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[AVclub]

Well, maybe it's a mid-life crisis, but I don't really care. I've always loved to skate. When I was a kid I started with quad roller skates. I'd hit the local "United Skates of America" to go around in circles for hours to disco music.

Eventually I moved up to Rollerblades and skated around my neighborhood as fast as I could. I also became fond of skateboarding and long boarding, but never really got into the trick aspect of these sports.

Now I'm in my late 30's and I still ride the skateboard and long board regularly. The neighborhood we recently moved to is quite skate friendly. So I'm looking into purchasing some inline skates. My goal is to zoom around some of the local skate parks for kicks while the young people stare and shake their heads.

Problem is, I'm torn between getting faster street skates and "aggressive" skates for grinding. The skates that can grind tend to have smaller wheels which require more pushing. I don't even know if I'll like grinding, but I want the option to do it. However, the roads around my area aren't that great, so larger wheels will probably allow me better speed when I'm not at the skate park.

So GAF, what's been your experience with skating? Do you prefer speed skates, street skates or aggressive skates? Is hitting ramps and rails out of my reach as an older skater? Do you have any recommendations of which skates are the most comfortable/durable for a larger man?

That's my other problem: I have a size 13 foot. I've read that aggressive skates should be at least a half size larger to fit properly. So I'm looking for skates in the 13.5 to 14 size range.

What do you think, NeoGAF?

 

[K0NY]

Haha! Thread FAIL!

Spoiler

I like to skate too

 

[desertdroog]

Weird that this thread just came up.

I skated from the time I was 12 in the 80's until I got hit by a 60's El Camino in the 90's. My body never healed fully and any tricks I tried to do, just causes havoc on my joints. I do cruise my longboard regularly, though.

I went to Sidewalk Surfer last night in Scottsdale and picked up a complete rig. Indy's 169's, set of soft Powell Bombers 64 mm for street cruising, AZPX Spoke Killer deck, looks like the old JFA decks with a smaller cut in tail area.

I don't think I will be doing Judo's or frontside grabs off of launch ramps anytime soon, but I plan to use it when walking my dog, since a smaller stick is easier to maneuver and stop than my long board.

Think of it less of a midlife crisis and more of a better thing to occupy your time than golf.

 

[desertdroog]

Even though the skate technology is better today, to facilitate the flippy New School tricks that the kids can really get technical on, I set my skate up as if I was back in the early 90's. That way I can still do some street work if I am feeling froggy, but the board can be easily used in the park or in a pool as necessary.

To think, when I quit skating, Phoenix Metro Proper decided to build FREE skateparks in rapid succession around all the suburbs.

 

[desertdroog]

Check out these sites for older decks, rather specs that will fit your feet.

http://www.azpx.com/ <--Blatant Localism *skateboardwedo*
http://www.factory13.org/ <-- Remakes the JFA decks as well as the Godoy Twins etc..
http://oldmanarmy.com/products.aspx <-- neat fat decks for old fuckers like us

 

[desertdroog]

If you love the old Bullet 66's from Santa Cruz, check out Rainskates Killer Bees.
They are made from the same formlation of the old Bullets. The redo's of the Bullets that Santa Cruz sells currently aren't even close even though they pull a facsimile of the old wheels.

http://socalskateshop.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=3742

 

[Brobzoid]

thought the thread was about boards :\
(if it was I would have pimped my Kendall Graffiti deck, but I won't since it ain't)


Grinding on skates is fun, but I prefer the chill of bigger wheels. But then again I'm more of a A-to-B kinda guy on skates...

 

[desertdroog]

Now that I re-read the original post, I can see where I went wrong.

We can discuss both, maybe?

 

[Max@GC]

I´m a skateboarder and think you have an awesome attitude. All power and good luck to you for your plan man!

btw.: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQi8wEHMm5Y

 

[Brobzoid]

Even if the OP didn't ask for em I appreciate the links Desertdroog. The Designarium re-make of Natas original santa monica airlines panther board looks too good. I think I might need that on my wall.

Spoiler

signed too... ~

out of stock?! D: woe is me..... why do I hype myself up and figure out how I can pay for it before I check if it's available... ;_; Damn you Desertdroog.... I blame you.

 

[desertdroog]

Damnit indeed!

I wish I knew they did a repro on the Natas deck. My favorite of his was the SMA Psycho Panther stick. Rode it right after my Jason Jesse Neptune broke on my buddies half.

Freaking Nostalgia.

 

[Brobzoid]

now you have me on a Ebay crawl 2:30 am.
I have a 15 hour train ride to catch tomorrow... ;_;

 

[desertdroog]

Heh, just forget how to access paypal and you'll do fine.

 

[Brobzoid]

oh god... I found one. Shrink wrapped and shit too.


...

Spoiler

done.

 

[AVclub]

Well, it's cool that this thread turned into skateboarding because I'm all into that too. I didn't get any help with my decision, but that's okay. I didn't really have a lot of choices. So between the handful of size 14 aggressive skates that I could find, I finally picked the Razor Genesis 7.1.


