Always Fall Forward

This is an ode to Jake Phelps and a message to always fall forward. Jake Phelps was an Editor for Thrasher Magazine and a legend in the skateboard community. He passed away in March of 2019. Tony Vitello, the current Owner of Thrasher said this about him: “He only knew commitment. He was going to go for it without hesitation, and there were only two outcomes. Either you’d see his triumphant fist pumping in the air or it’d be an earth-shaking collision with the concrete.” “He always fell forward. Leaning back meant there was hesitation and Jake was all the way IN.” I really like this quote and it has stuck with me.

So many times we fall because of a lack of commitment. By not leaning forward enough, and hesitating, we are often times setting ourself up to fail. When dropping into a ramp, or sliding on a rail, if you don’t commit you won’t be able to do it. It’s only when you lean forward and fully commit that you even have the change of succeeding. It’s better to fully commit and fail, opposed to hesitating and not following through. Skateboarding has taught me many life lessons. This is one of my favorites.