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Skateboarding => Skate Questions => Topic started by: truthislie on November 18, 2020, 01:09:02 AM
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I have never really skated transition in my life (slammed very hard early on and didn´t really touch it anymore). Now I´m 37 and I wonder about the getting older skating transition cliche...
How is it safer than skating ledges, flat, banks...? I get that if you skate a really steep one (which I don´t have and would be too scary for me anyhow) you can slide out your slams on your kneepads. I´d much rather eat shit on the ground than on a coping 1,5 m or more above the ground. Are there any techniques that make it easier to bail besides the obvious knee slide thing?
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I'm 35, skated street as a teen and in my early 20s, then took 12 years off skating. I could drop in on a 3ft and do axle stalls and a couple of rock fakie variations and that was it...i was never that comfortable with transition skating.
Having come back to it now, I have stuck with what I know, flatground/ledges/banks... I had a brief dalliance with skating the 3ft at my local park, but absolutely wrecked myself slipping out coming back in from an axle stall. It very much served as a lesson that if I wanted to get proficient at it, I would have to take a lot of similar slams that I know my head, back and neck in particular just can't handle.
I don't plan on starting to skate transition at all, for me personally the risk of injury is far higher than learning new flatground stuff, which I find a lot easier to manage the risks on.
So yeah TL;DR I don't personally think transition is quite as cut and dry as the safe option for older skaters its purported to be.
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Fuck no, I have a bit of a go at smaller transitions but I try not to step to anything over my head
You’re 100% gonna break shit if you come of badly on the bigger ramps
Man I reckon the funnest skatepark obstacles are those china bank type things, meter high, 60 degrees
That and a good ledge and perhaps a hip is all ya need
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I think that the cliche comes from people getting old and not wanting to Ollie anymore, or couldn’t Ollie in the first place.
I skate both, but I’ll always warm up skating street, then once my legs are good and juiced I’ll hit the bowl
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I am 38 now and added more transition to the mix around 10 years ago just because it seemed fun. Then I moved to a new place that had two bowls around the corner with good flat ground next to them, so this became my go to spot for casual sessions and warm up. Skating the smaller of the two bowls to warm up and then some flat ground is my favorite way to skate now since it is always fun, even on bad leg days.
I do feel transition is much easier on the knees and ankles than even low impact street skating. And I've never really injured myself skating miniramp and bowl. If it's 2m or higher, I only carve and do the most basic lip tricks. That makes all the difference for me, skate mellow transition so you can easily bail and run off. Bigger ramps and bowls just give you so much momentum that the chance for bad slams increases dramatically.
Street skating still is where my heart is, and I am not going to stop, but I have to acknowledge that I badly fucked up my ankle twice in three years. I wasn't even doing risky stuff, one time I stepped off a 50-50 on some stairs and rolled my ankle on the edge of the lower stair, the other time I bailed a Shove-it out of a Nose Manual and sat on my leg at a weird angle. Small random incidents with serious consequences.
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I’m properly old (47!)
I grew up skating street just cos there were never any easily accessible ramps in my town and it was way before all these parks got built. I lived close to the famous Lloyds ledge spot in Bristol for a few years as well so that was all I skated.
I think the limit of my mini ramp skills back then were 50-50s and fakie Ollie lip slides.
I stopped skating around 2002 and moved to the coast to surf. A couple of years ago I got encouraged back By some mates who were mini ramp champs back in the day. There’s little “real” street stuff where I live - not even many curbs to wax but there’s three really fun mini ramps and a sketchy small bowl. Nothing over 4’. I’ve found skating the smaller minis super fun and have learnt loads of stuff I never knew (as well as getting back most of my flat ground and ledge stuff)
As long as the mini is small you can run out of stuff easily and even if you hang up and fall to flat, the consequences are low on a 3’ ramp. I generally only try and learn stuff that has a low potential for disaster.
That and slappy curbs have been super low impact old man fun! My bones and ankles are way too old to be jumping down stuff
(https://i.ibb.co/f14CMxQ/E4010062-D655-4-B02-8208-83-EDC9365892.jpg) (https://ibb.co/f14CMxQ)
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I’m properly old (47!)
I grew up skating street just cos there were never any easily accessible ramps in my town and it was way before all these parks got built. I lived close to the famous Lloyds ledge spot in Bristol for a few years as well so that was all I skated.
(https://i.ibb.co/f14CMxQ/E4010062-D655-4-B02-8208-83-EDC9365892.jpg) (https://ibb.co/f14CMxQ)
Small world! I grew up in Thornbury and then lived in Clifton for a few years, I was literally 5 minutes walk up park street from college green but wasn't skating much at the time.