I customized it a bit, added larger wheels and faster bearings. Hopefully I don't kill myself too quickly on them.

 

[shintoki]

You're too old for tricks! :lol That isn't a joke either.

1.Wear Knee pads, Jeans or baggy shorts , I could care less about the helmet or elbow...should wear both either way. Knee pads/jeans will save so much little injury in the legs.
2. Unless your wearing wrist guards and even then...you fall...you roll that shit. Its the same as jumping out from a car or jumping from a roof. If you try to catch yourself or stop the fall, your going to get hurt more. Instead you roll into the fall. I never broke a bone unlike many others because I did this.
3. Don't get stunt skates, unless your really planning on doing tricks. No point. Ever gone 20 miles in stunt skates? Not a pretty sight. So much slower, and allot more painful. Don't get the skates they use for roller hockey either. They'll get wrecked on normal pavement. My wheels got ate up so fast when I use to play.

 

[AVclub]

You're too old for tricks! :lol That isn't a joke either.

1.Wear Knee pads, Jeans or baggy shorts , I could care less about the helmet or elbow...should wear both either way. Knee pads/jeans will save so much little injury in the legs.
2. Unless your wearing wrist guards and even then...you fall...you roll that shit. Its the same as jumping out from a car or jumping from a roof. If you try to catch yourself or stop the fall, your going to get hurt more. Instead you roll into the fall. I never broke a bone unlike many others because I did this.
3. Don't get stunt skates, unless your really planning on doing tricks. No point. Ever gone 20 miles in stunt skates? Not a pretty sight. So much slower, and allot more painful. Don't get the skates they use for roller hockey either. They'll get wrecked on normal pavement. My wheels got ate up so fast when I use to play.

THANKS! Now you tell me...lol. Anyway, the skates are ordered already. I don't intend to use them to roll 20 miles. If I do any distance skating, I can always buy a larger frame and put some 90MM wheels on there. It might look a bit silly, but it will work.

The main point is to shred a bit at the skate park, have fun and get some exercise. I won't be "going big" as the kids say. :lol The parks by me have some easy rails and half pipes to play with. So you can bet your ass that my helmet, knee pads and wrist guards will get broken in real nice.

I know I'm old, but I still want to be able to hang with my eight-year-old son. He's getting much better on his bike and skateboard. So I'll go about doing my thing and looking silly instead of "competing" with him.

 

[Slizz]

i jus got some blades monday, rollerblade downtown trs 4. i wanna start playin hockey an jumping over shit.

 

[Leatherface]

I just bought a pair of inline skates recently and love them. They are super light, comfortable and just really well designed. They even have this neat "quick release" setup so you don't have to always adjust. I can't recommend them enough!

I give you: Roces Majestic M12's!

Purchase Link: http://www.inlinewarehouse.com/viewlarge.html?PCODE=R12UFS

$178.00 is a little pricey, but it's well worth it for these if you plan on skating alot. They will last you forever.

*edit* whoops, looks like you already purchased some. Those look great as well. Nice find!

 

[Coins]

Old Man Army in this thread!

 

[desertdroog]

Coins, the AZPX board I just set up is cut like that deck. Fat Pointy Nose with a fluted relief cut on the tail. Unfortunately, I think it is a discontinued model as they don't have it on their site. I bought the last two I could find in town. One to use and the other...to use later.

It has a nice concave and enough of a nose to be multi directional as needed. Not quite as fat as a pool or vert deck, but much fatter than the pencil decks that the kids use.

 

[desertdroog]

And inline skate wheels are the best for downhill on a longboard...if you aren't afraid of going faster than 25 mph.

 

[Stormwatch]

Anyone know of some good casual rollerblades? I just want to be able to skate on the street in front of my house and in nearby parks for exercise. I have an old pair of skates that doesn't fit anymore that had the ABT braking system that I enjoyed, so it'd be nice to have something with features like that.

 

[AVclub]

Bumping my own thread again...

Despite buying a kick ass pair of street skates, I am still very awkward and self-conscious about bringing them to the skate park. Instead, I bought some components online to build my own old-school style board. It's a twelve inch wide "bomber" type blank deck that I decorated myself. I spent about $110 on everything to build it. It feels much more sturdy than the "professional" 8" Popsicle sticks the kids are using these days.

Anyway, I've taken it to the skatepark a bunch of times with my son. He's working his way up to ramps and ollies. I've been trying to ride in the bowl and drop into a half-pipe. This past weekend, in front of my brother and sister in law, I managed to successfully drop in a few times without busting my ass. It feels great and they seemed to be impressed that I could pull it off!

I've also seen some older guys around my age tearing up the pool. So I am aspiring to drop into the pool/bowl and skate the shit out of it sometime before they close down the park for the winter. After board riding for several decades, my recent skatepark visits are like opening up a lost chapter of a book I never got to finish. Wanting to ride better makes me want to be in better shape. So I have started some basic morning calisthenics to get back into shape. Also sweating my ass off on the ramps is helping as well.

