Big dudes 220+ struggles and tips

[nevrwasben]

I may be the fattest fuck here at about 270lbs. Im pretty sure genetics has something to do with it. I walk all day and carry heavy shit for a living then I go skate sometimes too. There's no way I'm taking in enough calories to justify my size. Any way, I've never had trouble with bushings and I'm wondering what the fuck you guys are doing to make them disentigrate. I think j ride relatively loose, but I'm not sure. A lightweight might stand on my board and not be able to turn. I'm thinking about riding riser pads, but I think they will fuck up every flip trick that I struggle to keep as it is. What I want to know is where to buy one of these tech boards. I can't seem to find any that I care for anywhere.

And no one here needs to be told that they're fat. We already know.

Glad to see you SLAPping again!!

[jay_nev]

DLX supercush 97a bushings. threw in my 169 today and was more enjoyable

[AngryBlackMan]

I feel like I found a cheat code with thunder trucks. So I figured I’d share.  I usually run hard bushings in everything. 96/97a.   With thunders since they come with the conical bottom bushings I’ve always ran thunder hard bushings in them or bones hard and I’ve still battled wheelbite. Having to run risers with even 53mm wheels.

I picked up a set of thunder 161s and decided to try them with mini logo medium bushings and they’re awesome. Running an Indy bottom washer and a flat top washer. Carves and pinches great but without that instant wheelbite style turn that I usually get from thunders. Between those and the 9” boat shape deck Santa Cruz, I think I have the gear madness licked for a while.

[munchbox]

I feel like I found a cheat code with thunder trucks. So I figured I’d share.  I usually run hard bushings in everything. 96/97a.   With thunders since they come with the conical bottom bushings I’ve always ran thunder hard bushings in them or bones hard and I’ve still battled wheelbite. Having to run risers with even 53mm wheels.

I picked up a set of thunder 161s and decided to try them with mini logo medium bushings and they’re awesome. Running an Indy bottom washer and a flat top washer. Carves and pinches great but without that instant wheelbite style turn that I usually get from thunders. Between those and the 9” boat shape deck Santa Cruz, I think I have the gear madness licked for a while.

161s are a bit taller than mokay thunders but the point still stands. i feel like i forfeit my soul each time i set up 53s on 151s.

[bigdave]

Came across this thread. Solidarity with all my fellow big dudes out there that were not gifted with the genetics to be high-performing skaters, especially on the street.

Sadly, I obsess with that point way too much and it makes me endlessly sad. At age 44 I still hate my body most days. I am not "fat" but I am 6'3" and 265-270. I have a 38" waist and wear XL shirts comfortably. I am the epitome of "big boned." I was a cyclist for a long time, still mountain bike, and my insane thunder thighs are one reason I am so heavy, but it is definitely limiting to some degree when skateboarding. I've had my body fat tested several times. My 0% BF weight is still 225lbs. Meaning that even at a very lean/athletic 10% BF, I would weigh 247lbs. I am just not built for this.

Reconciling my body type and mass has actually been a topic in therapy. I've always hated it, even though when I played hockey and basketball it was pretty beneficial, for 44 years of my life its plagued me and bothered me for the things I love the most, skateboarding, snowboarding, and surfing.

I can't seem to get over that. It's driven significant depressive bouts for me.

Just posting about it now has actually made me feel a little better. Skating more tranny these days helps too. Thanks for the space.

[Wizard Fight]

Reconciling my body type and mass has actually been a topic in therapy. [...] I can't seem to get over that. It's driven significant depressive bouts for me.

S/o everybody. That's awesome you're talking about it in therapy. I definitely have some body dysmorphia. I gained about 50lbs when I quit doing drugs and now I'm 'overweight' (6', 220-235 depending, 38" waist, size 11 shoe, 5.75" penis hard), but I've been hiking a ton this year and also skating. I also eat very little (not restricting though) and I'm not getting skinny. I think a lot of it is genetic and I just have a belly. It's more or less fine, it's just changed what I'm able to do skating.

I'm riding an 8.38 Quasi, 149 Indys probably medium tightness with stock bushings, 1/8" risers, and 55mm Spits. It's exactly the same as what I've ridden for the last 7 years or so.

The one thing I do that might be unique is that I break in my bushings for a bit by not tightening my trucks at all when I buy them and just stand stationary on my board and lean back and forth for a while. My thinking is that it will make them more malleable and help to not shred my bushings when I do tighten my trucks.

[TimmyB88]

Right around 6ft here at about 210-215 lbs.
Size 11.5 foot

All my boards are 8.75-10
All trucks are Indy with stock orange bushings I think 90a?
Wheels are all 55-75mm
no issues for me on anything.  And I consider myself a fatass.

[sammyz]

I feel like I found a cheat code with thunder trucks. So I figured I’d share.  I usually run hard bushings in everything. 96/97a.   With thunders since they come with the conical bottom bushings I’ve always ran thunder hard bushings in them or bones hard and I’ve still battled wheelbite. Having to run risers with even 53mm wheels.

I picked up a set of thunder 161s and decided to try them with mini logo medium bushings and they’re awesome. Running an Indy bottom washer and a flat top washer. Carves and pinches great but without that instant wheelbite style turn that I usually get from thunders. Between those and the 9” boat shape deck Santa Cruz, I think I have the gear madness licked for a while.

I gotta check this out. I have 53’s with 149’s...I didnt think those size wheels would be the issue, i just thought it was my bad skating.

[LordManHammer]

I'm 6'2" 198lbs my preference but I'm 215ish now and I'm skating gaps and stuff just take it easy and know your limits and have fun.

