I used to skate. I found it insanely hard though, I managed to ollie and pop shuv-it (badly) but couldn't do anything else. Part of it is bravery, telling yourself your ankle won't snap when you try and land, so you just do it. The rest is dedication and motivation, which I struggled with when all my friends were dropping in and attempting 360 flips whilst I was still trying to ollie higher.

It's fun. It's not too popular here, but I own a board and use it occasionally. You can get pretty screwed up doing different tricks if you're not careful, though. If you Snowboard it makes learning a lot easier.