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Merry Christmas all
Decided I’m due my mid life crisis and so going to buy a skateboard to roll around on with my lad, who just got his first one for Christmas.
I did used to skate around 25 years ago for quite a few of my younger years and I’m only looking at cruising around and some tame tricks and smaller features at local skate parks eventually, but certainly nothing crazy, with an emphasis on not breaking myself too much.
I was going to just look for a re-issue similar to what I used to ride as I like the idea of slightly bigger and softer wheels and a wider deck with a shape rather than the double tail designs, I preferred the shaped deck when younger too. The re-issues seem expensive though for using, rather than hanging on the wall.
So something a bit like the Frankie Hill board I used to have would be nice.
Any advice on what to look at? Looking at a Polar 8.75 Shin Sanbongi at the moment from a local shop and just asking them to recommend some trucks and wheels. Polar seem a decent brand, but I would be tempted with a Powell or Santa Cruz too.
Budget wise then around £150 and would prefer a custom build.
Cheers
£150 will get a nice build. I've not skated for a while so haven't got up to date knowledge but for me Ricta wheels were much better than anything else and you can't go wrong with Independent trucks.
Reminds me I should get my board out at some point and go for a cruise.
It's not a proper midlife crisis until you're bunking off work to go skate.
Any advice on what to look at?
Ankle and wrist protection?
I bought a board for similar use/reasons. Black Label Kerb Vulture, Indy trucks, some big soft OJ wheels. Really fun set up 🙂
I've had a few Polar decks and they are good. Have a look at Welcome. They do some nicely shaped modern decks. My last few have all been Welcome (all 8.75).
Indy or Thunder trucks and Spitfire wheels.
Polar are a cool little company and their decks are great. All their shapes are functional.
Other brands with good shapes are welcome, tired, streetplant (Mike vallelys brand) and blast skates which is a cool little uk company.
Trucks wise, indies are the classic and you can’t go wrong with them. That said after years on indies I’ve switched to ace. Lighter and much “surfier” to turn. Work great for carving around small park features.
Wheels wise it depends what you want. For “proper skating” 99a Spitfire F4s are the benchmark, somewhere around 54-56mm is a good size for do it all skating.
OJ slimeballs 97a are a good shout. Fast, Still slide well for tricks but a little more grip on wooden ramps and a little more roll over our crappy pavements.
If you aren’t worried about getting the wheels to slide for tricks them ricta clouds are excellent as a cruiser wheel. OJ mini juice are also great. Both will roll over anything rough.
Wrist guards and a helmet!
Mini logo bearings are a tenner and good value.
There alot of choice these days. I've just bought myself a flip Lance Mountain as I don't nollie or ride switch any more. Buy what you like the look of, truck width to suit. After using cheaper wheels and standard bearings for years I am now using big 95a speed labs and Powell red bearings but had to put some risers on to stop wheel bite, the speed and ride difference is amazing.
Modern concrete skateparks are smooth when new, older stuff can be pretty rough.
I wear 661 pads under my jeans and a protec. You will hit the floor and it will hurt more than it used to.
Cheers everyone, some great pointers.
Like the look of several of those mentioned and will def get some wrist guards, prob use my Dainese mtb knee and elbow pads. Is a proper skating helmet recommended or will MTB lid be ok to start?
What happened to Gullwing trucks, that was the go to when I last bought some, can’t even remember Independent!
Cheers
Aah the old gullwings with the groove in? Mega 80’s vertastic!
They still exist but aren’t popular at all anymore. Trackers are the same. Indies have been around forever - they’re on their 11th version now! Thunders and ventures are still around and well regarded.
Film trucks are a newer brand that are a little cheaper ( cos they’re based in France ) but are supposed to be excellent.
It’s worth checking #streetplantbattalion or #over40skateboarding on Instagram. Plenty of old dude / rad dad low impact inspiration!
Ps don’t wear your mtb helmet, people will stare!
This is a good budget option
What happened to Gullwing trucks, that was the go to when I last bought some, can’t even remember Independent!
Burn the witch!
Boards are a pretty personal choice..but Indys & spitfires..end of😎
Ha ha. Gullwing Shadow and white Pro III From what I remember - which these days is very little. Was early to mid 90s though not 80s. Can remember the brand name being on the bushings. Pretty sure I ran rails as well and fly tape.
Ah gullwing trucks I remember those from back in the (70s) day, paired with Kryptonic wheels and Santa Cruz board 😀
Ha ha. Gullwing Shadow and white Pro III From what I remember – which these days is very little. Was early to mid 90s though not 80s. Can remember the brand name being on the bushings. Pretty sure I ran rails as well and fly tape.
Yeah, Gullwing were popular in the early 90s with their plastic base USP. I’ve still got a set of all metal ones on a late 90s set up in the shed, bushings are shot though. I only bought Gullwing as Indy’s cost more and I was a poor student at the time. Early 90s I remember tape on custom builds being standard or Madrid for an extra few quid, Madrid always wore quicker though, my parents did upgrade me to bones bearings one Xmas though.
You can wear bike pads under jeans and a plaid shirt or hoody, but definitely not a bike helmet unless it's one of those piss pot ones with ears that Gonz occasionally wore.
That’s a signature Gonz protec
https://www.thrashermagazine.com/articles/trash/mark-gonzales-pro-tec-helmet/
New Deal re-issues are probably worth looking at for what you describe, supposedly very true to original shapes but with more useable modern features, all designed by Schmitt. That said there are loads of wider and shaped boards now without going down the costly reissue route. For wheels, maybe Ricta Clouds which will be a bit more forgiving for cruising around on. I dare say there are probably some good equivalents if you wanted them in keeping with the time period. Trucks are much of a muchness in my opinion unless you're sensitive to the marginal differences.
Great stuff everyone, keep them coming, really appreciate the advice.
I must have been a cheapskate if I can’t remember Independent trucks, although the folks probably footed most of the bill, think a full set up back then with a Powell Deck, NMB bearings, Gullwings and some Santa Cruz bullets was over £150 - they seem pretty good value now at a similar price!
Didn’t know New Deal did reissues, you’ve got me looking at and Andrew
Morrison as a wall hanger as had one back in the day.