We had a crappy metal ramp park when I was a teen so we would often hop the bus down to Bristol and skate Lloyds or @Bristol, or magistrates court... I seriously wish I lived in Briz now I'm skating again, so many good spots.
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I’m properly old (47!)
[...]
(https://i.ibb.co/f14CMxQ/E4010062-D655-4-B02-8208-83-EDC9365892.jpg) (https://ibb.co/f14CMxQ)
Hell yeah! This trick is my nemesis. Well most Frontside tricks on transition are. But if I still have 9 years to learn it I might be able to get it. :)
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They really aren’t that hard ( I mean I can do them so that sets a pretty low bar ! :-))
The secret is to turn your head and shoulders before you deck the board!
@skatebeard small world indeed! I started skating in 87 And grew up near Worcester in the midlands but went to uni in Bristol so skated Lloyds and college green loads from 98- 01 ( I didn’t really skate from 92 - 97) I had a flat in Clifton and a couple in cotham over uni and afterwards. Such a great city and there’s been so much new building there in last 10 years I bet there’s tonnes of new spots now.
I’ve lived in North Devon for the last 20 years though.
Sorry for the thread hijack!
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I'm 38 and didn't come up skating transition. Been trying to make myself skate it a bit more and TBH I find it pretty stressful and not any "safer". Like, I don't jump down anything anymore but doing on ollie down a couple stairs seems way safer to me since that is way more familiar and I developed those motor skills when I was way younger and had more plasticity in my body on brain.
My old guy safe haven has been curbs. I can do all the stuff I always did, just on a mellower level.
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They really aren’t that hard ( I mean I can do them so that sets a pretty low bar ! :-))
The secret is to turn your head and shoulders before you deck the board!
Thanks, I knew it's a shoulder trick but I like this tip, focus on the timing more. I can do it on tiny kids ramps but on a more regular quarter or mini I never seem to get the spin fast enough and I shoot out in a weird way. Maybe turning earlier and going more cork screw will do the trick. If my back allows! ;)
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Thanks for all your replies! I guess its important to have a nice small transition available which I don´t really have. I skate a lot of flat and flip my board a lot but now that I have a son and a lot of work to do it´s super hard to keep this stuff. It would be super dope to have a small like @listentoaheartbeat does. And @Jory4 This fs rock is very impressive, I´d be stoked to be able to do that.
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I'm 45 and have actually been street skating a lot more these last couple of years. Mainly small stuff. Flat, curbs, ledges, jersey barriers, banks and janky stuff I come across. But typically I skate more parks because I live close to many good parks.
On a day to day level transition is safer b/c there is less impact. Even skating flat can be more jarring. However, in transition things can go haywire really quick and slams can be just as brutal. It helps to learn how to fall. If you are skating big smooth transition, knee pads and bails are super helpful. Otherwise, learn to slide down the ramp, bowl or whatever, on your arse. Its often safer than trying to run out of something.
Another thing with transition is if you find a good park, you can have a shit tonne of fun just jamming around doing low risk stuff like carve grinds and slash grinds, finding new lines and linking things together, you don't have to be constantly working on and bailing tricks to have a load of fun.
Small tight transition is incredibly fun and rewarding. Getting a proper front rock or a tail block on something 3' high that goes to vert makes you feel like you've actually done something... ha ha...
As for equipment, you can use the same set up but you'd be surprised how much a longer wheelbase can make you feel comfortable in big bowls and on vert. Bigger wheels help with the bigger parks otherwise I wouldn't worry.
My main pass on for older skateboarders is just do what feels good that day. We all go into a session with aspirations of what we want to do that day but sometimes our bodies and minds have different ideas. If a trick, line, obstacle or whatever isn't working out after a few tries, play about with other stuff until you find something that feels really good. And then do it over and over. Find a few things you do well and master them rather than try to nail every trick in the book.
And don't make yourself skate. If you're not feeling it, work on the car/ garden instead....
Finally read a bit about Theory of Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. If you are lucky, you can find a skatepark that knowingly or unknowingly incorporates some of that theory. I once interviewed Kent Dahlgren from Burnside/ Dreamland, he introduced me to it. Genius.
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The answer is : it depends.
I am 47 and started skating a 4' mini ramp when I was 16 or 17. I slammed a lot, and learned how to bail. As an old guy, I feel pretty confident that I'm not going to get hurt on transition that size - because I grew up doing it.
