Skateboarding

I'm not sure that's apples and apples. If the world's best MTB er could build their own private park I'm sure it would be gnarly as a mellow one would be boring. Penny built a mini ramp in his back garden.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqwwsj6DcXY&t=1

I think I wrote it bad. What I meant was... skateparks seem to be built for a much higher level of skill than most users, possibly it's aspirational.

Deffo agree

yeah, as it empties out, find time to skate a bit further, able to skate for a bit longer as there are fewer people to wait for, skate between. Swapped out the bushings on my skateboard again for some stiffer 94a ones, so will have them equipped next time we head to Brixton.

possibly it's aspirational.

This is true and the issue I also have is that, although I haven’t had a skateboard for 20 odd years, I haven’t stopped watching skate videos. So i still look at the park imagining what could be done by people with many, many times more skill than me as well as imaging what 18 year old me could have done.

I’m just happy to be wasting grown-up money on skateboards to ride 10 mins on a path for coffee and groceries.

Unlikely to ever reach any agreeable level of skill. Cruising and carving was my ceiling. All the Dogtown and Z Boys vids made me depressed I never learned to ride properly.

I’m just happy to be wasting grown-up money on skateboards to ride 10 mins on a path for coffee and groceries.

This is a nice way to think about it.

I'm in a similar boat - on the upside, skateboards you barely ride are cheaper than the bike equivalent & easier to hide away.

I've ended up with a couple of surf skates & resigned myself to a life of cruising round the skateparks when they're empty, having a lovely time of it & having no intention of leaving the ground.

One of my mates (also 45) has recently gone all in on the street / park stuff and is doing pretty well with it - although recently suffered a proper shinbastard which caused an existential crisis & a limp for a week

Some footage of @pdlouche on the way to the shops

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA_dHWibNWg&t=56

skateboards you barely ride are cheaper than the bike equivalent & easier to hide away

This is a nice way to think about it.

recently suffered a proper shinbastard which caused an existential crisis & a limp for a week

Dunno how bad this was, but I’ve just started again after 15ish years, and got a few truck bolts to the shin/ankles. Bought these Andy Anderson wheels and it’s much less painful now — the wheels extend out over the bolts and I don’t know why they’re not all like this tbh

https://www.nativeskatestore.co.uk/skateboards-c7/skateboard-wheels-c8/andy-anderson-nano-cubic-dragon-formula-97a-skateboard-wheels-52mm-p64851

A decent soft-ish compound that still slides too

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Read And Destroy

https://blog.slamcity.com/dan-adams-interview/?mc_cid=9dc5d032cb&mc_eid=3d1d9fc9a3

<3

Voting day so a gentle walk in with the other half to vote before she goes to work with the aim to skate home before my meetings.

Coffee/breakfast at an independent, then a slow scoot back on that Mindless Gothic/Gen-X deck + 63mm/80a NoLogo AWOL’s. Definitely okay for most rough footpaths, not as fast as longboards but smooth enough.

Been shopping a bit for suitable clothing for a mid-30’s professional. Hope the Devizes landed gentry enjoy my tastes.

Definitely enjoying lazy scoots about. Nothing crazy, no big distance. Just a little bit of something on a board.

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I went to Finnsbury park last weekend to check out that new ultra smooth flatground park that had been put it. Turns out there was a festival being set up and they'd ripped out all the modules and fenced it off. Some young'uns turned up and and pretty swiftly broke in to skate, so we followed em in. Had about 15mins on some butter smooth concrete before getting busted and moved on.
Also went to Oxhey on Sunday, that place is mega, super fun and well built. But damn it's chock full of kids and worse, parents who think they're the centre of the fucking universe; one dad stepped on me (full foot) and didn't even flinch whilst he kept his eye on his precious offspring, didn't say sorry, didn't acknowledge, stayed stood on my foot for about 10 seconds and just walked off.

Well, we evolved with shoulder joints for a purpose. Never forget what your body was built for.

