My great "Thunder Trucks Experiment of 2020" has come to a close.
I bought myself a christmas present this year of a pair of Thunder Hollow Lights and set them up a fresh complete (quasi deck, F4 wheels) which I skated for the first time on January 1, 2020. At first it felt super weird and couldn't figure out how tight or loose I wanted the trucks. I'd been primarily been using Ace prior to this and in accordance with their creed I like them loose. So that was the first challenge. I finally got them to where I liked them and I landed a few good tricks at the park that day so I felt good about.
Most of January and February I was working too much, it's our busy time of year, so not skating much. Weather was awful also, and most of my skating was going for a cruise after work to get a beer. I got used to the very different turn of the Thunders by doing this but I never felt comfortable ollieing at high speed. There's a huge bump in the bike path on the way to my favorite bar that I like to ollie off but I never could get the timing right with the Thunders.
Then March came and I was stuck in the house for months. I did some stationary skating in the driveway behind my apartment, but it was just something to kill boredom.
Finally in May I was able to go out again so I set up a new deck. Ishod twin tail. It was weird but I blamed the deck. Didn't feel comfortable at speed nor pushing tricks higher. That bump in the bike path continued to be a problem.
A week ago I set up a third deck on that truck/wheels setup, this time a Hockey. A shape I'm very comfortable with. I skated lots of Quasi and FA/Hockey in the past and I think they are my fav deck shape, I switch it up depending on what's at the shop that day. Same problems. What the fuck?!
For shits and giggles I took my old setup to work today for my lunchtime session. Quasi/Ace/F4. The first ollie I did was weird. But the second one was the same lofty and almost effortless ollie I remember from my past. I felt the skate gods lifting me up at that moment. Kickflips came back. Grinds felt dope. I missed the quick twitchy turn of the thunders but Ace turn great in a different way.
I blamed my shitty skating on decks; on my atrophied legs from Covid lockdown; from a hot summer; from depression; from my fat ass being a lazy old man. NOPE. Now I blame Thunder trucks. And the fact that I'm actually a horrible skateboarder, but not THAT bad, luckily.
I'm sticking to Ace from now on.
How do you people who switch stuff all the time do it? I still had Ace muscle memory from 9 months ago. It came right back. You must all be amazing skateboarders, or I'm just terrible. I can't do it.