Big transition is pretty safe for guys that grew up doing it because they learned how to knee slide and it is instinctual.
Learning late in life would probably lead to some injuries. I took 20 years off and when I came back I ended up with cracked ribs, sprained ankles, broken wrists...
I then went a few years relatively injury free once I got used to it again.
11 weeks ago I was skating a new park that had super slick concrete. Even though it was only about 5', I tried to run out of something and my foot slipped on the transition. I sprained my foot badly. It was super swollen for weeks, and I it still hurts to kickflip. I skated my local park a few weeks ago and because my front foot was weak I bailed and cracked my wrist and a super swollen knee.
Curbs and flatland are safer, but I'll still keep skating transition (even though my wife thinks I should quit)
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I am 45 and started skating transition kind of late. I love it. I remember that i had to learn bail differently for transition, now it feels really safe to do. I don't do no crazy tricks and don't skate big trannie (other than below the lip). Much prefer bowls to mini ramp because you don't have that back and forth that forces you to do a trick, but you're going forward, shredding. I mean mini ramp is cool too, but bowls and flow areas is where it's up for me now. Carving transition also seems like something i could do and enjoy when i'm 60.
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And don't make yourself skate. If you're not feeling it, work on the car/ garden instead....
That´s what I´m doing anyways. In my other reply it might have sounded a bit forced, but when I m not feeling skating, I m not skating. Happens very rarely. Altough now with the baby I´m planning my sessions days in advance, so it sometimes does happen. Even then I have no problem going back home and doing something else if I´m not wired to skate that day.
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And don't make yourself skate. If you're not feeling it, work on the car/ garden instead....
That´s what I´m doing anyways. In my other reply it might have sounded a bit forced, but when I m not feeling skating, I m not skating. Happens very rarely. Altough now with the baby I´m planning my sessions days in advance, so it sometimes does happen. Even then I have no problem going back home and doing something else if I´m not wired to skate that day.
Between family, employed job, and freelance work I need to pretty much always plan sessions ahead. Sometimes it is a bit forced but I know I’ll feel better afterwards. Skateboarding is actually a key ingredient in supporting my mental health.
I adjust on the session instead, sometimes to the extend of only cruising around, carving the bowl, and doing flat ground manuals if I am not feeling right. No popping on weird days! It’s safe and can still be fun.
A lesson I have to learn is to not take it too far on good days. I’ll often get into a rush and skate without breaks to the point of total exhaustion, low blood sugar and all. That’s when I injure myself, no matter if I am just goofing around or relentlessly trying to land a trick.
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Gotta agree with others that skating has been a big help for my mental health.
I started at age 50, I am 51 now, but about 3 months ago I wrecked my knees dropping into about 7-foot concrete QP. When I got to the flat, I came off the board, knees came together, then knees were pressed to ground. Gnarly slam that I may never fully recover from, but have been to the park a few times since then to hit up the 3-foot mini. Still a shit-ton of pain, etc. but can still do all of my beginner tricks (used Chad Caruso’s 10 beginner mini-ramp as my list).
Closing on a new house in a couple of weeks with enough yard for a mini-ramp. DEFINITELY installing one. Skating for about 15 months before my slam had me in the BEST shape of my life, emotional, mental, and physical. I am not one to throw down the bullshit “I wish I found it earlier”, I am just one that is happy I found skateboarding at all. Never happier, never healthier.
Go get some!
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Sorry, was too full of myself and didn’t answer your questions.
I took some pretty hard slams learning to drop-in to a 4-ft QP (had basically never ridden a skateboard except a little in my teens....push, tic-tac, kick turn, was knocked out bombing a hill once).
I always wore full pads as an adult though, and as things got sketchy I wore padded shorts too (padded thighs, hips, butt, and tailbone). My worst slams were:
- dropping in but the brunt of the slam went to my knee pads and wrist guards, which actually carved chunks of skin out of my palms.
- rock-fakie slams, even on small transition, are pretty gnarly. Also threw my lower back out big time on my first rock-fakie attempts because I was so clueless. 7 weeks of literally barely being able to move.
- Just prior to nailing my first axle-stall, my board slipped out on re-entry on a 3-foot mini. Forgot my hip pads that day but got the trick on my next try. This is the only slam I have video for. Here’s a link to the slam and the success:
https://youtu.be/povu-Q4s0U4
This shit ain’t easy and I admit I have pushed myself a bit too far, but god damn I am having fun.
