo;s mother allowed Geng to follow his passion even if she wasn&rsquo;t entirely approving of it. Having seen where skating has taken Geng, however, Geng&rsquo;s mom is now very accepting of her son&rsquo;s passion.</p>
<h2>Getting Competitive</h2>
<p>Geng entered his first skateboard tournament when he was just 13 years old and was the first runner-up in the amateur&rsquo;s category. When he was still in high school, Geng entered a contest to qualify to represent the Thai national team at the Asian X games in Malaysia. He was the 1st runner up and represented his country on the international stage. Ever since, Geng has entered skateboarding competitions around the world, picking up the occasional trophy along the way.</p>
<p>We had the pleasure of Geng&rsquo;s company where he spoke with us about his experiences in life as a skateboarder. Not only did Geng tell us about the effect skateboarding has had on his life, but he gave us some skateboard lessons and even taught us how to do an Ollie on a skateboard.</p>
<p>Geng also gave us 5 key takeaways that can apply not only to skateboarding but also to life in general. Here&rsquo;s a look at the 5 key takeaways of our interview with Geng and how you can use them to improve yourself and your life, regardless of whether or not you have any interest in skateboarding.</p>
<h2>Geng&rsquo;s 5 Key Takeaways</h2>
<h3>1. Don't Be Afraid Of Falling</h3>
<blockquote>&ldquo;Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.&rdquo; &ndash; Nelson Mandela</blockquote>
<p>Skateboarding is a sport where bumps, bruises, and even broken bones are commonplace. From beginners learning how to start skateboarding, to pros learning complex tricks, it&rsquo;s almost inevitable that a skater&rsquo;s body will be meeting concrete at some point. One of the first things that many skaters learn is how to fall off a skateboard and, perhaps more importantly, how to just get right back on it again.</p>
<p>Geng himself knows this all too well and tells us of one occasion where he broke his elbow in Myanmar. Although the injury took place in the capital, Nay Pi Daw, there was still nothing that resembled a hospital nearby. Geng was driven for 2 hours to see a guy wearing a Sarong and next to nothing in terms of medical equipment. The saronged gentleman gave Geng an injection and a scribbled map to a hospital. 5 hours after breaking his elbow, Geng eventually made it to a hospital where he could get the treatment he needed.</p>
<p>Despite this experience, Geng still tells us that skaters should not be afraid of falling. No matter if you are brand new to the sport or a seasoned pro &ndash; falling off your skateboard is not failure, even if it can be painful. You need to be willing to try new things if you are going to learn and improve. Those who do fall off their boards are those who are more likely to learn quickly.</p>
<p>It&rsquo;s easy to see the parallels between falling off a literal skateboard and falling of a metaphorical one. Being afraid to fail in life in general may hold you back from succeeding; it can prevent you from learning the skills and experience you need to succeed. Falling is also not failure. It can be an important step that takes you closer to reaching your potential.</p>
<h3>2. Always Improve Yourself</h3>
<blockquote>&ldquo;There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.&rdquo; ― Ernest Hemingway</blockquote>
<p>Geng tells us that to become a professional skateboarder you need to keep on trying to improve yourself. But Geng doesn&rsquo;t only mean practicing to improve your skills but improving yourself overall. Keep on trying to improve your concentration, your discipline, your physique and your communication skills. Focus on these in addition to technical skills and you have a better chance of making it and getting selected ahead of other people.</p>
<p>This is a lesson that we can all learn from, even if you have no intention of ever setting foot on a skateboard. We can always be better at what we do, and we can always work to be a better person. Working on our patience will help give us a better approach to life overall and improving our discipline will help us to stay on course when it might otherwise be easy to lose our way.</p>
<p>We should all do what we can to keep ourselves in good shape physically. Being in good physical shape will help our mental state no end. Good health will help to keep us feeling energized and ready for whatever comes our way, and give us the physical and mental stamina we need to keep on pushing through those tough days. We don&rsquo;t necessarily have to join a gym or eat a strict diet, but taking reasonable care of our bodies can help to make us a better, happier, and more successful person in so many ways.</p>
<h3>3. Think Outside the Box</h3>
<blockquote>&ldquo;No problem can be solved by the same consciousness that created it. We need to see the world anew.&rdquo; - Albert Einstein</blockquote>
<p>Geng believes you should not try to copy others to be a great skateboarder. Instead, you should try and think outside the box and experiment. Be creative - work to your strengths and try mixing skills and trying out new combinations. When you think outside the box as a skateboarder, you will develop a style that stands out from the rest and helps people remember you as an individual. Thinking outside the box can help anybody improve as a person and become more successful. It&rsquo;s not always necessary to conform and do what everybody else is doing. Allowing yourself to be restricted by norms can mean that your skills are not being put to good use and your talents are being wasted.</p>
