Gliding up and down ramps and executing a 180-degree turn, Japan's 81-year-old skateboarder says mastering new tricks as he practices at a local park makes him feel happy these days.
Yoshio Kinoshita picked up his first skateboard at a market selling unclaimed items that were left at a train station two years ago.
Though he had doubts about whether he could manage to even use it, he took a leap of faith and bought it at the tempting price of 800 yen ($7.15).
In the beginning he could only stand while holding on to the hand railings. But he soon got the hang of it and is now able to ride around the park with other skateboarders who are around a quarter of his age.
Skateboarding in Japan has seen a surge in interest in recent years after the sport was included in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, along with surfing and sport climbing as these activities were recognized as mainstream sports.
(Reuters)
