skateboarding ...

[Lucky Al]

lately i've been had headaches in the top and back parts of my head, not sharp pains but dull aches, as though i'm being beaten lightly with a rubber mallet all the time. it's a drag, i can't think straight and just want to put my head on a pillow. i don't know if beer makes it better or worse, but i'm going to keep drinking until the answer comes to me.

[Lucky Al]

this is a clip i made from video i took at the belco bowl jam in 2004. i put it up in google video a few months ago and forgot about it - i had just learned about google video then, i think - and now i want to watch it again but can only get quarter of the way or halfway through every time i try. i don't know what the problem is.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 4942&hl=en

[Hatchnam]

^^^
The Dulwich Hill snake run has been on my to-do list since I got my Carver. Do you know if they are smoothing out the rough concrete?

Not sure?
And the concretes not that rough at all.
Moreover ur wheels are prob too hard for it.
The snake run is way better to skate on a longboard.
Long wheelbase, wider trucks, bigger softer wheels and all that.

[petulance]

Hmmm, shows how much I know about skateboarding. I didn't know there were hardness levels for wheels. Anyway, I checked the ones I have and they are "70mm 78a" which apparently are soft wheels for carving / long boarding. The deck is only 31", which is not in longboard territory.

Ah well, I'll be getting more time on the skateboard now that the days are getting darker sooner.

[Hatchnam]

Check ur pm

Also, what defines a longboard is less to do with the lengths and more to do with the wheels funnily enuff.

Check out the basement skate store (formerly Hopkins) in st Leonard's or online to look, learn, buy etc,

And the silverfish and asra forums. Heaps of info

[purple pyramids]

i'm just waiting for the re-release of the bahne superflex, then i'll get back to injuring myself like it's 1977 again.
wonder how i'd feel about the board now, and how it would stack up against modern boards.

[Donweather]

I have a loaded vanguard and it's easily the most fun I've ever had on a hill (up and down) without snow on it!!!!

[alakaboo]

What sort of wheels, Don?
I've got a Dervish

[Hatchnam]

Kincumber ditch on the central coast is a pretty awesome spot for longboard/surf crossover style skating. Double banked 5 foot ditch that runs for 200 mtrs down the side of kincumber mountain. Easy to find. End of kincumber st. Take a broom for the leaves and watch it if it's been raining the day before. Can get slippery. Fast and fun as shit but.
http://vimeo.com/m/10194829

[Karlos]

I'll second Iggy's call on Basement Skate. Knowledgeable & friendly staff & the prices are reasonable. In fact I picked up a set of Rainskates 59mm 98a wheels last weekend from them.

Anyway my set up:

8.5" wide deck, 32.5" long with a 14" wheelbase
Independent 159 trucks
Satori Movement Linked Logo 56mm 98a wheels

I use this one predominantly on the mini half-pipe at Keirle Park & whenever I get to skate the Five Dock bowls. No good on rough concrete but nice on the smooth stuff. I'm also in the process of putting together a wider pool board for the likes of Five Dock. Need to find a deck around 9" wide but with a similar wheelbase/length of the 8.5" one. Harder to find than I would have thought.

I only got back into skating a couple of years ago & have found it has helped my surfing. Maintains the skills during extended flat periods as well as being a pretty good alternative. Hurts a lot more hitting concrete though so pads are essential.

[godsavetheking]

Does anyone use the old school setups any more? I gave my old 30x10 (Lucero Riky Barnes, Trackers, 90a Crossbones) to a mate thinking I'd never use it again and then another mate has only gone and built a pretty fantastic skatepark, so I'm in two minds about what to do - get it back off mate number 1 (although he's probably already flogged it to a cashed up nostalgic) or get a modern board. I've never really ridden one in anger. Are they the same as the old freestyle decks? OK in a bowl/on a miniramp?