<p>Also try thinking outside the box when it comes to problem-solving. What might seem impossible to begin with might actually have a fairly simple solution &ndash; if only you shake off rigid trains of thought and look for a different solution instead.</p>
<h3>4. Have 2 Versions of Yourself</h3>
<blockquote>&ldquo;The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.&rdquo; - Albert Einstein</blockquote>
<p>Geng has found it important to have two versions of himself as a skateboarder. There&rsquo;s one version where he thinks about technique and getting everything just right, and there&rsquo;s the other version that is just confident in what he is doing and goes with the flow. Away from skateboarding, it can be all too easy to get hung up on details. We can become so obsessed with the need for perfection that we forget to look at the big picture; we can forget that trying to be perfect can mean it doesn&rsquo;t get done at all and we will make no progress.</p>
<p>We are often at our best when we are confident in what we are doing and just have confidence in our ability to just go with it. Don&rsquo;t forget about the details completely. Details are still important and it&rsquo;s good to learn and practice the details when you can. But know when it&rsquo;s important to let go and just go with it.</p>
<h3>5. Stay Hungry &amp; Have Fun</h3>
<blockquote>&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.&rdquo; &ndash; George Bernard Shaw</blockquote>
<p>Geng also believes it&rsquo;s important for us to stay hungry. We need to keep on wanting to get better and improve our skills. Don&rsquo;t become content because you won a competition. Instead, focus on winning more competitions, and better competitions. Think about how to start skateboarding even better than you already are. If you don&rsquo;t stay hungry then you will stagnate. You won&rsquo;t develop any further, you won&rsquo;t get any better, and you won&rsquo;t achieve what you&rsquo;re capable of.</p>
<p>Geng also believes it&rsquo;s important to have fun in whatever you are doing. Don&rsquo;t let what you&rsquo;re doing become a chore otherwise it can become boring. If it&rsquo;s fun, you will keep your hunger and you will want to continue to keep on getting better.</p>
<p>Keeping hungry in what we do can apply to any person, no matter what they do. Whether it&rsquo;s a sport or another pastime, or your profession, keeping your hunger gives you something to look forward to.</p>
<h2>Direct Benefits of Being a Skateboarder</h2>
<p>While we can all learn from skateboarding in a metaphorical sense, we can also learn from it in a more direct sense. It is also an inexpensive and accessible sport to get involved in, with reasonable quality boards being affordable to most people and skateboard lessons aren&rsquo;t necessary. Despite scratches and bruises being common, skateboarding is also not as dangerous as you might think, with just around 2% of sporting injuries coming from the sport.</p>
<p>Skateboarding is beneficial to our mental and physical well-being in numerous ways, including:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Relieves Anxiety</strong><br />Geng himself told us that he would focus a lot of his negative energy on skateboarding. Getting on a board and practicing tricks can be a wonderful way to release anxiety. You can forget about your troubles and, for a while at least, just do something that you love to do.</li>
<li><strong>Increases Self-Esteem</strong><br />Pulling off great tricks can help give people a real sense of achievement, especially after so many hours putting in the practice. This can give skaters a sense of achievement and give their self-esteem a boost. Not only can this help people feel better about their selves, but also in life in general.</li>
<li><strong>Increases Pain Tolerance</strong><br />Skaters are always picking up knocks and scratches but still learn to just get back on the board again. Exposure to pain helps people become more tolerant of it, helping to give them a more comfortable life overall. It can also reduce a person&rsquo;s fear of pain, encouraging them to get involved where others might step back.</li>
<li><strong>Exercise</strong><br />Skateboarding can be very hard work, making for a great workout. Muscles and the cardio-vascular systems are pushed to their limits helping to make people stronger and fitter. Good physical health is also conducive to good mental health.</li>
<li><strong>Community</strong><br />Geng tells us that, through skateboarding, he has family wherever he goes. The skateboarding community is a welcoming one, and one that is there for each other. No matter what else might be happening in their life, skaters will know that their skateboarding family is always there for them.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>Anybody who is reasonably mobile can learn to start skateboarding, and skateboarding lessons are fairly affordable. It can be a great way to get onto shape, meet new people, and have a lot of fun. Perhaps better still, skateboarding may also teach you things about life that will help to make you a better and more successful person.</p>

Bangkok is hardly a skateboarder’s paradise. The sidewalks are so uneven that even walking on them can be a challenge. The traffic is so heavy that it makes skating out of the question, even if you did want to be in amongst the thick exhaust fumes. It’s not easy to…

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