# Returning to skateboarding after 23 years.



## bastardbullet (May 3, 2022)

Hey,

So, i’m almost 39 and my skateboard itch just revived lately. Back in the day, i wasn’t the best but was able to achive a bunch of simple tricks like 180 front side, pop shuvit and some crooked kickflips. Never had any broken bones or a serious injury other than a ton of bruises and scratches here and there. Well, guess i’m back for it.

Last weekend, we were out with my wife and she just saw an 8” element complete board at some sports store. She was telling me that we had to buy it but i thought she was just flattering me. Than we sat down at the coffee shop, she got disappeard for a second and came back with a huge box with her. She knew how much i loved skate and stuff, so there it was.

I’ve skated every time i‘ve had the chance in between 95 - 99 and there were nothing like youtube or anything to look up for tips & tricks so easily. We’ll see how it goes now. My first ollie attempt was interestingly successful, at least i’ve landed it without killing myself but i forgot to record it.

Today i had to leave for a 6 days layover duty so, here’s a stupid me in uniforms right before the flight;


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## CanserDYI (May 3, 2022)

Hey man! Thats awesome. Skateboarding was my life until about 18, really thinking about getting back into it as well to keep in shape.


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## bastardbullet (May 3, 2022)

CanserDYI said:


> Hey man! Thats awesome. Skateboarding was my life until about 18, really thinking about getting back into it as well to keep in shape.


Go for it man, you won’t regret a second of it. Thank you so much.


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## odibrom (May 3, 2022)

I did some sk8ting in my teens, between early to mid 90s, until got into college. By then I swapped sk8 for Kung Fu and never looked back. Completely different stuff, obviously, but the sk8ing sounds and experience got stuck in my brain deeply. Whenever I hear a sk8ter passing by I immediately remember the thrills of being "on board" (pun intended). Whenever I'll go to a sports shop and see the skating section (inline/classic skates included) I always check it for a bit, either the hardware and the shoes...

What bummed me about sk8ting was that in order for someone to get good at it, one needed not to care about shoes, boards, wheels, trucks or anything really that relates to the sport itself... like your own bones or skin. This means a huge waste of material (wood, plastic/rubber, metal, griptape, skin) and money and I can't play with that, it hurts me not to care about something I payed for.

The freedom felt is unparalleled though... maybe similar to riding a bicycle, but not the same obviously. With BTT I can simply go off the map...

.. and sk8boarding alone (as a sport) is very unbalanced for the body, one has to compensate with something else or the injuries arise not from the falls but from the generic riding position... but I had a blast when doing so and it still fills a dear place in my memories (broken/twisted arm included is kind of hard to forget)...

The hits below the knee were too many to remember and always too strong to forget, that shit did hurt... I used to do street as in that time there were few to no sk8parks in my city, sometimes some miniramps and some downhill, but mostly street. There was a time my wheels got squared by the slides going down streets... good times.

... so, sorry for this positive/negative schyzo post of mine...

Good luck with that, have all the fun and none of the aches...


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## jaxadam (May 3, 2022)

Those were the days man. Watching VHS tapes of Union Wheels, Plan B, 411VM, etc.


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## bastardbullet (May 3, 2022)

odibrom said:


> I did some sk8ting in my teens, between early to mid 90s, until got into college. By then I swapped sk8 for Kung Fu and never looked back. Completely different stuff, obviously, but the sk8ing sounds and experience got stuck in my brain deeply. Whenever I hear a sk8ter passing by I immediately remember the thrills of being "on board" (pun intended). Whenever I'll go to a sports shop and see the skating section (inline/classic skates included) I always check it for a bit, either the hardware and the shoes...
> 
> What bummed me about sk8ting was that in order for someone to get good at it, one needed not to care about shoes, boards, wheels, trucks or anything really that relates to the sport itself... like your own bones or skin. This means a huge waste of material (wood, plastic/rubber, metal, griptape, skin) and money and I can't play with that, it hurts me not to care about something I payed for.
> 
> ...


I get all your feelings man, thank you so much. I was the same; when ever we went to a sports store and come across the decks, boards i was telling my wife how much i missed everthing about skating. She always encouraged me to get back on the board but i was only acting like a half assed coward. But man, that first ever ollie after 23 years, shit, now i only need more. 

Back in the day, it was all the same (if not worse) here in Turkey; no skate parks, no other place than streets and i’ve felt all the pains of not being able to reach proper gear, trucks, decks and etc.

After all these years, watching kids going for some crazy tricks here and there, riding decent boards, pushing the local authorities to build more skate parks in almost every city and knowing that now they have the opportunity and freedom to skate as they want just makes me feel so happy and sad at the same time. I envy them i guess.

