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Skateboard GAF - Too old to skate?

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A

Ace Harding

Member
So after watching the Bones Brigade documentary I am inspired to go buy a deck and some shoes and start trying to skate again. Thing is, I am 31 years old. I used to skate a bit in HS, tiny bit in college. I could Ollie, 180, 50-50 a ledge, shove-it but that's about it. Never landed a kickflip.

Am I too old to try this again? I have amazing memories of skating for hours and hours both with friends and by myself. Great time - just forget about everything else and try to land some tricks. I would love to be able to do that again.

Anyone on GAF still skate? Any older folks?
 
T

thabiz

Member
I started skating again at 34. 15 year lay off. Not doing anything crazy, more a mode of transport. Dont push yourself and have fun.

PS. Those bails wont heal as quickly as they once did.
 
L

Lloyd Dobler

Member
I used to skate all the time from 11 to until I turned 17 or so. I'm 24 now and I missed it too. I bought a new complete and one of those mini cruiser plastic skateboards Stereo makes and it's a blast. It's nice actually having money to buy whatever skateboard components I want now. It's hard for me though to push myself like I used to, I am much more afraid of getting hurt now. All I really do is ollie manuals, boardslides, and cruise. . .
 
Z

zerotol

Banned
I grew up skating. started in 1986 when I was a little kid. I can't do it anymore, my knees are totally messed up because of it. But I have friends that stuck with it and make a living from skating these days. I still watch the new videos though.
I have to see the Bones Brigade doc. I met Lance Mountain and Tommy Guerrero a long time ago when they were still on Powell. Childhood hero's.
 
H

HiiiLife

Member
I always wanted to get into skating but I always feel like I'm going to break my ass as soon as I stand on one. Lmao.
 
S

SystemShock2

Member
Do it. Skating is one of the most fun things I've picked up. I started skating seriously about a year and a half ago, 22 now, and it always puts me in a good mood. I'd probably just work on flip tricks and stuff though if I were you because I wouldn't get seriously hurt doing some gap. But figure out how to do a kickflip or other tricks. It's gratifying.
 
G

gnarlyxcharlie

Member
Been skating since I was 9 or so, I was really good for my age at one point but I eventually just stopped progressing. Haven't skated since last fall, I really miss it. I'm 21 now, and my knees hurt pretty bad after any extensive athletic activity
 
H

HiResDes

Member
I still skate though I gave up on ever conquering a handrail and only skate small ledges, funboxes, banks, and manny pads now.
 
T

Trin

Member
My father and I still skate. He's 49, I'm 23. He's just as good as anyone else, but he puts pads on his elbows, knees, wrists, and all cause he breaks easy. I don't think you could ever be too old to skate so long as you know your limits.
 
Z

zbroome

Neo Member
I started skating when I was 13, had an enjoi complete as my first real set up. Now at 27 the shit hurts, so about 3 years ago I discovered longboards and never looked back since. Love to put the headphones in with good tunes, and just mellow the fuck out by cruising around downtown
 
S

ShaunBRS

Member
All the hype for Pretty Sweet got me into skating again a few months ago (25, 7 years off). Not really very old, I know, but I felt like a 50-year-old the first few times back on my board. Should have taken it easy!

Turns out there's still nothing like putting some headphones on and skating around town in the evening, though, or taking a whole hour to land the sloppiest trick ever seen and going home feeling like I just cured cancer. So go for it, I say.
 
M

mooooose

Member
What's a good complete to buy online for around $100? I have never skated before but I have always wanted to and now is the time, I think.
 
A

Ace Harding

Member
Cool - thanks for all the replies. I am thinking I won't die happy if I never land a kickflip, so fuck it - I'm going to start skating again and won't quit until I land one.

There are players in the NFL that are older than I am. Skaters older than I am. I'm not a supreme athlete or anything but I'm in decent shape and snowboard still. Fuck age.

I am not going to go crazy though, no launching myself off of ledges or dropping in on vert. If I ever make it to the skatepark (FDR in Philly) it will be at 6am when nobody else is there and I'll be in pads and a helmet and just cruise the bumps and bowls.

My wife is going to think I've completely lost my mind.
 
S

Stabby McSter

Member
I don't think it's too late. It's always fun just cruising around. My knees and ankles have taken a toll, so I've been skating bowls at parks almost exclusively.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
Fong Ghoul said:
Cool - thanks for all the replies. I am thinking I won't die happy if I never land a kickflip, so fuck it - I'm going to start skating again and won't quit until I land one.

There are players in the NFL that are older than I am. Skaters older than I am. I'm not a supreme athlete or anything but I'm in decent shape and snowboard still. Fuck age.

I am not going to go crazy though, no launching myself off of ledges or dropping in on vert. If I ever make it to the skatepark (FDR in Philly) it will be at 6am when nobody else is there and I'll be in pads and a helmet and just cruise the bumps and bowls.

My wife is going to think I've completely lost my mind.
Click to expand...

FDR is one of the most gnarly parks in the world so yeah I might even wear pads for that shit.
 
