From dropping in on vert to packing a car 12 deep and hitting the road, there are plenty of meaningful experiences every skateboarder should have before turning their setup into a perma wall board.

Print it out, hang it on the fridge, and keep a red pen handy.

1. Bomb a hill

Pretty much the essence of skateboarding distilled. Big or small, bomb them all.

2. Go to a video premiere

These are becoming harder to come by, but should the opportunity arise, you should go. Hooting and or hollering is not only allowed, but encouraged.

3. Dodge traffic in New York

There are thousands and thousands of skateable cities on this planet, but there is only one New York City

4. Film a video part

It’s something you can look back on years later and remember some really good times, and a period of your life when your body was capable of much different things.

5. Make a Skate Pilgrimage

Barcelona, Marseilles, Copenhagen. If you’re on a budget, Tampa. Pick your Holy Land and go.

6. Roll Your Ankle

It gives you character.

7. Fix A Spot

Give something back to the community and throw some bondo or clear coat on a spot in need.

8. Sneak Into A Skate Event

Max capacity is a state of mind, and you deserve that free Pabst as much as anybody.

9. Break A Board

Embrace the glory of rolling away with a snapped tail, or go full Hockey Temper and tomahawk it into a street sign. It was soggy anyway.

10. Skate Through An Airport

Moving walkway? No thanks, I brought my own and am about to feel a little self-conscious about throwing a board in the overhead bin.

11. Create A Homie Brand

Turn the hometown hero PRO AF or just use it as an excuse to make funny shirts only you and a dozen locals will understand.

12. Sign A Petition to get a skatepark built

Watch in real time how convoluted and slow our government systems are!

13. Set up a Christmas complete

At least once, everyone should be able to enjoy the pure glee of a Christmas complete. It doesn’t even have to be a holiday.

14. Skate some Swiss bearings with the shields popped off

In the grand scheme of life, what is $60 really?

15. Quote a skate video

“He’s an original Coors.” “No War for Heavy Metal” “It’s fucking Friday the fucking tenth!” Have fun with it.

16. Have a shoebox full of stickers

Some stickers are meant for immediate sticking. Some are meant to be cherished in a shoebox as they await the perfect article for placement, which more often than not, never comes.

17. Drop in on a vert ramp

We only live to get vertical. Drop in and take the ride.

18. Visit a local skate shop while traveling

You might not know where to buy good weed in Des Moines, but the yarn beanied clerk at their skate shop definitely will.

19. Build a box

Whether you’re 12 years old or middle aged, you have to learn (or relearn for the fourth time) back tails somewhere. Chances are a front yard box will be the best option.

20. Have a hard, dumb opinion about an unimportant thing

We all have at least one.

21. Develop a skate set up idiosyncrasy

Put the bolts on in a clockwise figure 8, put all the wheel graphics facing inward. Have a little line in your griptape in the same place every time. Get weird with it.

22. Attend a wedding in skate shoes

To be cringe is to be free.

23. Use a shoelace as a belt

What, you think you’re better than me?

24. Skate under the influence

Most choose weed or alcohol, but pick your poison. Get revved up on cold brew and see what happens.

25. Sack an obstacle

If you don’t sack at least once in your life cycle as a skateboarder, you didn’t try hard enough.

26. Grind some granite

The sound and feel of trucks on granite will add years to your life.

27. Hang up a wall board

If the dirty dishes and piles of laundry aren’t enough to let someone know you’re a skateboarder, a wall board or two should do it.

28. Get free product

Stickers? Grip? Can I have your board, your shoes, your life? In skateboarding, you probably can, and you definitely will from time to time.

29. Hear the 411VM intro while rolling up for a trick

You can also sub in Black Sabbath’s “Supertzar” if you’re about to go big, or whatever song gets you juiced.

30. Befriend a spot local

Everyone should have a homie you know from skating in the streets who you look out for, and they look out for you. Dap them up accordingly and bring them a sandwich from time to time.

31. Focus a board

It’s childish, and stupid, but to feel the source of your frustration crumble underneath your rubber sole? That power? Embrace it, but probably don’t make it a habit.

32. Get a ticket

It’s an unfortunate rite of passage, and it’ll probably be for trespassing. God bless you if you never get one.

33. Live in a Skate House

Like running from cops, I’d recommend doing this sooner rather than later. You don’t want to be 45 years old with six roommates, wading through beer cans so you can grab coffee before work.

34. Hop a fence

Skateparks are great, but if we take away the outlaw aspect of skateboarding we might as well be golf. Hop some fences. Keep skateboarding a crime.

35. Blow out a pair of pants

It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.

36. Bitch about “the industry”

Your friend got let go from their sponsors. A company quit making your favorite shoe. The skateboarding industry is still an industry, so bitch away.

37. Tag Something

“Slayer” is always a good choice.

38. Recognize a song from a skate video

You may have learned about the Shins from Garden State, but I have hated them since Sight Unseen.

39. Go on a skate road trip

Pile 12 deep into a single motel room. Eat leftover taco bell for breakfast. You’re only young for a short while, so get out there before real life gets its chains on you.

40. Skate in costume

Batman and Robin deserve to get some back to back clips too.

41. Sleep at a skate spot

Catch some z’s while a friend battles a manual clip or wake up in the bottom of a bowl halfway around the world because you got kicked out of the hostel.

42. Have A birthday Party at a Skatepark

Grom it up even if you’re in your 50s. Pizza and presents and all day at the park.

43. Slam In Front of a Crowd of People

This will haunt you for years to come.

44. Run from the cops

Generally don’t do this, but if you do, try to squeeze it in while you’re young. You’ll be faster, small enough to hide in tight places, and won’t be sent to general population if caught.

45. Skitch

Do so at your own discretion, but hitching a ride from a cab, bus, dirtbike, or friend on a bike is a good time and should be enjoyed at least once.

46. Get Cool Guyed by A Pro Skater

For a community of so-called outcasts, we sure can alienate each other.

47. Cool Guy a Pro Skater

See how they fucking like it for once!

48. Skate Into A Body of Water

In 100 years your rusted out Ace’s will make a beautiful two bedroom one bath home for a happy fish family at the bottom of your local lake.

49. Skate A Backyard Pool

The roots of skateboarding are in backyard pools, and unless you skate one you’ll never fathom how difficult they are to actually skate, let alone rip.

50. Hit A Stop Rock

An unavoidable middle finger from God and geology.

Written by: Christian Senrud
Illustrations by: Wilson Lucas
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