Anyways, I’m not sure if i can reach back where i was once but i’ll try my best without causing a severe injury.

BTW below knee hits are a total nightmare.


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## odibrom (May 3, 2022)

bastardbullet said:


> I get all your feelings man, thank you so much. I was the same; when ever we went to a sports store and come across the decks, boards i was telling my wife how much i missed everthing about skating. She always encouraged me to get back on the board but i was only acting like a half assed coward. But man, that first ever ollie after 23 years, shit, now i only need more.
> 
> Back in the day, it was all the same (if not worse) here in Turkey; no skate parks, no other place than streets and i’ve felt all the pains of not being able to reach proper gear, trucks, decks and etc.
> 
> ...



I witnessed the sk8 board evolution in my days, from the Caballero's Dragon board (which I had one of those) to the first double tail/nose Tony Hawk one and from those to the more stream lined equal front/tail sized boards. From the boat look-a-like ones to the slim ones, from plastic rails underneath for board sliding protection to some weird plastic ply brands applied with the argument of being more slippery... by '96 all boards were about the same from whatever brand. A bit longer, a bit smaller but about the same. Same happened to wheels with bigger diameters at the early 90s and smaller and harder at mid 90s. I witnessed the disappearing of the truck's plastic "shims" (with 2 or 3 different heights) and the "new" screw holes for them to work with the board.

I did some cool tricks, landing seldom 360 kickflips, heel flips, grinds and what not. Did some pressure flips as well, nolies (nose olies), nolie flips/heel flips, switch side (I used to ride with the right foot in front, switching side is like going backwards) and do some seldom kick-flips... you know, street tricks mostly. Jump some stairs and small gaps. Mini half pipes were super cool to play at. If I get my feet over a sk8board, I think I can still throw some tricks, but I'll miss most, obviously.

I was into Powell brand. It was my Ibanez kind of thing. I don't remember having boards from any other...

@jaxadam kids these days will be like "What's a VHS tape?", lol... Suicidal Tendencies was the shit back then, along with some other obscure/unknown punk-rock-metal-hardcore bands... Steve Caballero had one as well and if I remember right, it sounded super nice...


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## Hollowway (May 4, 2022)

Nice! I did it (terribly, to be honest) until my mid twenties, then gave it up. Because I sucked, haha. But that's awesome you are back into it. I'd LOVE to, but I'd really need to make it my job, because it just never came naturally to me.


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## mongey (May 4, 2022)

bastardbullet said:


> Hey,
> 
> So, i’m almost 39 and my skateboard itch just revived lately. Back in the day, i wasn’t the best but was able to achive a bunch of simple tricks like 180 front side, pop shuvit and some crooked kickflips. Never had any broken bones or a serious injury other than a ton of bruises and scratches here and there. Well, guess i’m back for it.
> 
> ...


get it man. 8 is small these days . I have 8.5 at the moment

I just turned 48 yesterday, and I skate when I can . like proper skate, Ill roll around with my young kids more often, but that doesn't really count as skating

I have a screwed together knee so I'm limited but I can still get out there in the park

My mate who just turned 50 built a 5ft mini ramp late last year . weather has been so shot this summer we have only skated it once so far. 

its funny I started skating in 1987. back in the day there was no way some over 45 years old were getting in the park . but now its the norm


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## Emperoff (May 5, 2022)

That's great! Man, I miss skateboarding a lot, but then I remember I quit skateboarding after too many injuries keeping me away from playing guitar. 

So I had to choose and chose guitar. But then I started doing martial arts and as I'm writing this I'm wondering If I'm a masochist


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## CanserDYI (May 5, 2022)

Emperoff said:


> That's great! I miss it a lot, but then I remember I quit skateboarding after too many injuries kept me away from playing guitar, so I had to choose. Something tells me I chose right


Not going to lie, I know its hard to make money playing guitar, and a lot of people would laugh at someone quitting their job to try to make money playing guitar, but trying to make money skateboarding makes that look like a cakewalk. I'd say you picked the right course lol


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## budda (May 5, 2022)

Congrats man. I never successfully got an ollie down and just ended up playing guitar instead .


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## bastardbullet (May 7, 2022)

Ok, today i’ve landed loads of ollies, a bunch of pop shove it and kickflips (which i still suck at). Besides causing the front side to turn slightly on my left unintentionally, most of my stationary tricks are just high & clean enough. In the end it’s been a while, right? Maybe i’d feel much comfortable while moving but i didn’t really have the urge today to hit the park since it was too cold and rainy all day.

