Never Too Old to Fingerboard: How John-Claude Saldaña Rediscovered Creativity Through Fingerboarding

John-Claude Saldaña says fingerboarding is a reminder that creativity never really disappears. It simply waits for the right moment to return.

Based in Anaheim, California, USA, John-Claude makes a living creating user-generated content for brands. Outside of work, however, his world expands into countless creative pursuits. He's a passionate Pokémon Trading Card Game collector, enjoys golfing, attends punk rock shows, creates surreal artwork, customizes shoes, and even once wrote and illustrated children's books. Creativity has never been confined to a single medium for him. "I honestly just enjoy making stuff," he says with a laugh.

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That creative mindset naturally found its way back to fingerboarding. John-Claude still vividly remembers the moment everything began. In 1998, while visiting Long's Drug Store, he spotted a Creature fingerboard hanging on the shelf. He begged his father to buy it, and from that day until graduating high school in 2004, fingerboarding became part of his everyday routine.

Like many childhood passions, life eventually pulled him in different directions. He stepped away from fingerboarding for years, focusing on adulthood and everything that came with it. But when he finally picked up a fingerboard again, something unexpected happened.

"It was like no time had passed," he recalls. "It reminded me exactly why I fell in love with fingerboarding in the first place."

Today, what keeps him deeply connected to the hobby isn't just the tricks, it's the community.

Having skateboarded throughout his childhood and well into his twenties, John-Claude has always been drawn to skate culture. Fingerboarding allows him to reconnect with that same energy while expressing himself in new ways through content creation and DIY obstacle building.

Rather than searching for perfect skateparks, he finds inspiration inside his own home. "I love setting up random obstacles around the house and making everyday objects skateable."

His creativity has also been shaped by members of the global fingerboarding community. Watching videos from Jakepfb inspired him to visit local stores in search of materials for building DIY obstacles. He also credits Christian Gonzales of Kalye Decks as another important influence.."As a Filipino myself, I love seeing our people doing awesome things and supporting the community," says John.

Like many returning hobbyists, John-Claude admits one challenge has proven almost impossible to overcome. "Trying not to buy everything I want," he laughs. "It's dangerous getting back into a hobby you loved as a kid because now you actually have adult money."

Has he managed to control the temptation? "Absolutely not."

Ironically, one of his proudest achievements isn't an expensive setup or a rare collectible. It's something far simpler: landing a clean kickflip. "That thing humbled me for a while," he says.

Looking back, fingerboarding has given him something more valuable than technical progression. It reminded him that growing older doesn't mean giving up the things that bring genuine happiness.

"I think it's reminded me to be unapologetically myself. Getting back into fingerboarding has reminded me that you're never too old to do something you love. Who cares what anyone thinks? If it makes you happy, do it."

As John-Claude became more involved in fingerboarding again, he also realized how misunderstood the hobby still is. Many people dismiss it as nothing more than a toy. However, that perception couldn't be further from the truth. "To me, it's no different than any other hobby," he explains. "It challenges you, it's creative, and it connects people. Age doesn't matter."

That philosophy is reflected in the way he approaches every fingerboarding session. Instead of waiting for the perfect obstacle or carefully designed park, he looks at his surroundings with a different perspective.

"I always try to use whatever environment I'm in," he says. "If there's a banana on the counter, it might become a rail or ledge. If there's a toilet. I'm probably trying to ollie off of it."

To John-Claude, creativity begins with seeing ordinary objects in extraordinary ways. Almost anything can become part of a fingerboarding line if you're willing to imagine the possibilities. Learning new tricks follows a similar mindset. Even after years of experience, he still believes there's always room to improve. "I'm still trying to perfect my kickflip," he admits.

Outside of fingerboarding, inspiration comes from almost every corner of his life.

Music, especially punk rock, remains one of his biggest creative influences. He also finds inspiration in surreal artists such as Salvador Dalí, whose dreamlike works continue to spark his imagination. At other times, the next idea appears unexpectedly while scrolling through TikTok and stumbling upon something completely random and hilarious. "Inspiration kind of comes from everywhere."

Perhaps what has surprised him most since returning to the hobby is the community itself. "It's awesome," he says. "Seriously, every single person I've met, whether online or in person, has been cool as hell."

The welcoming atmosphere is one of fingerboarding's greatest strengths. Beyond the tricks and equipment, it's the friendships and shared enthusiasm that make the community special. One memory, in particular, has stayed with him.

During a visit to Slushcult in Santa Ana, a fellow fingerboarder patiently helped him overcome one of the most frustrating milestones in the hobby. "There's a really cool dude over at Slushcult who actually taught me how to kickflip," he recalls. "I'll never forget that because that trick was driving me absolutely crazy."

Moments like that remind him how much knowledge and encouragement circulate within the community, where experienced riders are often eager to help newcomers improve. When asked what advice he would give to someone picking up a fingerboard for the first time, his answer isn't about mastering difficult tricks or buying expensive setups. Instead, he keeps it remarkably simple. "Have fun. Enjoy the community and try not to spend all your money," he jokes.

Behind the humor, however, lies a genuine appreciation for what fingerboarding has brought back into his life. Looking ahead, John-Claude has no intention of limiting himself to simply filming trick videos.

He's currently putting together a plan to merge his artistic background with fingerboarding in a much bigger way. Whether that means designing graphics for deck companies, creating stickers, developing original products, or building something entirely different, he wants creativity to remain at the center of everything he does. "I just know I want to merge my love for art and fingerboarding into something bigger."

Five years from now, he hopes to have created far more content, built countless DIY obstacles, and collaborated with some of the biggest names and companies in fingerboarding. Yet beyond those ambitions, his personal goal remains refreshingly straightforward. "I just hope I'm still creating, still learning, and still having fun."

If someone happens to read this interview years into the future, John-Claude doesn't hope they'll remember him for a particular trick or accomplishment. Instead, he hopes they'll remember the mindset behind everything he created.

"I'd just want them to remember that I was someone who wasn't afraid to do what I was passionate about. If me being myself inspires even one person to pick up a hobby they love again or chase something creative, then that's pretty awesome."

That may be the greatest achievement of all, not simply inspiring better fingerboarders, but inspiring people to rediscover the joy of creating without worrying about what anyone else thinks. (FlikMagazine)