Skateboarding- Is This Gonna Be A Midlife Crisis?

Jamie2.0

Jamie2.0

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T6 Guru
Any skateboarders on here?

Bit of background...
We found we have a couple of small but nicely presented skate parks within walking distance from our house. We started taking our daughter there recently to learn to ride her scooter, nice smooth concrete etc.

The plan...
There's never anyone there so I got to thinking about getting a skateboard rather than just sitting the like a grande lemon!

The reality...
I know very little about where to start. I have a back to the future one I had as a kid and an absolute classic my dad owned from what I guess is late 60's/ early 70's. What's a good brand/ price, what sort of wheels? (Told you I know nothing) Is it too late to start?
 
Jamie2.0 said:
Any skateboarders on here?

Bit of background...
We found we have a couple of small but nicely presented skate parks within walking distance from our house. We started taking our daughter there recently to learn to ride her scooter, nice smooth concrete etc.

The plan...
There's never anyone there so I got to thinking about getting a skateboard rather than just sitting the like a grande lemon!

The reality...
I know very little about where to start. I have a back to the future one I had as a kid and an absolute classic my dad owned from what I guess is late 60's/ early 70's. What's a good brand/ price, what sort of wheels? (Told you I know nothing) Is it too late to start?
Click to expand...
If you have a daughter, then yes you are too old to skateboard.:whistle:
 
Quick google brought up a few choice results....I'm not saying the internet is listening but the advert near the bottom made me chuckle....

Amazon "customers of a certain age that searched skateboards for beginners also searched hair loss treatments..."

IMG_1617.PNG
 
Never too late mate!!
I still skateboard with a few mates I used to ride with when I was in school. We have a catch up and ride at the same time.

What type of parks are they? And also what type of riding do you think you will be doing?
This can dictate the size of board and type of wheels.
Wider boards 8 inch plus are more stable at higher speeds and are usually used on ramps and bowls where as narrower boards 7.5 -8 inch for street style parks where they are easier to perform flip tricks.
Same goes for wheel sizes 52mm to 55mm for street/park and 56 upwards for ramps/ vert.

Also consider your shoe size. I wear uk7.5 which doesn’t effect me too much but my mate is a uk13 so he needs a wider board around the 8inch mark, anything smaller he feels like he’s riding a matchstick.

I have a 7.75 board with 55mm wheel for the street style parks and a 8.5 with 58mm wheel when I’m riding vert or bowls.
I don’t like spending a huge amount on decks these days so I usually go for a blank deck ( one that has no graphics)made by Enuff and put a few stickers on them. They are around £25 but You can spend up to £60 on a deck with graphics on.

For your first setup expect to pay around £80-100 which will get you a good quality skateboard. Don’t buy some cheap crap from Argos.

For a beginner I’d recommend a slightly wider board to help with stability. Something like this you will not go wrong with Mini Logo Custom Skateboard - Natural


Also take a look on here Complete Skateboards Buying Guide
This might give you a bit more information and guidance.
 
Just be careful. We have a friend of similar age who tried to show his boy how to ride. He ended up in hospital with a very badly broken hip and a year on he is still suffering.
 
Higgidav said:
Just be careful. We have a friend of similar age who tried to show his boy how to ride. He ended up in hospital with a very badly broken hip and a year on he is still suffering.
Click to expand...


I think I may just stick to the 10ft waves :rofl:

What could possibly go wrong?:D
 
Last edited:
JonB said:
Never too late mate!!
I still skateboard with a few mates I used to ride with when I was in school. We have a catch up and ride at the same time.

What type of parks are they? And also what type of riding do you think you will be doing?
This can dictate the size of board and type of wheels.
Wider boards 8 inch plus are more stable at higher speeds and are usually used on ramps and bowls where as narrower boards 7.5 -8 inch for street style parks where they are easier to perform flip tricks.
Same goes for wheel sizes 52mm to 55mm for street/park and 56 upwards for ramps/ vert.

Also consider your shoe size. I wear uk7.5 which doesn’t effect me too much but my mate is a uk13 so he needs a wider board around the 8inch mark, anything smaller he feels like he’s riding a matchstick.

I have a 7.75 board with 55mm wheel for the street style parks and a 8.5 with 58mm wheel when I’m riding vert or bowls.
I don’t like spending a huge amount on decks these days so I usually go for a blank deck ( one that has no graphics)made by Enuff and put a few stickers on them. They are around £25 but You can spend up to £60 on a deck with graphics on.

For your first setup expect to pay around £80-100 which will get you a good quality skateboard. Don’t buy some cheap crap from Argos.

For a beginner I’d recommend a slightly wider board to help with stability. Something like this you will not go wrong with Mini Logo Custom Skateboard - Natural


Also take a look on here Complete Skateboards Buying Guide
This might give you a bit more information and guidance.
Click to expand...

Thanks, that's just the info I was looking for. I'll no doubt be at the park this week so I'll take some photos, it not huge but has the smoothest concrete I've seen outside of a power floated concrete floor. There's one the other side of the road made up of metal ramps, bit too advance....
 
My Kryptonic Slammer and Deathbox Teapot days are sadly well behind me now. But quite fancy one of these. Would look great down the skate park. 70mph. That's perfectly adequate for the commute to work on too.....
 
Last edited:
Do what DaveBos did and get a long board, see these quite a bit on the promenade between Bournemouth and Boscombe especially at the Boscombe end where the road runs down to the roundabout by the pier, 30 odd year old teenagers come down the road and drift round the roundabout trailing a gloved hand on the tarmac, cool as fork!

I have always been rubbish on a skateboard but had a pair of inline skates back in my mid 40s and could skate backwards and do the big loops with a foot pointing in each direction but did have the excuse of trying to keep up with my two early teens lads, this was on the street, I wouldn't dare try it at a skate park or street without the kids present... bloddy peer pressure... and the potential threat of a restraining order these days.:oops:
 
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