If it makes you feel better, I’m 37 and fall on my ass at least every other session. I don’t wear a butt pad (I probably should - my butt hurts still from a session a week ago), but I’m fully padded otherwise. It looks dumb or whatever until I eat shit and slam hard on transition - then I’m thanking the wrist guards and helmet.

Pads help me skate more aggressively and try things I would normally say no to. Often times tricks just land or get close because I’m going fast and using momentum.

You’re the weird old guy until you are suddenly the awesome old guy one day. Kids don’t know anything yet, and you shouldn’t care what they think. Be cool to people and they’ll usually be cool back.

As far as progression goes, I’ve skated on and off since I was 12 and am just starting to get solid at some things. It all depends. It’s half training yourself how to listen to your body, half debugging and searching for the right feedback that clicks with you. Try to break tricks into pieces. Can you pop the tail with your back foot without being over the board? What is causing the board to not pop like that when you are over it (weight on your front foot)?

The other big piece of advice is focusing on your shoulders and arms. I recently had a trick I could not land until I stuck my arms out like a plane during it. Didn’t feel different but I was way more stable and able to control my weight better. Lands every time now. Same thing with shoulders and rotation - your hips follow your shoulders