What Skateboarding Can Teach You About Construction

When you step onto a job site or onto a skateboard, you know things aren’t always going to go smoothly. But just like in skateboarding, the key to success in construction is learning from your mistakes and pushing forward.

In skateboarding, every trick is a process. You don’t just decide to land a kickflip one day and get it right on the first try. It takes hundreds—sometimes thousands—of attempts before you stick it. The same goes for construction. The first time you estimate a job, schedule subcontractors, or manage a big project, you’re going to make mistakes. Maybe you underestimate material costs, maybe a job runs over schedule—whatever it is, failure is part of the learning curve.

I remember early in my construction career, I botched a project timeline. I had every trade scheduled too tightly, assuming everything would run perfectly. It didn’t. One delay created a domino effect, throwing off the entire job. It was frustrating, but I learned. Just like missing a skateboard trick over and over, I had to refine my approach, adjust, and get better at managing schedules.

Another thing skateboarding teaches is how to take calculated risks. When a skater attempts a new trick, they analyze the setup, think through the motion, and commit. In construction, you do the same—whether it’s investing in new equipment, expanding your services, or hiring more people. You take risks, and sometimes they don’t pan out. But the key is to analyze, adjust, and keep going.

At the end of the day, construction and skateboarding share the same foundation: persistence. If you’re in this business, expect setbacks. Expect problems. But also expect growth if you’re willing to learn and adapt. Keep pushing, keep improving, and just like a skateboarder chasing that perfect trick, you’ll build something great.