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I figure there are a few skaters on here (and I've not found a decent forum for it yet) so I thought I'd start a little thread...
I used to skate a lot 'til my early 20s - mostly street, I was never any good but I had a few flip tricks, boardslides, 50-50s etc more or less down (on small things, not hitting any massive stair gaps or railslides or anything!). But that was nearly twenty years ago now.
Recently got back into it a little bit - I don't have much time to ride due to a new baby and my bikes living in my parents' shed due to our lack of space, so I've just been cruising back and forth to work. Hopefully might start popping to the park down the road in the future...
Currently riding a fairly nice Chocolate deck with crappy Route One trucks and wheels, but it pretty much does the job. The wheels are pretty small at 53mm not to mention super hard at something mental like 102a so I'm thinking about changing them for something bigger and softer - maybe 58-60mm /78a as the tarmac around here is horrific.
So what do you ride? Street, park, awesome old school setups... Let's see it!
I got into longboarding a few years back. Loved it. But moved and there isn't anywhere to cruise around near me.
Have a look at shark wheels for poor tarmac.
Yeah I like the idea of a longboard but it's flat as a pancake around here, with bugger all space.
Those shark wheels look nuts, have you used them?
Get out occasionally to the odd park these days, but definitely not going crazy, I'm quite happy keeping it simple. Think 53mm is pretty much the defacto standard for wheels nowadays, was surprised recently to hear Brandon Westgate say he rides 52s... But I guess it's considered the best compromise between weight and speed. If you're just interested in cruising around, I think there are a good range of cruiser/filmer wheels out there now.
Middle-aged shread on Facebook
Aye I think if I was doing more trick skating the 53s would be ideal, they roll fine on smoother surfaces and in the park but on crappy roads they seem to hang up on anything and vibrate like an overcharged dildo.
That might just be my legs getting used to it again though...
Had a look at Middle Aged Shred but I'm not really on Facebook and I don't really want to be!
Used to commute to work by skateboard when I lived in Christchurch NZ about 2001 I fear I’d just mangle myself now. Ooh those lovely smooth pavements. Happy Commutes!
Its just like riding a bike!
None of us here ever fall off those.
Get some wrist guards.. don't get carried away.. unless your name is Steve
Ha Cab's grin at the end of that video literally sums up skating in a single frame.
I think I have some wrist guards from a snowboarding trip a few years back, that's a good shout if / when I manage to get to the park.
Annoyingly there's a bowl literally minutes from where I work, but it's on the poggiest estate for miles around and usually full of feral kids, plus full of leaves and syringes. And it's tiny.
Got a longboard that I could get around on.Loved it. Nowhere to ride it ( yet ) now.
I used to ride it at a road based cycle track when it was empty as well as going places on it down the cycle lane and through parks. ;). I'll keep looking for places to have a session though ( since moving ).
I bought my daughter a longboard for her birthday last month. (D Street drop through.) She loves it, and I’ve been having a few rides on it. It’s entertaining - might get one myself. Is 50 too old to take up skating? 😁
Pretty sure it's never too late to take up skating...
Pretty sure it’s never too late to take up skating…
I was hoping that would be the answer....
I'm nearly 40 and I'm basically starting from scratch, so I say go for it. Obviously you'll have to buy your own board now...
Cab looks like one happy guy.
To be fair, given that run I'm not surprised!
Other parenting options are available:
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....actually about 4 years ago now all I hear is the rumble as she departs for local station for all day riding at what ever locations the group agree on
Other parenting options are available:
I’m trying hard not to be rude, so no!
I’m trying hard not to be rude, so no!
passed the test ! the bowl/ramps are yours
😂
I've got a plastic street ramp thing if anyone wants it.
I got some cloud 9 wheels for mine - very smoooth. Not good for tricks I suspect but that does not concern me.
I've just started snowboarding and absolutely loving it.
Takes me straight back to the skateboard years.
I've still got my deck.
Birdhouse board
Destructo trucks
Bones wheels
Been in the loft for maybe 10 years but it's still in good order.
I think it maybe time to dust it off!
I can't stop watching these videos. They're hypnotic and terrifying. Plus the music is pretty cool.
As for having nowhere to ride, quite the opposite for me. I'm in Sheffield so there's hundreds of places I could go to give myself life changing injuries. Which is what would happen, since I haven't touched a skateboard since I was about 10.
I recently bought my first board and I’m 43. I mean what could possibly go wrong. The boy wanted one and I get so bored sitting watching him so thought I’d give it a go.
I have 55mm minilogo 90a wheels on mine and I like it. Not too rattlie but still feels easy enough to ride. It came with some that I think had been carved from solid marble which sent your vision funny on anything other than perfect smooth concrete. The Minilogos were recommended by the 40something guy at the skate shop.
Ace, I might have a look at the Minilogos. There seem to be a few options round 80-90a.