Can’t get enough of that wonderful Duff… so I took the board to the skatepark 5 min drive away. Had to refuel the van (and no bicycles at the new house yet) so that’s the excuse to drive there.

Two observations:

1. Everything is scary even the baby stuff.
   
2. Big gummy 80a’s are way too soft for parks.
   
   
   

It was great to actually ride a tiny bit dead slow but I stopped after 20 mins since I just wanted to get a feel for the setup.

I’ll go again with a board with the smaller harder wheels that might feel faster but also slide a little when shoved.

The park was pretty much empty but it’s small and trick oriented rather than flow, so unless you can ride a few ramps and pipes you struggle to get a nice run that you can build speed and momentum.

All the same. On the doorstep. Zero complaints.

The park was pretty much empty but it’s small and trick oriented rather than flow, so unless you can ride a few ramps and pipes you struggle to get a nice run that you can build speed and momentum.

This was my experience at the local park. Really don’t know who plans these things, but it was like they tried to cram as much as they could in with no thought. A bowl that virtually no one will make proper use of, no decent lines and no easy mini ramp. 👎

I think they are generally a lot better than years back. They won’t be building the snake run at Romford or Satans Toilet at southsea again

Like @Alf0nse says… it is so much better than the stuff I remember almost 20 years ago (just as I bought a longboard and slalom deck).

I think with a lot of speed you could hoon it over the woop and make a fast run but not without some serious momentum. That doesn’t lend itself to the park size. You’ll look like you’re doing a “fast as fuck boi” impression.

The ramps etc are mini enough, but I found myself wanting to use the wasted grassy areas either side that could be ideal just for kids on roller skates for example.

It was missing that simple wide flatland bit that gives breathing room. That space is there but left as grass.

Wow, that's a trip down memory lane... I remember this shot, we used to get the mag RAD (was it called 'BMX Action Bike' before?) in the NL, read them to bits and got many photos burned into my memory :)

Have brought jnr a new deck as the mini cruiser uncle made for them is a mite too small now, toes or heels overlap the edge of the board by a toe or two. Skate warehouse had a decent sale on so got a 7.5 for £12. Leopard print graphics, because they love cats, but it’ll be the last board I choose for them. If they keep skating long enough to need another they can choose the design themselves (within the ones on sale and with the right width).

Looking forward to swapping the bits over for them. Will leave it until the summer holidays when they’ll be going to the skatepark on a more regular basis

Saw this film come up on my YouTube feed. Love everything about it.
Especially the father’s unwavering support, hope I can be half as supportive and encouraging with my little person if they continue skating.
https://youtu.be/HjJMyQSkaFA?si=9BGgINasgnI7Y7Vw

Managed to convince myself to skate at 08:30 this morning. Totally worth it.

I took a different board today, the Mindless Octopuke complete with the 55mm/86a's on it. Last time the Gen-X old school deck was annoying being directional, and the park was just too small for the big gummy AWOL's. Too much grip, too awkard. Today I also brought the quad skates to try, but spent the entire time on the Octopuke.

Had the place to myself 30 mins until a couple of similarly-aged guys came along. Both very capable, taking it easy and doing their thing.

It's a very small park and a little difficult to just flow and roll. Big achievement today was getting my speed and confidence up to complete an entire run in a loop. That's a first. Then I managed to loop around a couple of times or more before stamina was lacking.

I'm not dropping in from the taller ramps, but I'm getting there. Today was about getting over the two woops and maintaining momentum, get it going around.

Started to feel more natural and less scary but I'm still going so slowly that my lack of speed is my greatest enemy. Felt great to grab the side of the board and try to lean around on the low part of the quarter pipes and ramps and just push through.

I stayed for a further hour or so and left on a high, with that niggly "just one more run" in my head. Ideal moment to avoid pushing further and hurting myself with only wristguards on.

Once home I straight away grabbed that Gen-X and skated into town for a coffee.

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Looks like a nice little park, that.