Skateboarding has a strange culture, doesn't it? I mean, skaters aren't like anyone else out there. We do our own thing, but we're also a group. And we're fiercely protective of what it means to be a "skater".

It can be rough when you are a new skater, or when you just aren't learning tricks as fast as your friends. Sometimes skaters are really encouraging to each other, but sometimes we rip our brothers and sisters down.

That's not good. Everyone learns at their own rate, and if someone is trying to skate and willing to put in the blood and sweat, I say build 'em up instead of calling them a "poser". Besides, we ALL started at zero - and became a skater the moment we fell in love with skateboarding, and got on a board.

Not to say that there aren't posers out there! Kids who buy a skateboard and carry it around, just to look the part ... they're a different story. And I find them just as annoying as you probably do.

But for people who are trying but who just learn more slowly, I say encourage them and help them get even better! What do you think? Have you ever been harassed because you didn't instantly learn several hard tricks? Or do you think that until you have reached a certain level, you aren't really a skater? Leave a comment below.