SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Nic and Tristan Puehse spent six years sailing through the air with the greatest of ease, bending on their skateboards like yogis on mats. They had a clothing contract with Nike before their eighth birthdays, and by the age of 12, they were performing difficult feats like the stalefish.

For their next move, they really made jaws drop. Eschewing a future as twin Tony Hawks, Nic and Tristan decided two years ago to try to become the next Bob and Mike Bryan, the No. 1-ranked men’s doubles tennis team. The jump from the anarchistic world of skateboarding to the button-down sport of tennis has been their toughest trick.

It is a huge adjustment, trading thrill rides on the skateboard for the emotional roller coaster of tennis points. Their learning curve is steep because their competitors, in many cases, have several years more match experience.

People in both sports dismissed their decision as a flight of fancy and figured the twins would be back on their skateboards before long. Two years into their tennis adventure, it is as if the twins simply traded one obsession for another. Training as long and hard on the court as they once did at the park, the Puehses have made steady progress.