Ageing skateboarders roll back the years at UK Surf & Skate Expo

Tony Alva, the 68-year-old skateboarding icon, carved through the concrete bowl at the Surf Skate Expo in Cornwall on Saturday, a moment fans described as historic and a sign that skateboarding is not restricted to youth. The event drew veterans and younger riders to Newquay's Concrete Waves skatepark, where cross-generational participation and a spirit of inclusivity defined the scene.

In Newquay, Jon Bishop, 51, shifted from surfing to skating during lockdown after building a ramp for his son. He found the culture surprisingly welcoming, noting that a six-year-old and a 60-year-old could share the same bowl without friction. The town's skatepark, with tiled edges and concrete coping, is a mellow facsimile of classic pools, yet it sustains a shared ethic of community and risk-taking. Bishop says witnessing Tony Alva's performance added a sense of possibility for older riders, and he points to Olympic skater Andy Macdonald, 51, as proof that age is not a ceiling in elite circles. He acknowledges that injuries and fear can be barriers, but the payoff of learning new tricks and staying active has been transformative. For Bishop, skating has become both a physical workout and a mental anchor, fostering skills that carry into other parts of life.

Dr Paul O'Connor, a University of Exeter researcher who studies ageing and skateboarding, says the sport is deeply inclusive. It is not simply that more people are welcome; he describes it as a hand up that meets skaters at their level, with communities forming around shared goals rather than shared ages. His team's work highlights the mental and emotional rewards of skating — the focus, the calm, and the sense of being present in the moment. For many riders, progress is incremental and personal, and watching children progress alongside adults often reinforces the social bonds of the activity. He notes that the culture around skateboarding tends to be more welcoming than some other outdoor sports, a factor that helps sustain participation across decades. Bishop also notes that documenting his own journey on social media has helped others start skating, with viewers appreciating the honesty of setbacks and progress.

A striking shift is the rise of women in skateboarding. Ten years ago, researchers said it was rare to find women over 35 who skated; now, the field has become more balanced, with many women embracing the sport after years away or upon discovering it later in life. Plymouth resident Stefanie Nurding, who skated at the Expo, has since built her own skate brand and cultivated a strong social media following. The visibility of female riders helps redefine what it means to age in the sport, and observers say that women often approach the challenge with different fears and strategies. The scene is reinforced by skateparks such as Prime in Plymouth, which offer Old Man Mondays sessions and lower door prices for over-40s, signaling a more inclusive pricing and participation model. This cross-generational energy appears in competitions as well, with top national and Olympic-level events featuring skaters in their 50s and beyond alongside younger talents.

Industry leaders and national programs reflect the same trend. Britain's Olympic park skateboarding representative, Andy Macdonald, is the same age as Bishop, illustrating that elite skating has no inherent age limit. The evolving culture has also led to more age-inclusive programming at local parks, with community days and age-tiered events that invite people of all ages to share the bowls and ramps. As this movement grows, practitioners emphasize a long-term view: many skaters intend to continue into their late 60s and beyond. For Bishop, that means continuing to skate, learning tricks, and mentoring younger riders, while Dr O'Connor notes the lasting value of social connection and emotional well-being that can come from skating regularly. He recalls his own younger self and smiles at the prospect that there is no inherent reason to stop skating whenever someone reaches a certain age. The saying common in older skateboarding circles — you didn’t give up skateboarding because you got old; you got old because you gave up skateboarding — remains a touchstone for many riders, reinforcing the idea that persistence pays off.

As the Expo concluded, the mood was less about competition and more about continuity: a sense that the sport continues to evolve while staying true to its DIY ethos. For Bishop and others watching Tony Alva at 68, the message is clear: age is a number, not a boundary. The research is still developing, but the early signals are strong: skating can be a lifelong pursuit with meaningful physical, cognitive, and social benefits. With more women skating into their 30s and 40s and better access to affordable parks, the sport appears poised to widen its reach even further. For many participants, skateboarding keeps people connected, and that connection can endure as time passes.