Does anyone carry their board around on their bike? How do you do it? I used to have one of those backpacks with straps for a skateboard but it got nicked about 20 years ago, now I'm all outdoorsy with fancy hydration packs and that, which aren't much use for carrying a plank on wheels.
I have posted this before so im sorry if you've seen it.
I was big into skating in the late 80's - early 90's and came across a load of footage of us skating on a VHS tape. I then contacted all the people on the tape and made a small documentary with us meeting again and skating for the first time in 25 years. It was on at the Kendal Film Festival a couple of years back.
Anyway, here it is again:
I think I remember watching that a couple of years ago... But I'll be sticking it on the telly again tonight!
I used to skate back in the 70's/80's, nearest bowl to me in Worcester was Hereford. Picked up a cheap Osprey board a couple of years ago to celebrate my 50th, love it.
That alpine stuff is amazing. High risk for sure. I’ll watch the documentary later as looks good.
Bought a board a few months back, wheels were rattly so fitted the cloud mines and they are silent and smooth.
Thinking I should have for a long board.
Anyone around Sutton/wimbledon/surrey that wants to meet up and Sk8 (sorry)?
I ride mongo apparently.
The Alpine stuff is proper crazy, going down stuff that fast with no brakes absolutely boggles my mind. Downhill stuff in general, really.
I'm in 'Ull, so not local I'm afraid!
The year after making that film, i dug an old cattle trough out on a hill side and tried skating that again. It was awful in the 80's and guess what..... still awful.
Its here: (i just watched it again, its quite pretentious!)
Maybe a little bit pretentious... But nicely shot. And it does look rough as hell, but sometimes those are the best spots!
Nice 49 finger film. I want to buy a longboard now and head down the local prom to scuff my knees.
Took my son down to Southsea Skatepark for their anniversary bash.. er.. 5 years ago! I was 50 🙂
Random bloke came over and asked who I skated with... this was quite amusing because I was crap and thought it looked like I hadn't skated since the 70s!
Note, bike helmet
Now where's that pic of me from 1977? bloody photobucket!
Loving the old school board @DezB! Looks like a nice bowl too.
Cheers! Homemade deck, Tracker trucks and Sims Comp II Conical wheels (all the same as in my '77 photo, which is why I wanted to post it!). That's Southsea's little mogul bowl.
By the way, there are 3 fab new skateboarding films out - "Skate Kitchen" "Mid90s" and "Minding the Gap" - all worth a watch.
I knew about Mid90s, but I'll keep an eye out for the other two as well.
I find it staggering the amount of free concrete facilities that are about, some of them are actually good aswell. Hopefully the Olympics will get a few more, but no team strips thanks.
Indoor places still seem to struggle to make enough money to stay open.
I can think of at least five where I live (in Hull), three in walking distance of my house. One is a bit small and poggy (and full of feral kids), one is pretty decent and the last one is actually pretty awesome. Pretty sure there are others round and about too.
I have posted this before so im sorry if you’ve seen it.
Saved, to watch this evening.
I ride mongo apparently.
That's the same as in surfing, right foot forward?
No, mongo is pushing like a mong.
Mongo = pushing with the front foot.
Goofy = right foot forward.
Let's not get into frontside and backside...
See, I tripped up already. I don't push mongo, I ride goofy. Haven't a clue really.
Just don't get it wrong talking to the kids down the park. Although they're probably on scooters anyway.
I do believe the term goofy comes from an old Disney cartoon where he skateboards right foot forward. Mongo is self explanatory and thankfully the offence police have no jurisdiction within skateboarding. Trick names are getting shorter as they get more difficult.
Can anyone recommend a good value longboard? Not sure what is best from a pintail to a drop through, but maybe someone knows?
There are some lovely looking boards out there but I'm not going to spend hundreds.
Thanks.
(Nee) Naw @scruff that's not clever. Did you think you'd got away with that? I like skating and was enjoying the thread, I wasn't going to say anything but to use it as a platform for bigotry, and then being smug about it ain't cool. Mongo is a skating term but mong means someone with learning disabilities or is stupid, ie me, I prefer goofy.
Disability is one of the 9 protected characteristics in the Equality Act and British Cycling has chosen STW to launch its diversity campaign. I'm not offended, you clearly didn't mean me and freedom of speech 'n' all that but as someone who is singled out every day as being different it's nippy
I spent a short while in the park earlier, sharing the board with my daughter. I’m starting to trust myself not to throw me off the board at anything over walking speed. And can slalom with some certainty. Stopping is more of a lottery. I’m sure I’ve given myself a groin strain though.
Been sorta toying with buying a longboard. I was never very good on a board, rather too old with poor balance. Still got my old board, though, with blue Kryptonics, so I might use those with more modern trucks.