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Respect Dofrenzy! I can't imagine learning as a mid-aged dude. I don't think I'd have the courage or perseverance.
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Respect Dofrenzy! I can't imagine learning as a mid-aged dude. I don't think I'd have the courage or perseverance.
Thanks Frank and Fred. I spent years in my 40’s exiting my work building and jumping onto the handrail outside the door. Like, 10 times per day, easy. I think I was made for skateboarding. What a blast.
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Unless you skated transition growing up, it’s gonna hurt worse to learn it than to just keep skating small shit and flat ground.
Learning to pump around ain’t bad though. If you want to frontside slash an 8ft+ bowl though or do frontside airs, be prepared to eat some serious shit.
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I love how this has evolved into an old man skate strategies thread. Even tough I m not as obsessed with skating as I was in my early twenties, it helps my mental well being without a doubt. I can pump and slash on decent sized tranny and rock to fakie on smaller ones - but that´s about it.
@dofrenzy: Very impressive to learn at 51, love it! I didn´t mention it before but part of the reason why I opened this thread is because I´m also in the process of building a house with a big yard, where I maybe could set up a ramp. But there are a lot of other factors besides my motivation to skate tranny (mainly the neighbour noise problem ;)).
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<snip>....
@dofrenzy: Very impressive to learn at 51, love it! I didn´t mention it before but part of the reason why I opened this thread is because I´m also in the process of building a house with a big yard, where I maybe could set up a ramp. But there are a lot of other factors besides my motivation to skate tranny (mainly the neighbour noise problem ;)).
Thanks man! Not gonna lie, I’ve taken some slams skating transition, but I just love skating ramps. There is not a lot of pushing and as my pumping has improved I can get a bunch of tricks in a row (some repeated tricks because my skills are light). Still, when I think about it I can’t imagine that skating tranny could be any safer than street. I would like to join the skaters on the manny pad but I can’t even ollie (yet).
My final advice is to do what you like, when you can! My daughter (on rollerblades) and I bombed a small hill nearby and it was a blast. It’s just nice to be on a skateboard.
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My final advice is to do what you like, when you can!
i would say it mostly comes down to this.
i got into skating transition when a friend got a backyard mini ramp. definitely was awkward for a while there, and i earned plenty slams, worst was learning roll-ins. but for whatever reason i connected with it more than street skating. people on here talk about learning switch 360 flips and shit, that's not even in the realm of possibility for me, but i can believe one day i will do a front rock on some 8ft deep end.
if you're learning axle stalls on little ramps and you're thinking "there's something to this" then pursue it, but not if it feels like a chore.
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I am old yet I don't skate transition. When I started skating in 91 there wasn't any skatepark nearby so we just skated street. I remember once attending a skate camp around that time and they brought us to a skatepark with a proper half pipe and we even got pads to use so 14 year old me dropped into that half pipe. From then on I dropped into any ramp I came by but that happened rarely so I never learned anything else. I then spent the summer holidays of 95 and 96 in Faelledparken, Copenhagen (best time of my life) and they had a mini ramp. I spent quite a few hours there, learning rock to fakies. As we had no pads I took some horrible slams on the hip. But back home again, we had no ramps. I then stopped skating around 97 and took it up again this year. There are skateparks anywhere now and I have a choice of miniramps and bowls nearby but I am afraid to even drop into them. I don't want to find out how a slam from coping to flat would hurt my 43 year old ass.
Sorry for the wall of text but I had to give you a bit of background as I'm new here.
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i'm 47 and similar story to guys with same age. grew up skating street because there were no ramps. vert always scared me then when h-street videos came out with mcgills park footage it seemed like there were mini's everywhere after that and seemed like me and all my street skating buddies started skating mini a lot
learning curve wise, just like with street there are a certain amount of slams you have to get through to get to where you can have fun. i can't imagine how you'd learn a stall to fakie or blunt without eating shit a few times. but what i've found is that trick retention seems to be higher and it it seems to overall be lower maintenance the most other types of skating other than curb skating. so if i take a break for 6 months or so, i can usually do my go too's on transition pretty quickly 1-2 sessions same with curbs. but for manuals, flip tricks, ledges, higher than 4' transitions, etc... i have to work back up.
as far as types of terrain, my favorite i quarter pipes. i like pushing around and hitting qp then pushing some more and maybe olling something or hitting a little curb. this is my ramp i got poured in my front drive, it's pretty fun. it's steep and harder to skate than the local park small ramps which some days i love that i did that and others not so much. filming these super basic tricks took me way longer than it should have the other day but was really satisfying.
http://www.instagram.com/p/CHv-sC8Jhq4/
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I’m 45.
