In case you don’t know me, I like to talk about skateboarding. Well, I like more to write about it, actually. Some people say I’m a hater, other ones kinda like me. What’s for sure is that I’m an old fart. So yeah, I actually do fart a lot, but am I really old? I mean, you pretty much know when you’re young, but do you know when you’re not anymore? And after all, what defines being old? And, do you ever get too old to skate?
Text by David Tura. Images by AI
But to be honest, I don’t really care to know if one’s too old to skate or not. What’s more interesting in my opinion, is to try to think about it.
Still, I needed an answer just for the hell of it. And in 2024, there is something that has all answers. ChatGPT. If I had been using AI briefly for real life stuff (yes, I have a real job now), I had never used it for skateboarding matters.
So here was my prompt: In 50 words, what’s being old in skateboarding?
And here’s what I got:
Being „old“ in skateboarding implies surpassing the average age, facing physical challenges and reduced agility. Typically, individuals in their late 20s or older are perceived as „old“ in a sport dominated by youth. However, many older skaters adapt their styles or focus on less physically demanding aspects, defying age-related stereotypes.
I wasn’t sure what to expect, but for sure not to be so quick to answer. On the other hand, I wasn’t surprised by the rather neutral and pragmatic tone. So I told myself: let’s just go for the critical question and see what happens.
Do you ever get too old to skateboard?
And here’s what I got:
One never necessarily becomes too old to skateboard. Although physical challenges may increase with age, many skaters continue to practice the sport at an advanced age. Some adjust their style or focus on less physically demanding aspects, but age should not necessarily be an obstacle to skateboarding. It depends more on health, physical fitness, and individual motivation.
That’s when I started to be seriously impressed. It only took a couple clicks to make the few doubts I had left about AI fade away. And of course, that made me want to go even further so I asked it to write a 100 word piece in a humorous style answering this question: do one ever get too old to skateboard?
And here’s what I got:
Tou (yes that’s how it was spelled – DT) old for skateboarding? Never! Unless your bones crack louder than your wheels on the pavement! But even then, you can always sit back comfortably and watch the young ones attempt their stunts, while murmuring: ‚Back in my day…‘ Sure, as you age, you might lose some speed, but you gain experience – like avoiding those rocks that seem to pop out of nowhere. So, as long as you’ve got the balance and the desire, hop on your board and let the skatepark roar like an old lion!“
That’s when I started feeling dizzy and when I started thinking that by using this correctly, you could probably write a full magazine, just by having the right prompts.
That’s when I also realised that I’m an idiot. People probably already do. Anyway… At that point, I was a bit lost between some kind of excitement and a total panic.
So just to see if I was really gonna be too old soon and totally useless, I typed the same thing and changed the word “humorous” to “sarcastic”.
And here’s what I got:
Of course, one becomes too old for skateboarding. Because what’s better than adding a new activity to the list of things that hurt the next morning? Who doesn’t love feeling their joints scream in despair with every landing? And let’s forget the pride of launching into a spectacular fall in front of a crowd of teens wondering if you need a cane to stand up. No, really, skateboarding is strictly reserved for eternal youth. For the rest of us, there are park benches and nostalgic stories to tell.
Then it started to get scary. I guess I would have been able to write a similar text even though it’s not exactly my style but I would have needed an hour or even more. Not 2 seconds.
So I asked myself how far this could go. Well I guess it can go all the way to infinity, and beyond. Since I didn’t have that much time, I told myself I should terminate this experience quickly before I’d go crazy and asked the same question but this time changed “sarcastic” to “erotic”, just for fun.
And here’s what I got:
In the twilight of adulthood, skateboarding becomes a sensual dance between body and asphalt. Each movement is a caress, each turn an impassioned embrace. The board becomes an extension of the soul, gliding on the waves of time with grace and elegance. Memories of the first falls meld into the pleasure of mastery, and each new trick is a celebration of enduring vitality. So, no, one never becomes too old for skateboarding. On the contrary, it’s in these moments that passion reaches its peak, revealing the timeless beauty of the free spirit.
And it WAS fun. But it left me with that weird feeling of standing on the edge of a cliff where the bottom of the gap was filled with some unknown soft substance in which I could have jumped into. So I closed the laptop and went to bed. Of course after 30 minutes I couldn’t sleep and opened it again to write this text. At least for images, we’re not there, yet.