Getting into skateboarding at 45

Just got into skating at 44 (and just turned 45….).

Loving it. I didn’t really skate at all when I was a kid, but I guess it helps that I’m a very experienced snowboarder (18 seasons, full time instructor/guide for the last 7!). 

My initial ambition was just to be able to cruise laps of the pump track, but I managed that within a few sessions, so I’m now upping my sights to being able to ride the bowl without looking like a total kook. Still don’t really have any intentions of learning any tech tricks, just like cruising transitions.I initially bought an Arbor cruiser complete, which is great for the pump track. Now also got one of those Element Star Wars completes (thanks to the awesome dudes at Rollersnakes!) which is better in the bowl.

@stevomcd your mention of Star Wars Element should be a Public Service Announcement…

£25 Millenium Falcon pre-built complete skateboard

@charlie.farley yeah, it’s an outrageous deal. I’ve got the Death Star one:

https://rollersnakes.co.uk/products/element-x-star-wars-swxe-death-star-pre-built-complete-8?pr_prod_strat=copurchase&pr_rec_id=02a138d7d&pr_rec_pid=7027153469619&pr_ref_pid=7027153600691&pr_seq=uniform

Mike at Rollersnakes is a top dude. I’ve met him a few times and ridden both bikes and snowboards with him. He’s good mates with Rab, who guides for us. As if Rab’s bike skills are not depressing enough, he’s pretty impressive on a skateboard as well. There’s a whole old-man skate crew centered around Rollersnakes. The Groans Brigade. 60% effort, 100% of the time. They run a contest called the Voltarol Open.

Action shot! 🤣

https://www.instagram.com/p/CwURZPIoVpL/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

That boards cheap at half the price just needs some proper wheels.

Jim Martin, who first learned skateboarding aged 50

There’s a whole old-man skate crew centered around Rollersnakes. The Groans Brigade. 60% effort, 100% of the time. They run a contest called the Voltarol Open.

Also check out “Dadlands Carpark” for the associated stuff, really nice and relatable. 

sending it…..

…..off a very small kerb,  best way to spend my lunch brake

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3bHEcLsUoG/?igsh=OTB4ZTExemNrM3Bm

Break. Potentially snapping your ankles is no excuse for poor spelling.

Ok, that makes me feel better – even I can drop off higher than kimbers vid, and I’m 60 this year.

I can still (just about) olly 180º, and do a 1800º spin (on the ground obviously, not Tony Hawk style).

I’m gnarlier than I thought.

Having been shamed be easily up there, Ive booked in for a 121 lesson at Camden skatepark on Friday

Quick question, Ive got various MTB knee & elbow pads, but are the hardshell skate pads better?

Yes. Hardshell so you can bail out and slide on your knees. They’re of more use for ramps and bowls than street.

Must get myself a pair as the local big skatepark had a huge revamp and now there’s a rather large multi depth bowl that I want to relearn lipslides in without wrecking myself.

https://www.vaguemag.com/jason-adams-50-years-to-life/

A bit ( lot!) of middle aged inspiration

Decent bike knee pads and jeans is a minimum. Learning to knee slide is like learning a trick but basically wear every safety accessory available. Full face, shin pads and gardening gloves ftw.

Had a new mellow park open by us so going to make an effort to get back at it now the kids have gone back to school.

Quick question, Ive got various MTB knee & elbow pads, but are the hardshell skate pads better?

I think hardshell kneepads if you are riding ramps/transition, as has been mentioned above you want to get into the habit of knee sliding out (yeah you can run out of smaller stuff, but if the board comes back under you while you are running out it is a horrible way to fall). I’m not sure elbows etc need to be any different to mtb stuff. Hand or wrist protection is whatever your preference, but I tend to get more general hand impacts than wrist injuries specifically.

Had a new mellow park open by us so going to make an effort to get back at it now the kids have gone back to school

Go easy old ‘un, not getting any younger!

@Haze

Its better than road biking 🙂

Cheaper!

Surprised so far there was no mention of Long distance pushing / pumping skateboarding. At 47 I am skating on a drop cat 38″ comuting and excercise after a break of 30 years. currently working on modifying a bennet truck in to a beernet for a pumping setup. So far just using a helmet and gloves but wrist guards on the way. Learning to foot break and ride switch and push mongo for more balanced long distance efforts.

Tried larger 90mm wheels but went back to 70mm for now as they seem to respond more predictably when carving hard to lose speed on hills.

love pumping surfskates, not tried a through deck yet like your drop cat 38″ but can imagine they’re ace for commuting

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I’d like an opportunity to try a setup with orangatang dad bod wheels to roll over everything 

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Currently rebuilding my 38” loaded vanguard with purple knuckles to complement the loaded bolsa and little’uns 

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The big wheels are nice for rolling over stuff easily, but I think would suit a deck with a bigger drop down and or drop through or even brackets (gbomb type) to keep it low. Its too high with the drop cat which it makes for more painfull achilles tendons after longer rides as well as harder to controll on hills as mentioned before.

I will have to try a surfskate too sometime for a new challenge, but first I like the idea of a pumper for efficient speed and distance.  For that an Lepsk8 ldp complete is apealing because its complete and should work. There is so much technical stuff to know about with setups otherwise. But saying that a pantheon supersonic deck is probably more likely to happen.

That loaded 38″ ^  looks like it would be a good allrounder.

is there a Derby based old mans group for skateboarding?  I’m 46, and trying to ollie again, 😀