I’ve lost my balance a lot but didn’t really fall, weirdly. BTW I’m having a hard time to put my front foot back on the board after the “flip” movement is completed. My back foot just lands on the correct position everytime like my muscle memory is coming back, but my left foot still feels lazy.

I’ll make it happen.


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## AMOS (May 7, 2022)

We used to skateboard in the mid 1970's, one day a friend and I held out a bed sheet in 40-50 MPH winds and took off down the road at a pretty fast clip! it was fun until we hit a patch of sand in the road and we wiped out pretty badly. 46 years later I still have the scars on my knees.


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## TheBloodstained (May 10, 2022)

I used to ride around town with my bestie when I was in elementary school. Never really learned to do any tricks. I couldn't get the ollie down, but I almost managed a kickflip once 
Cruising around was more my thing. Still have my last board tucked away in my basement.

When I got my drivers license, and my first car shortly after, the skating interest faded. I still love watching skate videos and playing skate games, though!


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## DoctorStoner (May 10, 2022)

I did the cruiser / mild downhill thing all through college. I miss it, mostly gave up when my boards got stolen... I have a couple now but I only tool around a bit in front of my house. Also too worried of injuring my hands and not being able to guitar.


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## bastardbullet (May 10, 2022)

@TheBloodstained ; Nice man, i've tried like maybe 50 times for a decent kickflip, landed 3 or 4 with my front foot finally on the board BUT, not in the right places, never. My feet just land too close to each other at the moment, i have to improve it and it will take centuries.

@DoctorStoner ; Well, i don't mind if i mess up my hands and cannot play anymore since i don't really care about creating music, guitar, equipment and stuff anymore. Actually, i was so bored of everything music related lately. Maybe i'm accepting that i really suck at it and just getting away or this might just be another "cockblock" phase, i can't really tell. On the other hand, i really needed something to keep me away from overthinking about creating music cause it was my only "thing" for years without a reason or conclusion. I need to have a long break i guess. My only concern is to shatter my bones and not be able to work for a long period which would be a disaster for me financially, and i know i'm stupid enough to ignore this one.

Currently i'm assembling my "dream board" and decided to go total insane on it. I'll be back with all the details and visuals when everything arrives.


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## bastardbullet (May 14, 2022)

Today has been fruitful;




Necessary cats edition;




I’m not the best neighbour, i admit;






Watch this story by Murat Akça on Instagram before it disappears.







instagram.com





The setup;

Madness 8.125” deck
Madness grip tape
Tensor mag light 5.25” trucks
Hazard 54mm conical wheels
Bronson bearings
Independent 92A bushings, shock pads & bolts

Probably i’ll start to torture the element complete first, then i’ll come back to this one. Not sure if i can tell the difference in between 8” and 8.125” but madness has some crazy steep tails which i’m loving a lot. Now i want to try out an 8.25” or maybe an 8.5” deck from them.


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## odibrom (May 14, 2022)

I like the Goya printed grip tape, "Saturn eating his children..." - https://www.19thcenturyart-facos.com/artwork/saturn-devouring-his-children


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## Turd Ferguson (May 14, 2022)

bastardbullet said:


> Today has been fruitful;
> 
> View attachment 107713
> 
> ...



Good for you man. Do it while you can.

I skated all through the 80s - grew up with Hawk, Caballero, Hosoi, Thrasher and Transworld Skateboarding magazines, etc. It was my life during Jr High and High School, and for a few years after.

Kinda gave it up in my early 20s. Not because I wanted to, but I lived in rural Ohio and there was nowhere to skate and no one to skate with. Plus jobs, cars, guitars, drugs, all that got in the way. So it just kind of faded away.

Moved to Arizona at 34 but I was still just into partying and dumb shit. There are amazing skateparks everywhere. Wish I had picked it up again as soon as I moved here.

Got my shit together a few years later. Decided I had to skate these amazing parks. After 20 years off the board, it didn't come back easily. Did something to my knee one of the first times out that took a while to heal.

Turned 50 last September and it's sinking in that I don't have the ability any more. I'm in decent shape, can run a mile in less than 7 minutes, but the agility just isn't there. In the last 4 years I've broken my nose and separated my shoulder skating. It took a long time, but I'm just about to admit I can't do it any more.

One of my biggest regrets is giving it up in the 90s and not starting again when I should have.


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## Grindspine (May 14, 2022)

I had to take my car to the shop to replace suspension today. That shop happens to be on the other side of a long walking trail through my town, so I grabbed my board as my ride back. Since moving to this city, I have only been on my board maybe three times in the last three years. It is nice to wake up those muscles and not fall on my face though!

Today was a good day to skate!