I’ve always been attracted to ramp skating, it seemed more satisfying to flow and actually ‘skate’ more than trying to figure out a flat ground trick or just run up to do a feature again and again.
So I feel much more comfortable on mini ramps than I do on ledges. I’m finally learning how to skate them a bit them, on the street area at the local park, but I’m currently trying to figure out how to do proper bs and fs smiths without slashing them.
There is a 12-foot halfpipe I drop into once every year or so and try to rub the coping, but that’s about it.
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I am 46-years-old. I was a pure street skater my entire life. At 43-years-old I "discovered" transition, and man, what an awakening that has been. Wear pads. Knee. Elbow. Helmet. Even on smaller ramps. Minis can bite, and bite HARD. You don't have the time to react the same way you do on a vert ramp. Learn to knee slide, even on smaller ramps. A "run out" that goes bad can lead to very bad twists, tears, and breaks. Bones heal, but damage to the soft tissue stuff (e.g. twists and tears) is what will really do you in. A hard fact of life is that when you get older, you don't react/heal as as fast as you use to. Pads can save your ass. However, there are some things that pads will never protect you from, too (e.g. twists and tears), but if you can get into a knee slide, you take a lot the twist/teat scenario off the table. Take note of the other people in this thread who have mentioned injuries from run-outs gone wrong, or said that run-outs can be sketchy. Knee slides are the way to go.
Q: How is it safer than skating ledges, flat, banks?
A: Safe is a relative term. The bigger the ramp, ledge, rail, etc. you're skating, the less safe it becomes. Knowing your limits, and how to break down tricks into smaller parts is also incredibly important. Jumping around a lot (e.g. ollies, street skating, etc.) can really wear your joints down. I certainly feel it after a day of "hard" street skating. If, however, I skate a mini ramp all day, I am a lot less sore, and my knees/ankles don't hate me as much. I am not sure I would say I find transition "safer," but it is absolutely less of a strain. I will be carving bowls long after I have stopped doing nollie kickflips, etc.
Q: Are there any techniques that make it easier to bail besides the obvious knee slide thing?
A: Knee slides are the best way to bail on ramps, esp if you're in the older crowd (where run-outs become more precarious). They are actually a lot of fun, too.
Last, transition skating will help your street skating. I never would have done that b/s disaster in my sig file, at 44-years-old, if I hadn't started skating more transition.
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Jumping around a lot (e.g. ollies, street skating, etc.) can really wear your joints down. I certainly feel it after a day of "hard" street skating. If, however, I skate a mini ramp all day, I am a lot less sore, and my knees/ankles don't hate me as much. I am not sure I would say I find transition "safer," but it is absolutely less of a strain. I will be carving bowls long after I have stopped doing nollie kickflips, etc.
This is my experience, too. It’s incredible how sore my legs are even after skating flat ground, and I am only 38. I am tall and heavy, so that adds to the strain.
I’d definitely call transition safer, simply because I find it easier to stay in my comfort zone and have fun. I’d guess that I skate transition within 60-70% of my abilities, while I go to 90% when I skate street.
Plus, I am extremely methodical and gradual about learning lip tricks, and I don’t Ollie except into Disasters. This is on small transition, if it’s a big ramp or bowl I resort to the absolute basics.
Knee slides are the best way to bail on ramps, esp if you're in the older crowd (where run-outs become more precarious). They are actually a lot of fun, too.
Maybe I’ll be a convert when I get older, but knee slides seem much more dangerous for my knees and back, especially since I am 6'5''. And the bowl I skate has a shallow transition, so it wouldn’t be much of a slide.
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This is my experience, too. It’s incredible how sore my legs are even after skating flat ground, and I am only 38. I am tall and heavy, so that adds to the strain. I’d definitely call transition safer, simply because I find it easier to stay in my comfort zone and have fun. I’d guess that I skate transition within 60-70% of my abilities, while I go to 90% when I skate street. Plus, I am extremely methodical and gradual about learning lip tricks, and I don’t Ollie except into Disasters. This is on small transition, if it’s a big ramp or bowl I resort to the absolute basics.
Yup. Agree with all of this and/or is my experience, too.
Maybe I’ll be a convert when I get older, but knee slides seem much more dangerous for my knees and back, especially since I am 6'5''. And the bowl I skate has a shallow transition, so it wouldn’t be much of a slide.
