Try Something New… and Suck at It!

Recently I watched “Heritage,” a short documentary about one of the early professional skateboarders, Steve Caballero. At some point in the viewing, I realized more time was being spent on Steve’s mountain biking skills and passion for motorcross than on his skateboarding career, and I had to wonder why. 

If you’ve been a whitewater paddler, a climber, a surfer, or a skateboarder all your life, why would you want to try something new? You’ve proven yourself. You’re an expert. Why risk failure?

It occurred to me that maybe, just maybe, Steve wanted to experience the feeling of  improve at something new rather than watch his skateboarding skills plateau or, worse, decline. After all, progression is a lot more fun than regression. Sure, you might suck at it when you’re getting started, but the sky’s the limit in terms of potential for improvement.

So, in the spirit of sucking at something new, let’s dive into novice experiences and what we gain from trying something new.

What I Chose to Suck at

I’ve been a surfer all my life. I’ve ridden massive waves all around the world and was good at it. When I moved away from the ocean, I wasn’t able to get in as much surf time as I wanted, so I started whitewater kayaking. I never got to be an amazing whitewater kayaker, but I ran some big rapids, explored remote creeks, and progressed as far as I had expected. 

Knowing I wasn’t going to get much better at kayaking and knowing I was not surfing as much as I wanted to, I decided to try whitewater stand-up paddleboarding (SUP). At the time, I didn’t know anyone doing whitewater SUP (also known as river-surfing). I bought a used paddleboard and headed down to the river on a day that the water was up but manageable.

I paddled out, peeled out into the current and headed down river. The view was so different from sitting in a kayak. I was responding to every ripple and current shift and constantly adjusting my footing and balance. I was having so much fun.

Eventually, I encountered some bigger rapids, missed my lines, ended up swimming, and pretty much took a beating. I was concerned about my chances of making it down river safely, but I finally struggled to the takeout.

Sitting on the bank, exhausted, yet exhilarated, I said out loud, “That was F$#%ing amazing!” I sucked at controlling the board, body positioning in rapids, and my recovery time. I really sucked — I mean really, truly sucked, at eddying out on a SUP. I was so much worse at whitewater SUP than I had ever thought possible, but that didn’t discourage me. In fact, it motivated me. The driving force? My desire to progress!

I eventually got better at whitewater SUP. I run smaller rapids and surf smaller river waves than I do in a kayak, but I found myself enjoying whitewater SUP more.

I attribute my enthusiasm over whitewater SUP to two factors: 1) it feels like surfing, which I love, and 2) it provides me the opportunity to develop a new skill totally on my own; I was alone, which made me feel wild and like an explorer. People see me on the river and tell me I am crazy, and I just go on enjoying the ride.

Reaping the Benefits of Embracing a New Challenge

Learning a new, challenging skill, especially one that involves some degree of risk to life and limb, delivers a host of benefits. Here’s a short list of the many benefits I reaped by trying something new, failing, and progressing:

• Adaptability and resilience: Learning to adapt to circumstances whether it be age, physical ability, or location is key to staying happy and connected. Had I decided to stop quit riding waves because I was landlocked, I would have been bummed out. Instead, I saw my location and landscape as something to explore in new and different ways. My resilience got a bump because I refused to give up. I needed to write my own “how to” manual on whitewater SUP in my head and take notes in journals.
• Confidence and self-esteem: Nothing builds confidence and self-esteem better than persisting and succeeding in the face of adversity. There was no going back, I needed to learn this new sport, and I did. Furthermore, by doing something I knew nothing about and knew no one else who was doing it, I grew more confident in my skills every time I got on the water. This increased confidence and self-esteem translated into everything I did — mountain biking, climbing, skateboarding, and more. I even became more assertive and decisive in my personal and professional life. I didn’t worry about regression in my other pursuits. In fact, I noticed synergies develop among my various pursuits and skills. An example? The skills I learned in whitewater SUP improved my skateboarding and mountain biking techniques.
• Expanded opportunities: With a new inflatable SUP, I found I could access areas I wanted to explore with greater ease. I could carry the inflatable board on my bike, “show up and blow up” on the river’s edge, and have some fun. I was getting invited to scout locations with friends who were getting into kayaking. I looked for more standing waves on rivers and in places I had never thought about in the past. I started writing for companies about my experience, taking photos, and teaching others. Everything seemed new and possible.
• Small wins: I became less beaten down by failure and happier with even the smallest win or success. I was getting outside to practice more and more, which also gave me great joy.
• Mentors: I started to seek out people who were doing what I was doing. At first, it was rare to find anyone doing whitewater SUP. Then, all of a sudden, people would tell me they saw someone running a river on a SUP. People were helping me make connections. I was seeking out advice and getting out with more folks who wanted to progress.
• Fulfillment and a sense of purpose: In the end, what I got most out of trying something new and sucking at it were fulfillment and a sense of purpose. Trying something new combats complacency and makes you feel alive. Trying something new gives you a sense of purpose. And sense of purpose is what makes us feel happy and vibrant. I wasn’t trapped in my own mind or mired in self-indulgent thought — I was outside myself, exploring and experiencing the world around me. Some people would ask, “Why do you hike up a river for hours to spend only 45 minutes paddling?” And I would answer, “Because it makes me happier than sitting on a couch.”

So, if you want to feel better, experience your wild side, be an explorer, and get the sense that you’re moving forward toward success rather than trudging down a path of diminishing returns, go out, try something new, and suck at it. 

The worst that can happen is you’ll get better at it (and probably better at other things, as well). You’re also likely to feel happier, and if you’re lucky, you may meet new, interesting, and strange people chasing the same feelings. The best that can happen? Well, sky’s the limit!

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About the Author: Stephen Mullaney is the Director of School Partnerships and Staff Development at The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE).