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I am 44 and just learning to Surfskate, I love it. I have surfed for a good while but it has made my surfing better. Did half an hour at lunch time, wear full pads and a helmet so far have avoided injury but fired the board off a good few times.
i refurbed my old flexdex last week and had a couple of sessions on a recently re-tarmaced road near me.
started looking for new trucks and it was as cost effective to buy another whole setup.
so, fairly mint, 30" carver proteus with cx trucks on its way from ebay. £140.
and currently looking for some decent elbow pads.
lots of good concrete skateparks around here...
This thread has a lot to answer for!
Bought an Arbor Crosscut hybrid in a half price sale, arrived last week. Had to upgrade the truck bushings already as the stock ones seem to be the same consistency as marshmallows.
And a tool to fit them as I can’t find my imperial socket set.
And wrist guards after I found out I’ve no muscle memory for it after 35 years and I was never very good even as a teenager.
A snapped Achilles Tendon stopped me going skateboarding on my 50th Birthday in March, which was something I was determined to do. Still not recovered enough to consider getting back on the plank yet 🙁
surfskate? carver? hybrids?...!!
This thread could get interesting - it'll be like an ebike thread!
Careful, the whole surfskate thing alone is a YouTube rabbit hole. Still not ruled one out either.
Kimbers, it may be the angle of the photo but your trucks look a tad narrow for the board you have? Stability is your friend....
Only really interesting in carving good tarmac and bowls, so surfskate was natural choice.
I'm surfskate curious - can anyone say how it compares to a wide board with wide loose trucks? I guess it's more turny, but can you grind them etc?
I think it’s a different pivot location rather than just a soft bushing.
carver do three different styles of truck, I’ve gone for the CX’s
@jimfrandisco there’s a range of different things that are sold as “surfskates”
At one end you have what is basically a shaped deck with soft bushings in normal skateboard trucks and soft wheels. Basically what is sometimes termed a cruiser skateboard. These roll well and carve around like a normal skateboard. Exactly how depends on length and wheelbase but the “feel” of turns is the same. Anything from a 70s reissue 29” slalom board up to a 4 foot longboard you can cross step and “dance” on.
In the middle you have more specialist trucks. Still with a single pivot point but often different geometry. You often see the pivot point being in front of the truck hanger with a more horizontal kingpin rather than behind the hanger with a vertical kingpin like a “normal” truck. These boards still feel like a (very turney) normal skateboard. So less stable, more carvey but normal feel.
Finally you have the “true” surfskates. These have a normal rear truck but the front truck has a double pivot point. Yow make some nice ones, Carver, Penny do one and you can turn a normal cruiser into one with a “waterborne” adapter. These boards feel quite weird to begin with & mimic surfing body movements much more closely. The double pivot front truck means you can “pump” them with body movements very close to pumping along a wave and they allow you to practise the body movements for surfing snaps and cutbacks. They are easy to generate speed with and you barely need to push at all. They are hard to ride at any speed and you have to ride them “actively” - you can’t really just stand there and cruise along. People do ride them in bowls but believe me it’s hard!
Thanks for the breakdown @ceepers
So another sport with a definite N+1 angle...
https://www.boards360.com/ also stock the Charger range - a cheaper way of getting to try out a surfskate before going all in on a carver.
Although, as with longboards, not sure how suitable any surfskate is for the rough streets of the UK!
with big soft (78 a) wheels, you'll be pleasantly surprised what you can roll over!
eg....
I’ve just brought myself my first skateboard in 12 years think it’s an early midlife crisis as I’ve recently turned 31 still seem to be able to ollie.
On the subject of old people not bouncing like they used to...are pro-tec still the go to knee/elbow pad or have things moved on?
I believe so.
I've just spent 2 hours at the local park had the place to myself. 48 3/4 years young
Killer 187 pads are good
I still have my old red kryps, but they're pretty worn down these days. I can find them on eBay, but only for laughable prices.
What would be the nearest current day equivalent for sticking on an original fibre-flex? Doesn't matter much what they look like, more about the feel.
They seem hood, and I like the colour. Nice find, thanks.
@scruff Healing vibes mate, bitch of an injury did mine a few years back…
Andykirk
8.25 deck with 5.375 trucks as recommended on the route one builder thingy!