[petulance]

Kincumber ditch on the central coast is a pretty awesome spot for longboard/surf crossover style skating. Double banked 5 foot ditch that runs for 200 mtrs down the side of kincumber mountain. Easy to find. End of kincumber st. Take a broom for the leaves and watch it if it's been raining the day before. Can get slippery. Fast and fun as shit but.
http://vimeo.com/m/10194829

Nice. It looks to be near the Kincumber Ridge mountain bike trail, which i have ridden before.

[Karlos]

GSTQ: go for the modern popsicle shaped decks, just make sure it isn't too narrow. It's all about progression, & like surfing the retro thing doesn't work as well as the current set-ups. I'm pretty sure all the old school guys who still skate (Caballero, Alva, Mountain etc) are all on the modern shapes. I started back up on an old-school shape & got rid of it pretty quickly in favour of a double kick popsicle deck. 10" would be too wide for my liking but 8.5" - 9" is what works for my size 12 feet. If you've got a mate who's built a skate park you'd be mad not to get back into it by the way.

[godsavetheking]

cheers Karlos. I did have a quick go on a popsicle the other day just on my lane and surprised myself with how easy it was to ollie and kickflip. any recommendations? I know nothing about current decks, trucks or wheels

(This is my mate's park btw http://www.rampworldcardiff.co.uk and here https://www.facebook.com/RampWorldCardiff. Still a work in progress, but pretty decent already by all accounts)

[Karlos]

The bowl looks nice. That's my bag. Never been into the street/trick thing mainly because it wasn't around when I used to skate & I'm too old to try kick-flipping & stuff for fear of breaking an ankle. So what's with the registered charity thing? Hopefully that means you get to skate for free?

That set-up I mentioned above is pretty good. I'm guessing all deck companies produce the same thing across the various sizes as they're all made of Canadian maple & it's not like there's a great variety of different shapes out there. Pay attention to the width & wheel base. You can't go wrong with Independent trucks & those Satori wheels were recommended to me due to them not feeling too hard in comparison to similar durometer wheels. Softer wheels tends to be sticky & slow on surfaces like masonite which is what that park appears to be, & other surfaces you find on bowls & ramps, so you want to avoid them if you're skating parks. The Satoris have the speed you want but without the chatter you can get with hard wheels on rougher surfaces.

Check out this site that's done by another old guy recently returned to the sport:

http://skateboardingismylifetimesport.blogspot.com.au

Lots of equipment reviews as well as advice in choosing set-ups. Really good starting point. Also try to skate other people's skateboards to see what works for you. If the UK is anything like over here, you might find older crew at the parks you skate willing to offer advice & give you a crack on their gear. There's a lot more of this sort of support & camaraderie in skating than you find in surfing in fact.

[godsavetheking]

Nah, it's not free. The charity thing is a bit of a puzzler. He asked me about it before applying for charitable status and I didn't think he had a prayer but I was obviously wrong. There's lots of advantages to doing it, like 100% business rate relief, grants from sporting bodies etc.

Thanks for the info. I'll check it out now

[Hatchnam]

Gstq. For a dedicated bowl board There's plenty of old school type reissue board around that are "modernised" with concaves etc that would also be worth considering alongside the Popsicle type shapes. Ideally u don't want to go any wider than 9.5 inches (9" ideally) as too wide they become too slow, and lose that on-rail type feel as u hook lines around the bowl. Do some googling. Check out Powell, pocket pistols, Santa Cruz, etc. they're all making old school reissues, but again, mind the width. Pair of Indy 169 trucks often suit best. And on wheels, don't go any bigger than 62mm tops, or u lose acceleration. Wheel hardness; go a bit softer (say 92durometre) if u want it to also handle (grip)?slightly rougher concrete or painted surface. Hard as hell wheels (98+) are faster, but only on glassy smooth surface, and get sketchy on less perfect surfaces.

Karlos: if u haven't yet skated Macquarie Fields bowl ur missing out. 7 foot deep, super tight and fast. U can hit warp speed on it. Super smooth, and has lights til 11pm. Google it

[Karlos]

Jesus Iggs you get around. Macquarie Fields huh? That's a long way from the north side.

All this talk of skating & I get a day off, the surf is shit & it's pissing down with rain. Bummer.