Size of the ramp is certainly a factor. That said, better to learn them now before your knees/back get worse with age. A proper knee slide is something you ease you way into, like slowly dropping to knees, and is far less jarring on knees/back than you might think. And this ( https://vatorat.blogspot.com/2018/11/why-i-wear-pads-on-small-ramps.html (https://vatorat.blogspot.com/2018/11/why-i-wear-pads-on-small-ramps.html) ) is the exact reason why pads/kneeslides on even small ramps can really be a life-saver. Def worth a read/consideration.
Also, I am no longer doing handrails (e.g. the pic/comment in above link). I broke my leg in 2019. Handrails are over now. After a life-time of skating, I am definitely moving into the realm of practicing a more low-impact "old guy stoke" of curbs and mini ramps. My goal is no longer to "stick that banger," but to continue skating as long as I possibly can. With that perspective shift, a lot of other stuff shifts, too. #rollforever
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The best thing about skating is there are no rules except the ones you make for yourself, so some days I don't skate, other days I just cruise around and do laps of where ever it is I am, some times I am more keen to try more tricks and go harder on anything I am skating, not for anyone but myself.
I am 45 now and about mid to late 30s I used to get a bit angry and upset I couldn't do some of the things I used to do when I was younger and had a bit of a hard time skating, but as I get older, I realise I can still enjoy rolling around and I have also come to terms with the fact that I don't need to do certain things any more.
Being a lot easier on the body, ramp skating has been more of a go to than anything else, as well as building my own ramp in a purpose built shed when we moved, so no matter what the weather is like or any other factors, I can go for a roll if I want to. The driveway outside is also a good fun street skating spot, as well as the nice long very mellow hill road we live on, so there is enough here to keep me well and truly entertained. That said, I still like getting out and skating lots of different places, but I am finding the smaller (and less risk) things in any skatepark or spot way more fun.
I have had more stupid injuries in the last few years, just slipping out of things or losing balance than the last 20 years combined, but thankfully no hospital visits. That doesn't include the broken arm, broken ankles when starting out and growing up, all late 80s early 90s.
If it came down to it, I would still prefer my regular board over a cruiser any day, but having a fat cruiser with big soft wheels and medium / loose trucks is sometimes just what I need, so I am glad I do have that option as well.
My happy place - the ramp in my shed:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-YGWfbFeku/
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I have had more stupid injuries in the last few years, just slipping out of things or losing balance than the last 20 years combined, but thankfully no hospital visits.
Yup. This is the reality we all face with age. We become slower. Our reaction time diminishes. Not only do we bail more, but our ability to "fall properly" also wanes. Combine this with slower healing time, and increased propensity for injury, and it can be a grim picture. Hawk said it best, "You can't fight biology." True, you can't win that fight, but you can work with biology to prolong time on the board. Low(er) impact stuff, stretching, and pads (when applicable) are what keeps you going, and the wheels rolling.
Sick ramp, man. Looks stupid fun. Enjoy that thing as long as you can.
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After a life-time of skating, I am definitely moving into the realm of practicing a more low-impact "old guy stoke" of curbs and mini ramps. My goal is no longer to "stick that banger," but to continue skating as long as I possibly can. With that perspective shift, a lot of other stuff shifts, too. #rollforever
There is literally nothing in my life that is as informed by adjusting to age (and ultimately, impermanence) as skateboarding. The conversations at the bowl are so funny sometimes, we sound like 60-70 year old people. It’s a bit ridiculous, but it also reflects the passion (and obsession).
A lot of the older people I skate with have started again or are doing it for the first time, and it seems a bit different for them. The constraints are their baseline and everything feels fresh compared to someone who never stopped and is seeing tricks fade year after year.
There have been times when I got a bit depressed about not being able to skate how I used to, but now I actually see a lot of beauty in the process, constantly finding new little things to enjoy about it. As you say above, this shift is not just about skateboarding.
For me, these new little things to enjoy have been gradually and carefully learning transition, and discovering details in basic tricks, for example 180 Ollies. Finally getting the shoulders right on Fs 180s, getting a bit more height on the dreaded Fs Nollie, etc.
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knee pads and sliding to me is only good if you are skating a vert ramp or something equally massive. for smaller stuff just run out or slide on your butt.
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knee pads and sliding to me is only good if you are skating a vert ramp or something equally massive. for smaller stuff just run out or slide on your butt.
I'm guessing that you've not reached your mid-40s yet? :)
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...but now I actually see a lot of beauty in the process, constantly finding new little things to enjoy about it. As you say above, this shift is not just about skateboarding...for me, these new little things to enjoy have been gradually and carefully learning transition, and discovering details in basic tricks...
