My timeline has something a bit nostalgic, to say the least. Old-timers rave about the days of reading niche blogs, finding strange communities, surfing from obscure link to obscure link until you stumble upon a gem. This has sadly recently peaked with ⭑ salma 's post, but the feeling was there everywhere. It seems like the core, the underground, is gone. Is it AI? Is it social media? Is it the world going mad? Dunno.

What I do know, though, is that it strangely reminds me of a vibe I’ve gone through a couple of times. In snowboarding, too, through the mid-2000s/2010s, the "spirit was gone." Until it came back.

When snowboarding was cool

Ingemar Backman flying. It was on all magazine covers in 96. This would get him last place in any contest today. (Calle Erikson)

Quick recap: snowboarding exploded as a counter-culture phenomenon in the '90s—where I picked it up, like many—to the point of getting into the Olympics. Things got way more competitive. The high-level athlete replaced the stylish kids; spinning more took over tweaking your grabs. Basically, for a lot of people, the fun was gone and replaced by a more "whatever it takes to perform" spirit. Cortina was 40 rounds of that and a lot of spins.

Cortina was 40 rounds of that and a lot of spins. (NY Times)

Around the 2020s, this narrative got revised a bit, though. Yes, the contests got less cool and much more competitive—even to the point where a lot of old-timers just weren’t watching the biggest competitions anymore and skipped some video parts too. But did this mean the "old way" of snowboarding was dead? Actually, no. The Mt. Baker slalom was still here. There were still events like the Brain Bowl, brands like Slash or Korua, etc. The spirit, the "core," is still here.

And those "core events" are probably bigger than they ever were if you count the total attendance. But since snowboarding is overall bigger now, these more grassroots events are also much smaller in comparison. Most kids don’t even know them. We aren’t the coolest kids on the block anymore. But is there still fun to be had? Probably more than ever. The gear, the events, the infrastructure are most likely at their best for these events. We just aren’t the biggest right now.

Do is it get anymore grassroot? And it's 2026 (Brainbowl sessions)

I think something similar happened to the old web, too. There are still more excellent blog posts—written by humans—than I can read. There are still links to follow. Do we make it to the top of search engines? Nope. Are we the coolest kids on the block? Neither. Can we still have fun? If we want to.

Fatigue and no second first time

There’s a second reason I watch less snowboarding overall, too. I’m just aging, and I’ve been at this for a while. I know more about what’s going to happen at the X Games, and I just don’t get the same satisfaction I used to. It’s because it’s not the first time anymore.

Someone said it when the World of Warcraft hype was going down, too, and a lot of people were searching for new games to join. But they all seemed to never reach the same level of excitement. Truth is, the games were good, the communities were too, but there’s just no second first time.

When I read -Boulet- saying he’s giving Bluesky a shot but might quit for good, there’s something like that, too. There won’t be a second early Twitter.

Being past the first-time excitement also means we give a more honest look at those things we invested so much time in. My body can’t take that many slams anymore. I don’t want to be hanging off a cliff anymore. I don’t want to spend 30% of my awake time inside a game anymore. I’m getting much less from likes and answers. I can’t code till dawn anymore. Passing 40, having kids, etc., also makes you take a step back and look at how "intense" those likes and answers are, how "important" the discoveries you made on blogs are. Spoiler: way less than we used to think.

It's cool to be old

I might not spin in the half-pipe anymore, but a good turn on a blue is still enjoyable.

But I still ride my snowboard a lot. And I would say, after being a bit bored for a few years, I’m more excited about it than I ever was. I’ve come to admit that it’s a nice side thing, but not everything. I’ve admitted my skills have vastly plateaued, the seasons are getting shorter, but I still enjoy being out there—touring or carving. I’ve also come to peace with the fact that I have to skip a weekend on the snow to take care of my kid. It’s not even a question.

Same for the web. I won’t be the greatest web dev ever. I won’t be a rockstar on social media. I won’t take down X with a group of rebels on Bluesky. What I do on the web will be absolutely marginal compared to what TikTokers and YouTubers get as an audience. But do I have fun building apps at work? Do I like coding an AT Protocol side project? Do I still dig the web for tech insights? Did I find really interesting people I like reading on Bluesky? Yes, yes, yes, and yes. As long as they remain a small enough part of my life.

Low expectations. Aging has taught me, among other things, a form of stoicism. I just don’t expect too much from surfing the web anymore. But the little I get can be greatly enjoyable.

There are days, I hike more than I actually ride. I did nothing spectular this day, my riding was super mellow like an old dude. Just enjoy being outside. Aren't the mountains beautiful?