Feels pretty stableim still at the bowl most Saturday mornings, getting schooled by the little kids!
8.25 deck with 5.375 trucks as recommended on the route one builder thingy!
Maybe the picture is off, but they do look well narrow. I'd be riding 5.5 trucks on a deck that size (or 144 in Independent speak).
@Haze
Thanks Daz, its a PITA for sure, did the same ankle ligaments twice before on the plank, was clearing a tree off a trail this time.
Carver proteus showed up. Different for sure, generating speed by pumping on the flat is hard but sure I’ll get the hang of it. Moved to a car park with a slight slope on it and had a fun half hour carving turns.
Suffered the humiliation of a pity clap from the teen girls hanging around the skate park tonight, when I finally managed the roll in without falling off. Caught them filming me as well for their future amusement. At least no one I know has kids that age it will get shared with. This was a lot easier 30 years ago.
Was just wondering if any of you lot are based in the north east of England? Would be good to have some moral support when heading to the skatepark and falling off in front of teenagers much more talented than me.
I'm in Milton Keynes, So likewise
Update: still can't olie
so I'm getting there with regards to a consistent ollie but I was trying out some bigger softer wheels off my cruisier and I found them much harder, is this a thing or is it just changing wheel size and I'll get used to it?
Harder as in more difficult? A bigger wheel will put the board at a steeper angle when the tail hits the floor, which will make it more difficult until your used to it.
Softer wheels are generally slower on smooth surfaces up to a point, all other things being equal.
Yes as in more difficult, was trying to work out whether I should go back to the more normal wheels or not, the surfaces round here are so rough it's nice having the softer bigger wheels to roll around on.
A lot of laptops that need to be checked on this thread. WOW.
what for? ^^
braved the skatepark for the first time in 25yrs this morning. 6.30am to avoid the little people pointing and laughing...
only ended up on my arse a couple of times, and managed to get a bit of flow by the end. need some harder faster wheels I think.
braved the skatepark for the first time in 25yrs this morning. 6.30am to avoid the little people pointing and laughing…
Awesome. The flow will come back. I'm not a skater but went through similar when I got back in to BMX. Loads of older skaters. Keep at it..
A lot of laptops that need to be checked on this thread. WOW.
another ??? here
I think that post is implying some sort of child/peado take.
Joke in bad taste I assume.
Could be wrong.
If your buying wheels try and get some decent bearings aswell. Bones red or good and not silly money. Its not just the grease / oil fill but they support and older gents weight better and dont bind. I found Bones roll much better than good off the shelf bearings ( skf I think) although I didn’t want to believe the hype.
I think that post is implying some sort of child/peado take.
Joke in bad taste I assume.
Could be wrong.
a bit odd on a forum for adults who ride bikes, something else that is childish activity.
I got two sets with this board. I'm running the 69mm 78A roundhouse concaves at the moment which are super grippy but quite slow. I've got another set of 65mm 81A's that I'll try next time before I buy anything else.
I've gone for softer wheels now easy on the ears and nicer in the skate park.
@thebrick yup I did make that connection too.
Bit off topic but I thought I’d ask here . My son has just got a skateboard to take to the skatepark with him , normally on a bmx but he saved up his pocket money and got himself a board . Anyway , his board seems to roll a lot slower than everyone else’s and it’s a bit stiff to turn using his heels and toes . Is this just because it’s new ? Does it just need bedding in or should I try and free it up somehow.
I seem to remember spraying wd40 into my skateboard wheels when I was a kid but I was never really in to it so have no idea 🤷
probably worth checking that the wheel nuts aren't over tightened, in terms of turning the truck bolts might need loosening to make turning easier. If he's still slower he might just need to learn to pump, works the same as it does on a bike.
wheels should spin freely but not rattle. trucks are a personal thing. loosen them up until it feels too loose and then come back a bit from that.
As above. Undo the kigpin nut on the trucks 1 turn that will make its turning much easier. Are they branded trucks? A lot of the cheaper ones have hard rubber a bit like cheap bike tyres.
Thanks all . It’s an Enuff board with their trucks and wheels , will try backing the nuts off half a turn and see how he goes .
another early doors session at the park this morning. 65mm, 81A's definitely rolled better but could still do with more speed...
even dropped into the snake run twice without dying.