The simple and subtle is the most profound. But it usually takes a lifetime to really understand (and live) that way.
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knee pads and sliding to me is only good if you are skating a vert ramp or something equally massive. for smaller stuff just run out or slide on your butt.
I'm guessing that you've not reached your mid-40s yet? :)
I'm 45. Knee pads on big stuff only and typically only on wood or smooth concrete. its no fun having a pad grip the rough stuff, sending you flying chin first to the flat... (i've had it happen) For me, anything small and it can cause more harm to knee bail... just my approach. i feel much safer butt bailing or running out. if it helps you, then go for it.
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knee pads and sliding to me is only good if you are skating a vert ramp or something equally massive. for smaller stuff just run out or slide on your butt.
I'm guessing that you've not reached your mid-40s yet? :)
i'm 47. below is an example of me doing a run out and a butt slide on my small ramp. i don't see how knee pads would be helpful. my ramp is really steep which makes knee pads even less helpful. for smaller ramps i find its easier just do go limp and land on the transition on your butt or jump to/run to flat. knee slides are hard to get into without a bigger transtion under you as you often have to rotate out a bit before you land on your knees and you usually throw your weight in the direction you are going both of which cause you to move a foot or two before making contact which will likely have you on the flat bottom on smaller ramps.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CC1ehyuJZoU/
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i don't see how knee pads would be helpful...
See link I posted above. Size of ramp is obviously a factor. That said, if I'm on a ramp and I'm given the choice of a knee-slide or run-out, I'll take the knee slide any day. I learned the hard-way on that. A bad run out is how I broke my leg. :)
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knee pads and sliding to me is only good if you are skating a vert ramp or something equally massive. for smaller stuff just run out or slide on your butt.
I'm guessing that you've not reached your mid-40s yet? :)
i'm 47. below is an example of me doing a run out and a butt slide on my small ramp. i don't see how knee pads would be helpful. my ramp is really steep which makes knee pads even less helpful. for smaller ramps i find its easier just do go limp and land on the transition on your butt or jump to/run to flat. knee slides are hard to get into without a bigger transtion under you as you often have to rotate out a bit before you land on your knees and you usually throw your weight in the direction you are going both of which cause you to move a foot or two before making contact which will likely have you on the flat bottom on smaller ramps.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CC1ehyuJZoU/
You got a rad quarter bro
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knee pads and sliding to me is only good if you are skating a vert ramp or something equally massive. for smaller stuff just run out or slide on your butt.
I'm guessing that you've not reached your mid-40s yet? :)
i'm 47. below is an example of me doing a run out and a butt slide on my small ramp. i don't see how knee pads would be helpful. my ramp is really steep which makes knee pads even less helpful. for smaller ramps i find its easier just do go limp and land on the transition on your butt or jump to/run to flat. knee slides are hard to get into without a bigger transtion under you as you often have to rotate out a bit before you land on your knees and you usually throw your weight in the direction you are going both of which cause you to move a foot or two before making contact which will likely have you on the flat bottom on smaller ramps.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CC1ehyuJZoU/
You got a rad quarter bro
thanks man, i had a buddy who does concrete for a living and has done many parks do it. it's really challenging but fun. some days i wish i had done a mellow 3' with metal coping but there's a ton of those around town and only one steep 3' with concrete. it wasn't crazy expensive IMHO, it cost about the same as getting an entry level mountain bike and i wanted it to match the house in a way that non-skaters might not even realize what it is, like a street transition spot.
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Transition is terrifying. Ledges and small bumps for me. As I get older that only becomes more true.
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knee pads and sliding to me is only good if you are skating a vert ramp or something equally massive. for smaller stuff just run out or slide on your butt.
I'm guessing that you've not reached your mid-40s yet? :)
i'm 47. below is an example of me doing a run out and a butt slide on my small ramp. i don't see how knee pads would be helpful. my ramp is really steep which makes knee pads even less helpful. for smaller ramps i find its easier just do go limp and land on the transition on your butt or jump to/run to flat. knee slides are hard to get into without a bigger transtion under you as you often have to rotate out a bit before you land on your knees and you usually throw your weight in the direction you are going both of which cause you to move a foot or two before making contact which will likely have you on the flat bottom on smaller ramps.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CC1ehyuJZoU/
I’m like 99% sure I’ve seen your quarter before. That shit looks so fun.