Skating ‘goofy’ is right foot forward
Skating ‘regular’ Is left foot forward
‘Mongo’ is leaving your rear foot on the board whilst pushing with your front foot. Doesn’t matter if you’re goofy or regular you should always push with your rear foot.
“Look at him he’s pushing ‘mongo’ what a grom”
Can anyone recommend a good value longboard?
I dunno if these are good, but when I see that Z-Flex logo I go all misty eyed 😀
https://www.boardridersguide.com/skate-1/longboards/completes
I push mongo when I'm skating switch. Well I used to, I can barely skate regular at the moment.
I push mongo when I’m skating switch. Well I used to, I can barely skate regular at the moment.
Thats showing off.... i havnt skated since that cow trough movie, i went to take a photo of it yesterday and its filled up with mud again.
Cant link photo
Ha when I say I can barely skate regular, at the moment literally dropping off a kerb is a big achievement...
Amazing how things get ganked up so quickly innit. I need to have an explore and find some sketchy spots like that.
these should be fine to start with.
edit - only the no fear one is for sale by the look of it. I got one like this off amazon and it is fine for everything I need. Very impressed.
amazon is good too. Some bargains there, with reviews. Not too sure which style is best though.
I got an extreme sports channel ( EX ) one from amazon for £30 reduced from £50 and have been about 25mph on it with no need for anything better. It's durable too.
longboarding is great fun and feels alot safer than skateboarding even at speed. Feels alot like snowboarding i find. Be careful though as some of the longboards might not actually be that long I found.
anyone tried any of the electric ones? the boosted boards look great but the flowdeck is half the price.
I always wear hard plastic knee pads and elbow pads , wrist guards and a helmet. It can hurt when you fall otherwise.
Yeah I never used to wear any kind of pads when I was younger, now I'm getting more old and brittle suddenly it seems like a much better idea. Plus padded shorts, I always seem to land on my arse now.
Not tried any electric boards but tbh it's not really my thing. I would like to have a go at longboarding, I say there's nowhere to do it around here but actually there's a dead quiet crescent that's about a mile long all in just over the road from work where it might actually be a good laugh... Flat as a pancake, and not the best road surface, but still.
I bought my 10y a cheap electric. It's heavy, turns poorly, has a 4 mile range, can't handle a 90kg adult unless it's dead flat. Apart from that's it's pretty fun. I can see why people spend £1k+ on boost boards.
anyone tried any of the electric ones?
Just be done with it and get a stunt E-scooter. Or rocket assist-rollerblades.
Not exactly easy posting an image from Dropbox eh?
That's a right shame, how long since you cleared it? And whereabouts is it (roughly like)?
I spent a short while in the park earlier, sharing the board with my daughter. I’m starting to trust myself not to throw me off the board at anything over walking speed. And can slalom with some certainty. Stopping is more of a lottery. I’m sure I’ve given myself a groin strain though.
Yeah I know that feeling, I'm still feeling it from skating to work the other day. Made today's lunchtime run a bit interesting!
thought I'd take the board out with the kids earlier - good fun. Those wheels are really quite smooth even on bumpy ground.
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The ditch is near Kendal.
It was named ‘ the dust bowl’ in the 80’sbut the cow shit bowl the other year!
Hahaha, I like the cow shit bowl. Reminds me of where I grew up.
Skated into work again today, still rumbly as heck on the cruddy bits but I'm getting used to it a bit more now. Feels awesome on the 7 metres or so of super smooth tarmac! Definitely gonna stick some softer wheels on.
Anybody own a Penny 32? I'm thinking freestyle-ish but for forgiving than a wooden deck and with softer 90a wheels.
https://www.pennyskateboards.com/uk/mint-black-32.html
Nope, sorry - I used to have a cheap Penny knock off from a car boot sale, weirdly it was the only thing I could reliably 360 flip. Apart from that it was awful.
Thanks for tips on longboards. I’m now looking at all terrain longboards with 10cm wheels. They look great but I really don’t need one.
https://www.mbs.com/mbs-blog-1/2017/5/8/jake-freeds-cross-country-longboard-road-trip
https://www.atomlongboards.com/allterrain
Not sure I get off road longboards tbh, though I guess they might be quite fun on bumpy tracks. Let us know how it goes!
The Penny32 is more like a regular skateboard than a wee Penny22.
I picked up a Penny22 knockoff on gumtree for my son and it was awful. Jumping on a genuine penny was a complete revelation.
I ordered a long board. Found an atom for 40 quid reduced from 100. The kids like riding them so that’s my excuse.
root n 5th - you need a mountain board. 😉
They look fun but very expensive and might as well take the bike. Think I’ll try a longboard and see how I get on. 70mm wheels should roll ok.
Used to skate in my teens but my knees would not tolerate it now, I commend those 30+ who do.
I watched this recently it's really good and Rick McCrank is a great presenter
That looks worth a watch. Mrs root very happy you’ve found that for me to watch!
Anything about old gimmers on it?