A

Ace Harding

Member
HiResDes said:
FDR is one of the most gnarly parks in the world so yeah I might even wear pads for that shit.
Click to expand...

Haha yep. I skated there a bit in the mid-late 90's (think it was built in like 96?). It was super gnarly then, and still is. It's big enough now though that you can just cruise over the pyramid and around the bowl corners and have a good time as long as you stay out of the way of the hardcore riders (and BMX kids).

But really I'll just be fine pushing around on flat ground, seeing if I can still even ollie after more than 10 years of not touching a board.

Also downloading this "Pretty Sweet" video someone mentioned. I fucking love skate videos.

Is CCS still the place to buy stuff online? Or are there better options these days? I might just go to one of the local shops since I'll need to try on some shoes also.
 
S

Stabby McSter

Member
Fong Ghoul said:
Haha yep. I skated there a bit in the mid-late 90's (think it was built in like 96?). It was super gnarly then, and still is. It's big enough now though that you can just cruise over the pyramid and around the bowl corners and have a good time as long as you stay out of the way of the hardcore riders (and BMX kids).

But really I'll just be fine pushing around on flat ground, seeing if I can still even ollie after more than 10 years of not touching a board.

Also downloading this "Pretty Sweet" video someone mentioned. I fucking love skate videos.

Is CCS still the place to buy stuff online? Or are there better options these days? I might just go to one of the local shops since I'll need to try on some shoes also.
Click to expand...

CCS is alright. A ton of stuff go on sale. Brick Harbor is alright, especially since I think they have 20% off coupons roaming around somewhere on the interwebs. Tactics.com and thepremierstore.com are places I've bought from and are pretty good.

But then again, I recommend supporting a local shop before going online, unless you don't have a local shop. :(
 
A

Ace Harding

Member
Stabby McSter said:
CCS is alright. A ton of stuff go on sale. Brick Harbor is alright, especially since I think they have 20% off coupons roaming around somewhere on the interwebs. Tactics.com and thepremierstore.com are places I've bought from and are pretty good.

But then again, I recommend supporting a local shop before going online, unless you don't have a local shop. :(
Click to expand...

I can walk to Kerry Getz's shop, Nocturnal, in about 5 minutes. So will probably just do that.
 
Z

zerotol

Banned
Any of you ever skate the Burnside park in Portland Oregon? It was built by skaters that stole bags of concrete and just started building a skatepark under the Burnside bridge. I'm not sure what it's like nowadays, but back in the 90's it was like the Wild West.
 
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Snakeyes

Member
There's no such thing as being too old for any kind of sport. It's only a matter of your body being able to handle it or not.
 
K

keltickennedy

Member
I picked up skating again after 7 years. I'm now 27. I don't really do flip tricks or street. I just love going to parks and doing more vert stuff. Half pipe, bowls, quarter pipe and kickers.
 
E

exhume

Member
Eh, I just started trying to learn a couple months ago and I'm 26. I suck, but it's fun and that's all that matters, right?
 
K

keltickennedy

Member
It just sucks when you get older that you might not have as many people to skate with or go to parks with. Also at parks all these young kids asking how old you are. Hahaha.
 
G

gnarlyxcharlie

Member
Growing up, I remember rolling around town for spots with 20 friends. It was great.

We started to push for a skatepark and finally raised the funds, but it kind of killed skateboarding for us. I think it was more about the, making your own spot that was so fun.

We went around a couple of town scrounging up all kinds of shit, welding rails, building shoddy quarter pipes. All that went down the drain with a park.
 
C

Cosmic Dreams

Member
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH6L_LqXfwA

Was in this skate video. That's me at 0:47-48 in this promo.

Skating for 8 years and counting. Rode for 2 ride shops. Know pros, blah blah.

Just have fun OP. Don't get too gnarly at your age if you don't have much experience. The dudes at that point like Lance Mountain have done it for years and are used to taking hits, your body adjusts to it. So just take it easy and work on things like tech tricks and whatnot.
 
navii

navii

My fantasy is that my girlfriend was actually a young high school girl.
older than you op, still do it myself sometimes. I have no problem skating with the younger dudes at a skate park.

One thing to consider when ure older, can you afford to be off work with an injured limb? It also takes longer to recover when ure hurt.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
I stopped for three months and went out yesterday and could nollie heel like a badass, shit is crazy as I never could do them before
 
Goldrusher

Goldrusher

Member
Don't forget your cane(s).

old-japanese-skateboajfout.jpg
 
P

POWERSPHERE

Banned
I interviewed Stacy Peralta about this Doco, a total life highlight.

Old people never grew up with skating till now, so just be happy you're one of the early generations who can.
 
E

exhume

Member
zerotol said:
Absolutely. As long as you're having fun, stick with it.
Click to expand...

Totally, I think it's sad when people hold themselves back from trying new things/going back to old things they enjoyed for fear of not being good at it. So far I'm just taking it slow, trying to get my balance/confidence up, I'll probably never be able to do any fancy tricks but that isn't the end goal for me anyway.

I'd be keen to watch a few good skate docos if anyone has some recommendations.
 
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