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I’m like 99% sure I’ve seen your quarter before. That shit looks so fun.
thanks man, i had a buddy who does concrete for a living and has done many parks do it. it's really challenging but fun. some days i wish i had done a mellow 3' with metal coping but there's a ton of those around town and only one steep 3' with concrete. it wasn't crazy expensive IMHO, it cost about the same as getting an entry level mountain bike and i wanted it to match the house in a way that non-skaters might not even realize what it is, like a street transition spot.
Tight quarters are definitely a fun challenge!
Maybe built by Frontrock Inc, similar to Dan Drehobl's front yard?
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-uW1RlFfA7/
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I’m like 99% sure I’ve seen your quarter before. That shit looks so fun.
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thanks man, i had a buddy who does concrete for a living and has done many parks do it. it's really challenging but fun. some days i wish i had done a mellow 3' with metal coping but there's a ton of those around town and only one steep 3' with concrete. it wasn't crazy expensive IMHO, it cost about the same as getting an entry level mountain bike and i wanted it to match the house in a way that non-skaters might not even realize what it is, like a street transition spot.
Tight quarters are definitely a fun challenge!
Maybe built by Frontrock Inc, similar to Dan Drehobl's front yard?
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-uW1RlFfA7/
dan's setup looks super fun. having a deck would be cool. i actually got an austin local to pour it so not frontrock inc but what cool name.
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I am coming up on 48 in a month. I have always skated everything. Skating different things will utilize different muscles throughout your body. If you focus on skating one thing, you will not keep all of your muscles developed and strong.
More importantly than what you choose to skate, as you get older, is how you take care of yourself off the board. Diet, stretching, and exercise play an important role. Many older guys stick to transition because it is easier to carve around and do slash grinds when your gut is looking 6 months preggo. Lay off the cake and donuts, eat a salad, and make sure you drink a lot of water always but especially during and after a session.
avoid alcoholic beverages or drink them in moderation. If you are injured, lay off the alcohol all together until you recover as it will slow down your recovery time.
Make sure you take 15-20 minutes to get warmed up before going for the bangers. Get a jump rope for those off days.
Feel free to DM me for additional advice. I get stoked off anyone out there having fun but it is especially read to see an older guy ripping!!
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I am coming up on 48 in a month. I have always skated everything. Skating different things will utilize different muscles throughout your body. If you focus on skating one thing, you will not keep all of your muscles developed and strong.
More importantly than what you choose to skate, as you get older, is how you take care of yourself off the board. Diet, stretching, and exercise play an important role. Many older guys stick to transition because it is easier to carve around and do slash grinds when your gut is looking 6 months preggo. Lay off the cake and donuts, eat a salad, and make sure you drink a lot of water always but especially during and after a session.
avoid alcoholic beverages or drink them in moderation. If you are injured, lay off the alcohol all together until you recover as it will slow down your recovery time.
Make sure you take 15-20 minutes to get warmed up before going for the bangers. Get a jump rope for those off days.
Feel free to DM me for additional advice. I get stoked off anyone out there having fun but it is especially read to see an older guy ripping!!
Good advice all around!
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30yr old here and when I was younger I only learned the basics (simple grinds and stalls) and focused mainly on flat and gaps. About five years ago I made a conscious effort to skate more tran bc it’s all my park had and now I’m very comfy on it and it’s loads of fun. I will say that the falls are occasionally rough, but certainly no worse than sticking on a ledge trick you’ve committed to. Most of the time I can slide or roll out and as long as I didn’t land on my hands too hard I’m fine. It’s fun as fuck and I’ve probably learned a dozen tricks this summer alone. Starting to be able to do take different grinds in fakie, do no-grab blunt variations, and decent ollies/kickflips. Totally worth the time investment and I think it helps other areas of skating. Plus it makes putting lines together around a park way more interesting.
For example, I’ve never even been able to dream about a street bsts. Just would psyche me the fuck out having to roll up and not even be able to see where I was trying to ollie... but having recently learned them on quarterpipes (power sliding in mostly, not even doing it proper) I was able to sorta turn it into the same trick in my mind and now I’ve gotten a few under my belt within just a few sessions, one of which was on a legit sized bench.
Give it a chance, even just warming up your legs pumping around, you might get hooked. If you are being held back by fear and bad experiences or if you only have access to big ramps maybe try skating really low on the transition doing Ollie fakie s, 180s, and controlled shuvs. I learned pivot fakies by just doing half of a kick turn and canceling it with my shoulders, just going higher and higher til I reached the coping.