I remembered that I had a photo from 2003 that my roommate had taken when I got my board. I had one other in the meantime where the deck had split, but the deck from the photo, along with the Independent trucks, Ninja ABEC3 bearings, and SpitFire wheels have managed to last 19 years with sporadic bouts of me out on the board.

I remember my dad saying on the phone, "You're 24, have no health insurance, and bought a skateboard?" Except for one scar on my left elbow, I have managed to not get too hurt over the years.


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## bastardbullet (May 14, 2022)

Turd Ferguson said:


> Good for you man. Do it while you can.
> 
> I skated all through the 80s - grew up with Hawk, Caballero, Hosoi, Thrasher and Transworld Skateboarding magazines, etc. It was my life during Jr High and High School, and for a few years after.
> 
> ...



I can't fight the knee fact. Even i'm 38, my right knee and my hip is just killing me everytime i try to ollie higher. I'll come back when i'm 50.


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## Grindspine (May 14, 2022)




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## Turd Ferguson (May 14, 2022)

Grindspine said:


>




Their first few albums were a big part of the soundtrack of my youth, along with DRI, Misfits, etc. Still listen to ST all the time. Fun riffs to play too.


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## Turd Ferguson (May 14, 2022)

In 1986, there was nothing to skate in Northern Ohio (or most of the rest of the country). We had to build it.

This was my backyard. Every time I smell plywood it reminds me of this.


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## Turd Ferguson (May 14, 2022)

Summer of 1987. Wish I had more pictures from back then.


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## mlp187 (May 15, 2022)

Hell yeah, welcome back to skating. I’m in a similar boat, but need to lose another 35 pounds to safely ride.
My knees are fucked from being a fearless but moronic teenager when skating was my life.
Anyway, I was skating in my garage last weekend. Can still kick flip, and Nolly 360-flip. Maybe more, but after those two tricks I was hurting and out of breath.


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## odibrom (May 15, 2022)

Yeah!.... Powell Peralta... that was my sk8boarding brand... like Ibanez is for my guitars...


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## c7spheres (May 16, 2022)

- Heard interview on radio with Hawk promoting his new vid/biography thing since he broke his femer/leg. He's talking about how he's started retiring tricks so he can fade out without killing himself basically. If I heard right he busted it by just pushing to hard or something crazy like that.
- I can't even stand on a board anymore but was in contests and stuff in the 80's when I was a kid. I skated from 1982-90, skated everything from bowls, vert, street etc. I was 4 ft tall 8 year old that could get 4 ft airs doing stalefish's on 10ft vert ramps/. I saw Mullen and all them in person etc. It was great, but even 30+ years later I got the skater stance/twist and have pains and problems and stuff. I can't imagine what some of those guys are going through.
- Mullen is and always will be the greatest skater of all time, and he's in a lot of pain.
- I believe I've seen Animal Chin couple times out there.
- At least Christian Hasoi is finally free! : )


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## jaxadam (May 16, 2022)

c7spheres said:


> - Mullen is and always will be the greatest skater of all time



One of my favorites of all time as well. Just his innovations and how technical of a skater he was moving from freestyle to street kept things fresh and interesting. And he grew up on a farm in Ocala, Florida!


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## MFB (May 16, 2022)

Y'all are out of your damn minds if you ain't reppin' Chad Muska

Muska4Lyfe


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## pahulkster (May 16, 2022)

I'd like to get an old school board and pose as hard as possible. The Jackson crackle decks are sweet. Riding is another story.


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## bastardbullet (May 17, 2022)

I’ve been to a local skate park in Ankara today for the first time in my life with my wife, and yes my kickflips still suck. :’)


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## Grindspine (May 18, 2022)

bastardbullet said:


> I’ve been to a local skate park in Ankara today for the first time in my life with my wife, and yes my kickflips still suck. :’)



As long as you are doing something, it's all good! I mostly used my board to skate around when I lived in a college town. I would skate out to the nearest grocery store for a snack and such. My tricks never got much beyond ollies, and those were only enough to get over small debris in the road.


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## Mathemagician (May 18, 2022)

I could only skate on flat proper asphalt like at a skate park or a well done park in garage. The slightest crack would send me flying as a kid I swear, lol.


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## Humbuck (May 18, 2022)

I'm 53 and I still ride a bmx bike on the regular.


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## odibrom (May 18, 2022)

Humbuck said:


> I'm 53 and I still ride a bmx bike on the regular.


This is the way...


