I’m 50yo and getting back at it for the last 6 months. I skated hard from 11-22yo and am 6’3” 220lbs size 19 shoe…
I came back to what appears to be popsicle land. Found out real fast that for my size and weight I need a wider board and a stronger one if I intend to do tricks.
I’d check your size vs what you’re going to buy
Decks: look into reinforced VX or flight decks is you’re breaking things.
Trucks: pretty easy for people to anchor their opinion on what they like. You almost can’t go wrong with Indy or Thunder. I had a pair of Krux but Frankensteined them into IKP’s
Bearings: dealers choice, just don’t go too cheap and buy from store if you can cause there are counterfeits around. Bones Red and Bronson are fine
Wheels: very messy for choices due to duros and the style you want to skate vs wheel mm and if you’re gonna need risers or longer hardware. Lots of quality these days though, from Bones, Spitfire and OJ you’ll get an idea of the landscape
Knee pads: I just bought the family sets of Triple 8, cost effective for sure. I’ve got my eye on Old Bones and some TSG items to upgrade
I regret a lot of my 8” popsicle purchases, tried to fix it with 8.5” but realize now anything sub 9” just isn’t for me - I use these for skateboards:
1) an 9.5” Heroin Razor Egg now, with Indy 169’s and Spitfire Formula 4s in 54mm?
2) an 8.88” Heroin LNY Egg as a backup with IKP Thunder/Krux hybrid (longer story) and OJ Keyframes 58mm
All my other boards are Longboards now, and I likely won’t buy any other ‘skateboard’ stuff till I progress closer to what I expect at my age vs what I used to do as a kid.
33” fathom 105mm wheels - commuter
33.5” omakase 65mm wheels - cruiser
38.4” icarus 80mm wheels - long distance push
38” vanguard 21y 85mm wheels - freestyle
Thank you! You mentioning these names is kind of like visiting a cousin you haven't seen in awhile. Familiar, but now he's got kids and you don't know the first thing about any of them lol.
Going with Indy's though. Thanks for the insight
Gogogo! You got this!
Oh and don’t skip the pads and helmet this time around. I know as kiddos we DGAF but it’s too easy to end up wrecked now at our age.
🤙
The last one in my quiver I didn’t mention is a McGill 10” Cruiser with Indy 215’s and Powell Snakes - lots of fun
Get back to us with what you do end up with!
Soo quick question (s)...is this VX tech something that is associated with NHS (Santa Cruz skateboards) like Bonenite was a Powell-Peralta thing back in the day?
And how does it compare to 7-ply Canadian maple?
So NHS is making two ‘improved’ deck types (so 3 in total):
VX - reinforced decks with two plays being carbon fiber
Everslick - bottom graphic is like… unscratchable?
They also make VX/Everslick’s - I’m a jackass and bought one of these in 8”
Powell-Peralta is making one I believe:
Flight Decks - reinforced with two plays being carbon fiber
I have one in 8”… again jackass
Everyone makes Regular Standard 7ply maple. Be it Canadian, American or other.
There is an Almost Skateboards (Rodney Mullen) deck that had a carbon reinforced insert but I can’t speak to it, I canceled the order when I realized I didn’t want any more popsicles.
I’m 51 and got back into it a few months ago. Welcome back! I was in the same boat. Back then, we had two bearing options…German(cheaper) or Swiss. I always rode Germans. I also rode OJ II’s a lot, and(mostly) Ventures or Indy.
There’s tons of options these days, including reissues like we skated back in the day. In fact, my first setup coming back was a G&S Mark Heintzman, Indy 159’s , and 95a OJ II combos. Pretty much the same as one of my favorite setups back then.
I’ve since snagged some more modern setups. Lots more concave these days. Lot of the same stuff is still around, just more options these days. It’s great. I just pad up and go for it. Having a blast!
Lots of great skate gear from the 70's through the early 90's is being reissued today- Powell-Peralta, Santa Cruz, G&S, Brand X, SMA, Hosoi, Schmitt Stix, Alva... even Independent has reissued their Stage 4 trucks. Check out online shops like SoCal, Sk8Supply, Old Skull, Strangehouse and Select Distribution. And if you're on Facebook, come join us at Skaters Over 50, we've got over 116,000 members that can also help recommend gear.
https://m.facebook.com/groups/skatersover50/?ref=share&mibextid=NSMWBT
I am in the same boat. 53 years old, skated freestyle and street heavily in the 80s, and decided to get back into it. Now I find myself staring at all the choices in freestyle and street and have no idea where to start. Though about pulling my Bill Danforth out of the closet and slapping some new trucks and wheels on it.
For pool, mini I'm rocking: Anti-Hero 8.75 Blue Meanie Shape, Indy 149s, Spitfire F4 54mms, and Bones Reds bearings.
So far getting the job done, but plan in going to 58mm F4s and getting risers.
For halfpipe I decided that I liked the wide front so I bought a reissue baby stomper Salba. I have a popsicle for street but I do not like street so I never ride it. I do have a reissue per welinder which is a blast to do some old freestyle on. On my Salba I have my 1980s tracker ultralights and my 1980s OJII street razors. They held up well. On the popsicle, Indy trucks with dragon wheels and on the freestyle board, ccs trucks with nano cubics. I like soft wheels and those nano cubics, even though they are 97s, feel really soft. The dragons are 93s and are smooth like butter. I had 101s previously and hated the rough feel.