So yeah, I started this thread about skates, it turned into boards, and now I'm boarding. How about the rest of you old-time skaters? Hitting the streets and parks this summer?

 

[J-Roderton]

Start snowboarding. Thats my life for about 4 months out of the year.

 

[KiKaL]

Oh man seeing those majestic 12's bring back memories. I still got my pair of them from years ago.

This thread is full of people just like me. I'm about to be 23 and I started skateboarding again but feel weird at times just since I'm so much older then the normal demographic.

edit- On a side note, if you like to skateboard I highly recommend wakeskating. The most fun boardsport in my opinion. Nothing's better then landing skate tricks out on the water.

 

[andycapps]

I actually tried picking up skateboarding last summer.. I was 25 then and when I took my first fall and hyperextended by shoulder by trying to break my fall, I was done. :lol And yeah, I know you're not supposed to stick your arm out, but reflexes kicked in and before I know it my arm was pretty much twisted backwards behind me. Felt a very sharp pain and couldn't lift my arm above my shoulder for a month.

I think I'm just too old to start. Plus, I have the same issue you probably have. I'm 6'1" with a size 13 shoe. My feet are just too big for these boards.. I was told I'd get used to it, but I can't get the balance together to do anything on them, the boards just seem too small.

 

[siddx]

old school skates + booty shorts + neon pink tank top. You'll be getting so much pussy.

Just do what you enjoy man. I always wished I had learned to skate when I was younger. I got a pair of rollerblades when I was 15. I put them on, rolled down my driveway (which was a steep hill) hit my gate and took a digger in the gravel. Never tried to skate again.

 

[baultista]

Skating on ice is my thing. I could go out on a frozen pond (or Nathan Phillips Square in TO) and skate from sunrise to sunset.

If I wasn't so well built for hockey I'd probably be a figure skater.

The funny thing is that, despite my ability to skate on ice, I can't rollerblade to save my life. Stopping, backwards skating, and tight turns are all foreign to me when on wheels.

 

[AVclub]

This thread is full of people just like me. I'm about to be 23 and I started skateboarding again but feel weird at times just since I'm so much older then the normal demographic.

Dude, you aren't "so much older." I turned 38 this year and I love boarding. So far the kids at the park have been pretty cool and respectful. They've even offered help when I try to learn something new.

My philosophy is that I'm too old to do stupid shit. So I build up to tricks slowly and carefully instead of just jumping in and praying it works. It isn't any less fun either...just less falling.

I think I'm just too old to start. Plus, I have the same issue you probably have. I'm 6'1" with a size 13 shoe. My feet are just too big for these boards.. I was told I'd get used to it, but I can't get the balance together to do anything on them, the boards just seem too small.

Here's the deck I got: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CE6WY6/?tag=neogaf0e-20
It's a 10" x 33" board which feels more sturdy and solid than those smaller ones. I too have size 13's and am 6'1" but it suits me fine. It's heavier than other boards but one of the kids at the park tried it out and was able to pull off a perfect kickflip with it on the first try, even though I have 3/8 inch risers on it.

 

[andycapps]

Here's the deck I got: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CE6WY6/?tag=neogaf0e-20 It's a 10" x 33" board which feels more sturdy and solid than those smaller ones. I too have size 13's and am 6'1" but it suits me fine. It's heavier than other boards but one of the kids at the park tried it out and was able to pull off a perfect kickflip with it on the first try, even though I have 3/8 inch risers on it.

Thanks for posting it.. I don't know if I'll ever try to get into it. I'm just scared that I'm going to do something stupid and then not be able to work for a certain period of time or be hobbling around on crutches. I just can't see getting injured and letting my family down in some way in not being able to do my fatherly duties. :lol

And the other part is going to the skateparks and feeling like an old fart next to these 15 year old kids. If I ever did skate, I'd probably be more of a street skater though. Skating in a park doesn't appeal to me.

 

[AVclub]

I just can't see getting injured and letting my family down in some way in not being able to do my fatherly duties. :lol

This exact thing...almost word for word...goes through my mind every time I'm about to drop into a half-pipe/quarter pipe. I'm not really scared of falling, just scared of being a useless dad/husband if I seriously injure myself. Overcoming that and just going for it though, feels incredibly rewarding

Spoiler

as long as I continue avoiding hurting myself

.

By the way, I think it's also important to mention that I wear protective gear, even though it's a pain in the ass on hot days, because I can't afford a serious injury either.

 

[Leatherface]

Oh man seeing those majestic 12's bring back memories. I still got my pair of them from years ago.

This thread is full of people just like me. I'm about to be 23 and I started skateboarding again but feel weird at times just since I'm so much older then the normal demographic.

edit- On a side note, if you like to skateboard I highly recommend wakeskating. The most fun boardsport in my opinion. Nothing's better then landing skate tricks out on the water.

23 is too old now? lol ok..