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## Jake (May 19, 2022)

Man this thread is making feel things 

I skated for the majority of the last 20 years (I'm 29 now) and honestly it was my life at one point. I was never really "good" in the sense that I had some decent tricks, won a few comps locally here and there over the years but I wasn't kickflipping down 20 sets  

Then August of 2020 happened....was riding in the big bowl at my local park, just warming up. Popped a frontside ollie, landed it, but my back foot slipped off the board and twisted. Broke my leg in 5 places from that freak accident and at this point I don't think I'll ever skate again  

I miss it, but it's not worth the risk to my health at this point, I still snowboard plenty though so that's still my passion but I just really wish things had gone differently that day at the park.


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## odibrom (May 19, 2022)

Jake said:


> Man this thread is making feel things
> 
> I skated for the majority of the last 20 years (I'm 29 now) and honestly it was my life at one point. I was never really "good" in the sense that I had some decent tricks, won a few comps locally here and there over the years but I wasn't kickflipping down 20 sets
> 
> ...



When I was 14 or something, in 1991's (I think...?) 1st day of summer vacations and right after lunch I had a stupid fall trying a grind on a home made slide rail. I fell on a "push-ups" position, but my left arm gave up and I then hit the ground... it didn't hurt, just one more fall I thought. Getting up I felt something was different and I had my left hand facing up, twisting on the wrong side. I said to my buddies "I think I broke my arm..." and of I went to the closest medical post, which was relatively nearby, but I still had to climb a 60 (more?) steps stairway to get there. When I got there I was loosing the perception of color, somehow everything looked black and white (blood running out of the head and into the arm maybe?). I got at the nursery and lay down on a bed... colors returned (gravity re-balanced the blood flow in the body?) and I waited for my father to come rescue me and take me to the hospital. It turned out I did broke the humerus' internal apophysis which forced me to go to surgery getting a screw to lock it in place. I also had my radio bone displaced at the elbow, over-twisting the hand frontward/upward from the outside. I don't remember feeling any pain during any part of the process, not even when I waited more than 12 hours for the surgery (adrenaline released in high doses?). I had the plaster for about 2 weeks because I had a screw to lock the broken bone in place and because I had to start moving my arm again. Turned out when I removed the plaster I had about 15º to 30º movement amplitude on my left arm at the elbow. Now it over-stretches a bit.

This didn't stop me from sk8ing at the time, but injected some bigger fear in me for attempting more adventurous maneuvers and tricks, like jumping more than 4 or 5 stepped stairs and bigger gaps. By 17/18 I started Kung Fu and by 19 I wasn't sk8ing anymore. I used to play with nunchakus quite well, but every time they hit my left elbow they'll hit the nerve hard because due to that fall, my braquial nerve is more exposed and superficial... I dedicated myself to the 3 section staff and medium sized staff and sword and seldom some nunchakus as well... I kind of miss the freedom feel of sk8boarding, the rebelness inherent to it, the gravity and authority deffience, but I don't miss the pain in the shins, the twisted ankles and wrists, skinned knees and hands and elbows nor the broken bones.


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## bastardbullet (May 31, 2022)

Bump;

After 10+ days of no skating due to my f*cked up flight schedule, i‘ve hit the park today and finally my kickflips are coming back, yay!



On the other hand, i still can’t properly do an ollie, pop shove it or of course a kickflip while moving, i have to improve my balance. Also, not ready for a ramp drop in.

At least i’m still alive. :’)


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## jaxadam (May 31, 2022)

I especially like the flip of the board


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## Grindspine (Jun 4, 2022)

Random Youtube browsing led me to a physics girl video about the weird physics of skateboard tricks. This is pretty much for anyone who is both skateboarder and science nerd.


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## kreepyteach (Aug 5, 2022)

I'm so glad this is a thread here! Keep it going! Remember, just like in guitar; it's always about expressing yourself. And if you're having trouble with the tricks remember you can always paint your crusiers! Nothing like a good stencil and a few cans of spray paint?!?!?











New item by Elliott Feliciano







photos.app.goo.gl


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## bastardbullet (Aug 12, 2022)

Hey,

This is from tonights stationary ollie progression take;



I know it’s been 3 months but i really have no time to skate consecutively to improve/discover other tricks currently. My workload goes insane at this time of the year, maybe i’ll have more days as the autumn kicks in.

Anyways, i’ve regained all my balance and height after 22 years. Now i’m after that boned ollie motion. Also, i can land them while rolling but not this high of course. Obstacles are still a nope either, we’ll see. I can easly land almost every shuvit and pop shuvit but still not while rolling. I also have to look into it.

Weird thing is; i’ve completely lost the sense of my kickflips. I couldn’t land a single one since june but as i’ve said, i could only skate once or twice a day in a whole month, guess i need more time for it.


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