Learning to Skate
- Started
- Last post
- 53 Responses
- dee-dubs0
To get the feel of the board and balance and getting your weight right for lifting the nose (for tick tacking or turning etc) try standing on the board on carpet.
- Calderone20000
I'm 40 too. Once you get the hang of standing on your board and you feel confident enough pushing it around, I suggest finding a nice (wooden) bowl and try cruising around in it. Find the different lines, get used to the transitions and experiment with pumping to keep your speed. Carving a bowl is the best feeling in the world and it's not too hard on your knees ;-). Why wood? because it hurts less than concrete when you fall...
- What I find hard understand is why cruising isn't enough for some people. Tricks aren't necessarily skatings bread and butter.monospaced
- ^ +1Calderone2000
- Learn to ollie well, though. It makes cruising way more fun.nb
- "pumping to keep your speed"...hee heesee_thru
- instrmntl0
GET SOME!
- necromation0
42 this year and looking to skate the ass outta this summer. Got my 8 yr old daughter a new setup too. I'm still trying stupid stuff
and riding skinnys (7.75)... better for flippy shit.It never leaves you... You just get old, it's body that goes not the mind :(
- ApeRobot0
Got back on the board around 38, falling alot, felt on my coccyx pretty hard. Got me to the hospital.
Definitively not confident has i was when i was 15.
Thinking too much about consequences....
Sensations are still there.
- nocomply0
I've had a chance to hit the skatepark about half a dozen times since putting together my new board.
Wanted to bump this thread with the following observations:
* I think my entire skating career I had been keeping my trucks too tight. I loosened those bad boys more than what would be considered "normal" for me since I wanted to carve, and it really makes a huge difference in how the board rides and responds. It's just more fun and "surfy/snowboardy" feeling. And it doesn't seem to make a huge difference in setting up for tricks.
* My board is a heavy beast. I think those 58mm wheels weren't entirely necessary. A 54 or 55 would have been fine. Maybe I also should have invested in the hollow axle Indys instead of the old standard kind. Or maybe I'm just an out of shape slob.
* More than anything, the wheelbase is tripping me out. I'm used to riding around 14". The 14.5" takes some getting used to for sure. An 8.5" wide deck with a 14" wheelbase feels like it would be the sweetspot for me, if it exists, but from what I gather searching online it may be hard to find.
* I already knew this, but the kids these days blow me away. My greatest accomplishments in 1999 are their basic standards now. It's nuts. I blame the internet.
* Most importantly, skating is so fun! Not sure why I let life get in the way for the past 8 or 9 years.
- get some cushy 78A Ricta Clouds in 54mmprophetone
- might be my next wheel purchase, or some OJ Hot Juice'rsprophetone
- err0
- instrmntl1
FLIP YOUR BOARD HAWK!
- prophetone0
I ride Spitfire F1 Pretty Sweet Burners 53' in 100du. They are awesome fast and great for haulin'... I mean if they're good enough for the Girl boys.
But lately I've been looking for something more park and cracked sidewalk friendly, and old man friendly. I think OJ Hot Juice or Mini Hot Juice are my next wheel set up as they are super soft and look super fun, haul over everything.
Maybe even the 75mm Thunder Juice's!! Yes!!
- I was pretty happy with the Spitfire 80HD Speedies. Effortless distance riding, without compromising the basic tricks (ollies and some flips).Pixter
- Too bad one of them broke while doing a 180. http://i.imgur.com/I…Pixter
- harsh!!prophetone
- rson-2
Is this a joke thread?
- nope... just someone's midlife crisisPonyBoy
- http://i.imgur.com/z…PonyBoy
- A joke? I wish. Unfortunately some of us are just POSSESSED TO SKAAATE!prophetone
- prophetone0
If any of you fond your way to Vancouver, we have extensive skateboarding training available for the beginner...
Haha, love this vid. I'm no beginner, am a local boy and this still scares the crap outta me haha.
- Just cruising and bombin with some good pops and old school style. Still rules over the tech'd out styles of now. Why? FUN!!prophetone
- rson1
- nocomply1
I wound up switching to some skinnier Bones 54mm SPF wheels (over the 58mm I started with).
Huge difference in the way the board pops, manuals, and especially kickflips. The extra weight of the larger, wider wheels never felt quite right.
Interestingly, I didn't notice much of a difference skating the bowls with the smaller wheels. If anything, I think I felt a little more comfortable with them.
Though I still don't care about getting too tech, the smaller wheels are a better fit for my style.
- utopian1
- that's not a liquor store.bklyndroobeki
- those are clearly bags of liquor stacked by the doorGnash
- ahahbklyndroobeki
- desmo0
Some motivation from a 52 year old dad.
- jagara1
If you're afraid of falling, you're not going to get good. Learning to fall to hurt yourself the least amount possible, should be one of your base skills. When you master that, you'll worry less, and you make faster progress.
I suck at skateboarding. Guess i have very little deathdefiance in me.