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Seeing that. That is disappointing. Mini Logo used to do this size, now all the 7.5's seem to be 28 inches long
Well I looked, seems like the max length is 30.70. That, mentally, would mess with me. 7.5 x 31 or 31.13 or 31.25, is where its at!
31” is honestly a little short, and I’m short, with shorter legs. I remember a Clyde 23 deck that was 30.5” (I think) and I was at peak muska-flip/‘hardflip’ throwing stage, it was cool for that, but broke after I wilsoned myself many times.
31.25”-31.5” is ideal, but I’d be cool with some narrower, longer boards. In my weekly reviewing of the Keenan switch flip, his board looks decently long, long ish tail/nose, flat, ideal.
I’m gonna wait for some small company (hopefully) to drop a 7.8 ish board. My last few 7.75s/7.8s I used 8” trucks, and I think 5.0 is where it’s at.
To the folks who threw out freestyle decks: no. 7.75 is a really functional size, some of the most ‘iconic’ shit from the 90s is on that size board. I get that current fashion dictates a larger size, all good.
7.25” isn’t a skateboard, for adults. Much like the freestyle deck hate, this probably seems arbitrary, but even at my peak board specificity, sub 7.4 (that one kalis/wenning, and there was maybe a menace ams deck that I didn’t get but wanted) was out. Now 7.5s are fun for a moment, but feel less functional. ‘But Louie rides a 7.37x30”!’ Exactly, dont.
I skated mostly 7.625 (or 7.63) x 31.25 or 31.5 for most of a decade. It actually started by getting a "wrong board" I ordered of the internet. When Habitat was brand new, I ordered a Kerry Getz (believe 7.75) but they sent me a Tim O'Connor that was 7.625. I was pissed for a day but they weren't going to exchange it. So I set up my Venture 5.0 lows on it, and went out. Not sure if it was mental or not, but the drop down to 7.625 from 7.75, I skated so good on that board. Loved it. Minus a few 7.5's, I skated 7.625/7.63 for around 10 years straight. A bunch of Alien boards in that size. I kept one thrashed one, just solely to keep that size/shape in mind always. I moved up to 7.75 in 2011 I think. I've mostly rode those AH green eagle 7.81's since. Dabbled in 8-8.25 just to see what the rage is about but I just started being honest with myself this past year as far as "I just don't like these size boards". I had one of those Kalis 7.4s also, was small and mine chipped big time from the beginning.
I wish I had been honest with myself, much sooner, about board sizes and trying to keep up with the times. I got back into skating after some time off with the cliche substance abuse, and was skating pretty well (for me), on mostly sub 8” boards. I’ve always tried different stuff so I had a few setups going, but nothing wild: something 7.75 ish with 5.0s
and a setup with 139s (or equivalent). Anyways, was skating decent, went out with some of the young dudes that were killing it, and .....yeah, had one of those days where I was like what am I even doing. My 7.6, lo’s, and maybe 50s, was not really hitting outside of the skatepark, in the actual shitty streets. Skating all slow in a perfect skatepark landing some flip tricks with the opportunity for endless repetition vs skitching cars up hills on terrible roads, and one chance at landing a trick before everyone is gone down the hill. Anyways, tried to size up, to be less delicate, didn’t really work. I can land some basics on ridiculous, for street, setups, but it’s thoroughly in spite of the equipment, which is its own thing (like stupidly loose trucks), but kinda not the point of just getting out there imo.
For the last 10 years, as I’ve gotten older, dustier, and skated less and less, I’ve tried to use bigger and bigger setups. Some stuff is easier on bigger boards, but me trying to skate some flat ground, by myself, is way better on a sub 8” board, for me. Maybe because that’s what I learned on. There are some limits tho, even way back in the day, 7.5 was small/felt small. I did it because that’s what was the thing, but would always skate better when I sized up a bit.
Lots of blah blah here.