Meet Richard Anderson (also known on YouTube as Ungraceful Movement), a 46-year-old skateboarder from South East London who started skating seriously three years ago after a trip to the legendary Burnside Skatepark inspired him to finally commit to the board. We asked Richard 13 questions about his skate journey, the challenges of starting later in life, and what keeps him motivated to keep pushing forward.

How long have you been skateboarding?

Although I skated a little in my late teens, I have been skating with more commitment now for about 3 years.

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What was it that made you want to start skateboarding, or who inspired you to start?

I think the big trigger for me 3 years ago was a trip to Portland and the famous Burnside DIY park. I just wanted to take pictures of the park, but the one dude that was skating offered to do a handplant in the shot (so sick). I desperately wanted to ask if I could have a push around on his board, but my confidence and memory of being terrible at skating put me off. So when I got back to the UK, I was like “I want to be able to skate”.

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What is your preferred skateboarding style?

Preferred style vs desired style is the question. As far as I was concerned as a kid, there was only the street, but at my current level, I’m in parks and looking at curbs. I tried the mini-ramp, and I can kind of flow, but I was determined to improve my ollie and lost the momentum on the mini-ramp.

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What would you say to someone who wants to start skateboarding in their 40’s but doesn't know where to start?

It’s scary. Not the skating itself (though it is), but making that step into being a complete beginner when you’re used to being adept at other things. Personally, I went to a local park at a quiet time and just got comfortable stepping on the board and rolling about, then felt brave enough to find a “beginners night” - somewhere that took away the expectation of “who’s this guy, thinks he can skate” and levelled everyone. Hop King in Bermondsey was important for that as a safe space and a community that was welcoming and encouraging.

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What advice would you give to someone who is struggling to find free time to skateboard because of work or family commitments?

My thing is this: allow yourself the time. People might think it’s frivolous to play on a skateboard, but it’s about more than that - being outside, headspace, exercise - so allow it time in your diary or whatever. Make 9AM on Saturdays the time you go skate, or find a paid session that you commit to. Once you put something in the diary like that, it becomes a commitment in itself.

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In the beginning, did you ever feel embarrassed when skating in a skatepark or experience some skatepark anxiety? If so, how did you overcome it?

Massively. I would show up at a park I knew and be completely thrown because there were skaters I didn’t recognise. The worst cases were turning up at really busy parks and feeling overwhelmed by the noise and the frenetic movement, going into complete meltdown. I’ve sat in my car before and had to be convinced by my brother to come in and work through it. Funny, I actually forgot that happened so frequently in my first year of skating. I tried meditating through it, to calm the noise and just recognise that there was nothing really wrong, just my own mind working against me.

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What motivates you to not give up when things get difficult?

It’s something I struggle with a lot. Self-confidence tends to be my blocker. The motivation is more about ‘why’ I’m doing it. I want to have enough skill to be comfortable on my board and be able to hang with my friends and skate without sitting on the sidelines (like I did as a youth). Since I’m older, I look at skating as something I’m grateful to be able to do and try to be less worried about progressing.

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What's the hardest trick you have landed so far?

I really went after the frontside shuv-it for a while and landed a couple before completely losing them.

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Who is your favourite skateboarder and why?

The skater I could watch endlessly is Chris Pulman. He made skating look completely different from what people think it’s supposed to be. No huge stair sets or anything like that, really just great flow and being able to skate things that did not look like spots.

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Your favourite skatepark or location that you have skated and why?

Damn, I’ve skated so many parks now. I’m not a true Southbank local, but it’s the spiritual home of London skating, so it’s kinda my favourite. The Grove DIY is local to me, and it’s completely amazing - so much variety and passion. Then Peitruss in Luxembourg was pretty good too - really well put together, massive and super scenic.

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A dream skatepark or location you would like to skate one day, and why?

Really, I’d like to go back to Portland and actually skate Burnside. I wouldn’t be able to do much given the scale of it, but I could definitely push around and find something to do a rock n roll on.

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What's your favourite skateshop and why?

Slam City Skates. I’m super proud of being a Londoner, and Slam has been integral to the scene for as long as I can remember.

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What's something that skateboarding has taught you that can be helpful in everyday life?

Haha, well, not to take things too seriously.

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