Since i’m looking for some skate trainers, it’s time to reminisce a bit:

My first board:

My favourite skate video, wore out the tape:

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJvt0luIJJI&feature=related[/video]

My first ‘proper’ board…

My first proper deck.

As well as Hokus Pokus, i used to love a bit of Streets on Fire…..

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqyhadpbWNw[/video]

I used to have a Max McGill Powell skateboard – had it signed by Tony Hawk anda few of the other Powell-Peralta crew from when they came to a skate competition/demo in Barrow (!). I seem to remember Tony Hawk coming second in the comp to a local. 🙂

All the signatures and stuff got scratched off the bottom and then I lost it anyway. 🙁

Alawys lusted after these in the local sports shop:

and then later had this deck although I was shit so didn’t exactly do it justice!

Me, Plymouth skatepark, about ’76.

Can’t remember what those blue wheels were, but we always had homemade decks. Still got one of them with
Tracker trucks

and
Sims CompIIs

I had a Santa Cruz Natas Kaupas, its in my Dads garage somewhere

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRkLUQknXeM[/video]

Kevin Staab Mad Proffesor Sims deck some sod stole it.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Skateboarding memories from the late 70s…….

I lusted after a set of red Kryptonics but never got them although I did make myself a fibreflex deck in the garage, following the instuctions in a magazine.
There weren’t any skateparks on the Isle of Wight then so me and the lads used to catch the ferry over to Portsmouth and skate along the sea front to the Southsea Skate Park, which I think is still there.

Southsea Skatepark is most definitely still there.
Ah, them were the days 🙂

Ah, happy memories! My first proper deck was a P&P Tony Hawk, followed by a Cabalero, Mike Vallely, Schmitt Stix Bryce Kanights, a Double Vision… I’ve still got a Santa Monica Airlines Jesse Martinez with Independent Trucks and Powell & Perralta Rat Bones on Swiss Speed bearings…

I loved the Attack vids, the Animal Chin footage was absolutely mind-blowing – Tony Hawk and Steve Cabalero doing back-to-back tail-taps 8ft above the vert spine… Awesome.

And I too wore out the video tape, learning every shove-it, flip and no-comply on the Ray Barbee footage. And I could do the whole sequence, albeit without carrying an electric guitar!

First pro-model I owned:

Last one I owned (and still have):

My first proper board –

Madrid flypaper, deathbox dodo wheels and tracker trucks….I still have my skaterags t-shirt 😀

My first deck, from RollerMania in Brizzle .. sweated hours in Gateway (remenber them Wurzels?) then a quick train ride @ child prices (about £2 then!) and just praying they had one in stock.

I did eventuall develop a sense of taste and mainly bought DogTown.

We used to have a 5ft high mini ramp in our garden, with a spine onto a 4 ft mini ramp – my brother and dad built it. Sadly all rotted away now – I’ll have to see if I can find any pics.

Spermbirds – Americans are cool 😉

Frickin’ A I was just searching for my Gonz decks, probably my faves thinking about it, and came across this site:

Skate & Annoy

Look at some of those prices!!!

I just had a cheapo board plastered in RAD magazine stickers. Still used now by my three children (they show me how its done) when we visit my parents

AWEsome! Ridden with some nicely clashing Gotcha fluo/neon shorts. Whatever happened to Gotcha?

I made all my first decks, and then bought this just before I stopped skating.

Still got it in the garage with the ultimate fashion crime of fluro yellow grip tape.

I had it out playing with the kids recently and it leans a bit as the rubbers are perished.

http://www.whenwewasrad.co.uk/

Got back into Sk8’ing when I started at a new job last winter and discovered the boss had a mini ramp in the warehouse,,, New set up with Krips, GnS trucks and a fish tail, off of ebay from old skool deathbox rider, Sean Goff for £70 and its like im back in the day,,,,,,

I may actually recover my Barbee from the folks garage for pootling around the centre of town when we move. It’s pedestrianised and dragging a bike down 3 flights of stairs for a quick scoot to the bakers isn’t going to happen.

my first … Jeff Grosso mini

Then a Jason Jesse mini

Followed by a Mike Vallely

Used to skate 8 wheels instead of four but always loved the Powell Peralta Designs. This is a classic

This was mine, a Brand X Sean Goff

My first proper board. Had a few before this and one was handmade and had no concave or kicktail at all!

My first proper deck..

Cant believe how many ramps are about these days for the kids, but when I was at the height of my skating, I used to have to travel over an hour on the train to Wheels Park in Birmingham where they had a huge vert ramp and later an indoor bowl. It was amazing watching Jim the Skin fire it up…

Me in the Pool on one of many birthday trips to Rom skatepark in about 1988

Homemade kicker ramp, cheeky little method-air…

Rom skatepark again

I still have two boards but havn’t skated properly for ages now. Never had great knee strength and biking seems to be kinder to it recently.

There are still a lot of original skaters knocking about. Had a look at Middle Aged Shred?

Used to watch and watch and watch Wheels of Fire. Natas blew me away back then, but I would get so stoked watching this Steve Alba section…
Steve Alba from Wheels of Fire

Mostly Balanced – Member
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Skateboarding memories from the late 70s…….

I lusted after a set of red Kryptonics but never got them

Not just me then, lusting and not getting them 😥 seemed to remember wanting a Santa Cruz board, instead my Dad made one 🙄

Nice to see a mention of Barrow up there ^

Travelled up from the Midlands many a weekend to the Skate Shack. The comps were brilliant, anything but serious (unless your name was Rocker 😉 ) and always a good laugh. Just as well really, way too stoned to do anything in them anyway!

Probably my favourite mini after Dickers in Brum which gets the nod purely on memories.

Hell yeah for Southsea skate park. MAny a scar left over from that place!
New Industries board, Gul wing pro II trucks and a sick pair of Toxic Secret wheels. Oh and fly grip tape. Wooha!

Nice to see a mention of Barrow up there ^

Travelled up from the Midlands many a weekend to the Skate Shack. The comps were brilliant, anything but serious (unless your name was Rocker ) and always a good laugh.

Rocker was the guy who beat Tony Hawk IIRC – quite a claim to fame. 🙂

He did have some tricks, never really liked his style much though. Of all the locals up there I remember Milly best for style, lots of nice long sweeping grinds and the like.

Anyhow, Spitfire Wheels and Independent Trucks…never Girlwing!

Tracker Trucks…..THE trucks… 🙂

I helped build Dickers with Stampy, who I still see every now and again, he’s actually OK now !

Theres a Birmingham skate archive in facebook.

I’m too young to join in…. nice rides lads!

wheels were tiny and decks were very narrow and everyone wore jeans that were far too baggy and slicks were all the rage when I started. I started in 1992 at 12 years old.

happy days.

My Barbee has Thunder trucks and Vision street violator wheels. Madrid Bat tape too but with the bats left in rather than removed.

Spitfire Wheels and Independent Trucks

Amen!

first board

favourite shape ever, landed 1st 360 flip on one of these.

fave graphic, snapped after 3 weeks 🙁