I quit skateboarding when I realised I’d never be good enough. A decade on, I found fun doesn’t need an end goal

Mike Hohnen gets back into skateboarding after a long hiatus. Photograph: The Guardian

I’ll never forget landing my first kickflip. I’m not sure how old I was, but old enough to firmly believe it would be the greatest moment of my life. I remember my first fractured elbow and the pride that came with such a milestone. I remember the weekends spent navigating public transport to far-flung skateparks. There were worries and stresses, I’m sure, but I don’t really remember them. The soft hiss of the wheels and the sharp clack of the maple plywood would drown them out.

I remember when everything changed.