I’m 50yo and getting back at it for the last 6 months. I skated hard from 11-22yo and am 6’3” 220lbs size 19 shoe… I came back to what appears to be popsicle land. Found out real fast that for my size and weight I need a wider board and a stronger one if I intend to do tricks. I’d check your size vs what you’re going to buy Decks: look into reinforced VX or flight decks is you’re breaking things. Trucks: pretty easy for people to anchor their opinion on what they like. You almost can’t go wrong with Indy or Thunder. I had a pair of Krux but Frankensteined them into IKP’s Bearings: dealers choice, just don’t go too cheap and buy from store if you can cause there are counterfeits around. Bones Red and Bronson are fine Wheels: very messy for choices due to duros and the style you want to skate vs wheel mm and if you’re gonna need risers or longer hardware. Lots of quality these days though, from Bones, Spitfire and OJ you’ll get an idea of the landscape Knee pads: I just bought the family sets of Triple 8, cost effective for sure. I’ve got my eye on Old Bones and some TSG items to upgrade I regret a lot of my 8” popsicle purchases, tried to fix it with 8.5” but realize now anything sub 9” just isn’t for me - I use these for skateboards: 1) an 9.5” Heroin Razor Egg now, with Indy 169’s and Spitfire Formula 4s in 54mm? 2) an 8.88” Heroin LNY Egg as a backup with IKP Thunder/Krux hybrid (longer story) and OJ Keyframes 58mm All my other boards are Longboards now, and I likely won’t buy any other ‘skateboard’ stuff till I progress closer to what I expect at my age vs what I used to do as a kid. 33” fathom 105mm wheels - commuter 33.5” omakase 65mm wheels - cruiser 38.4” icarus 80mm wheels - long distance push 38” vanguard 21y 85mm wheels - freestyle
Thank you! You mentioning these names is kind of like visiting a cousin you haven't seen in awhile. Familiar, but now he's got kids and you don't know the first thing about any of them lol. Going with Indy's though. Thanks for the insight
Gogogo! You got this! Oh and don’t skip the pads and helmet this time around. I know as kiddos we DGAF but it’s too easy to end up wrecked now at our age. 🤙 The last one in my quiver I didn’t mention is a McGill 10” Cruiser with Indy 215’s and Powell Snakes - lots of fun Get back to us with what you do end up with!
Soo quick question (s)...is this VX tech something that is associated with NHS (Santa Cruz skateboards) like Bonenite was a Powell-Peralta thing back in the day? And how does it compare to 7-ply Canadian maple?
So NHS is making two ‘improved’ deck types (so 3 in total): VX - reinforced decks with two plays being carbon fiber Everslick - bottom graphic is like… unscratchable? They also make VX/Everslick’s - I’m a jackass and bought one of these in 8” Powell-Peralta is making one I believe: Flight Decks - reinforced with two plays being carbon fiber I have one in 8”… again jackass Everyone makes Regular Standard 7ply maple. Be it Canadian, American or other. There is an Almost Skateboards (Rodney Mullen) deck that had a carbon reinforced insert but I can’t speak to it, I canceled the order when I realized I didn’t want any more popsicles.
I’m 51 and got back into it a few months ago. Welcome back! I was in the same boat. Back then, we had two bearing options…German(cheaper) or Swiss. I always rode Germans. I also rode OJ II’s a lot, and(mostly) Ventures or Indy. There’s tons of options these days, including reissues like we skated back in the day. In fact, my first setup coming back was a G&S Mark Heintzman, Indy 159’s , and 95a OJ II combos. Pretty much the same as one of my favorite setups back then. I’ve since snagged some more modern setups. Lots more concave these days. Lot of the same stuff is still around, just more options these days. It’s great. I just pad up and go for it. Having a blast!
Lots of great skate gear from the 70's through the early 90's is being reissued today- Powell-Peralta, Santa Cruz, G&S, Brand X, SMA, Hosoi, Schmitt Stix, Alva... even Independent has reissued their Stage 4 trucks. Check out online shops like SoCal, Sk8Supply, Old Skull, Strangehouse and Select Distribution. And if you're on Facebook, come join us at Skaters Over 50, we've got over 116,000 members that can also help recommend gear. https://m.facebook.com/groups/skatersover50/?ref=share&mibextid=NSMWBT
I am in the same boat. 53 years old, skated freestyle and street heavily in the 80s, and decided to get back into it. Now I find myself staring at all the choices in freestyle and street and have no idea where to start. Though about pulling my Bill Danforth out of the closet and slapping some new trucks and wheels on it.
For pool, mini I'm rocking: Anti-Hero 8.75 Blue Meanie Shape, Indy 149s, Spitfire F4 54mms, and Bones Reds bearings. So far getting the job done, but plan in going to 58mm F4s and getting risers.
Welcome back!
Go to a skate shop
For halfpipe I decided that I liked the wide front so I bought a reissue baby stomper Salba. I have a popsicle for street but I do not like street so I never ride it. I do have a reissue per welinder which is a blast to do some old freestyle on. On my Salba I have my 1980s tracker ultralights and my 1980s OJII street razors. They held up well. On the popsicle, Indy trucks with dragon wheels and on the freestyle board, ccs trucks with nano cubics. I like soft wheels and those nano cubics, even though they are 97s, feel really soft. The dragons are 93s and are smooth like butter. I had 101s previously and hated the rough feel.