[sbmfj]

Hey guys!
Cool thread.
43, 6'2", size 13 shoe, 221 this morning...(gained a bit, was 217 last time…)

Stock everything for me. I used to actually weigh a bit more, like 230-235, but even at that point everything was stock…

8.25 board (Control press) I pretty much only ride these as I can get me for a more reasonable price vs the other big brands that cost much  more 80-90 (CAD$) a board. Actually, fibbed a bit. My buddy didn’t have any more boards available, so I just paid 80$ for a control press. Im used to the shape and concave so I bought it. First time in a good few years have purchased a board at a shop. On a side note, went there after work in semi work attire – guy didn’t think board was for me, “Oh, you skate? I know a bunch of old dudes that skate, want me to grip the board for you?” Thanks for calling me old buddy…
149 Indys. I tighten up those mofos pretty hard, def see the kingpin threads. The bushings usually crack a bit, but they’ll last…No risers.
52mm wheels – nice and hard too

I don’t gap or jump stairs anymore – flatground and ledges / manny pads are my thing. Snapped a board (first in a while) this summer trying to manny out of a manny and  snapped the tail on the drop to the other many if you know what I mean – shitty foot placement.

When someone will try more board first thing they’ll say is, your trucks are super hard, in which I reply “Im heavier, so its all relative”. My trucks actually feel nice and loose (but not like Daewon loose…).

Agreed with the Yoga – Pre Covid, used to try and hit up a Yin class every now and then. Yin is basically stretching for an hour, and man it felt great. Ill check out that Adrianne Skate Yoga page (she’s easy on the eyes too 😊) My wife had actually used that Adrianne you tube channel for a bit – wasn’t aware of the skate related one she made – Thanks for sharing!

I was definitely one of the heavier set skaters back in the ‘day’. Nicknamed Big James.

At the end of the day, different strokes for different folks! Whatever works and keeps us skating is fine. Haters are gonna hate!

But Id really like to try one of those Big Boys that Chico was riding a while back in his edits (the Chocolate ones, or any similar brand), and maybe a pair of Ace trucks. I got another pair of 149 Indy in the garage, maybe after those are done.

Take care guys.

[listentoaheartbeat]

It's nice to read about the experiences of others who are not built for skateboarding. At 6'5'', 230 lbs, size 15 shoes, I feel right at home in this thread. As I am closing in on 40, age doesn't help either. I’ve been skating for 30 years now, with minor breaks when partying or injuries got in the way.

As a result, my legs are both wrecked and strong at the same time, if that makes sense. I can barely walk down the stairs in our apartment in the morning, but skate four times a week and feel good on the board. If I warm up and stretch, that is. Which essentially consumes half of the session.

I’ve been trying to get in a routine of exercising and stretching at home every day. Really got into it after fucking up my ankle (again) in June, and I feel it made a huge difference compared to previous injuries. Problem is, when I skate every other day, I cannot bring myself to exercise.

My setup definitely needed some tweaks over the years to optimize for weight and age. I used to go through a lot of bushings until I tried the Bones Hard. Just broke in my second set in 5 years or so. Works well for me. They also got me hooked on their wheels, SPFs hit the sweetspot for me. I feel only with hard wheels you can put all that momentum of a heavy body to good use.

I get wheel bites occasionally, so maybe I should try riser pads again. The last time I did my board sounded completely different, kind of muted, which freaked me out. Losing some weight would be the better option, however 2020 is not a good year to give up on chocolate.

My decks have gotten bigger and bigger, and I recently ditched my 9" popsicle for a Gonzales Sweatpants 9.8" (both with 169 Indies). Never thought that I could skate anything but a popsicle, but this shape feel great. Well, I have a hard time getting my admittedly shitty Kickflip, but maybe it’s time to kiss goodbye to those.

[kimura]

I can relate to this thread. 6’ and 210. 169 Indy or 161 Thunder are my trucks of choice. I like shaped boards around 9”-10”. Hard Bones bushings. I’ve been messing with 1/8” and 1/4” risers lately but I’m tinkering and can’t really say it makes a big difference. I prefer 54-58 mm wheels.

[DarkPools]

This was probably mentioned somewhere else in this thread, so apologies if it's not new. To help reduce the wheel bite pinching, I'd suggest waxing the wheel area of the deck a lot and regularly. I notice my wheels biting far less or being not as bad if they do as I'm finding the right bushing tightness. If the wheel bites, it can usually keep rolling, even if it's jerky/delayed.
Granted, I'm hovering around 200lbs (my heaviest) at 5'11" and noticing a glimpse of what would be in store if I kept climbing on the scale lol.

Love popping into this thread to see the big boys find their goldilocks zone in skating!

[listentoaheartbeat]

I can relate to this thread. 6’ and 210. 169 Indy or 161 Thunder are my trucks of choice. I like shaped boards around 9”-10”. Hard Bones bushings. I’ve been messing with 1/8” and 1/4” risers lately but I’m tinkering and can’t really say it makes a big difference. I prefer 54-58 mm wheels.

I love 169 Indys with Bones Hard. Also considering risers since the occasional wheel bite throws me off, literally. As I pointed out above, I hate the damped sound of the board, however. Anyone experimented with pieces of wood?

This was probably mentioned somewhere else in this thread, so apologies if it's not new. To help reduce the wheel bite pinching, I'd suggest waxing the wheel area of the deck a lot and regularly. I notice my wheels biting far less or being not as bad if they do as I'm finding the right bushing tightness.

This definitely helps, however I did feel that sometimes a bit of wax gets on the wheel and makes me slip out on transition.

[GardenSkater77]

^^^I made a post about polycarbonate risers. They do not dead your shit. I have always run risers on my Indy’s so as not to break my boards. Now I like using risers because my leg timing has slowed down and it gives me more time to shuffle my feet. Never really had wheelbite issues and I keep my trucks stock medium tight so maybe 1/8” (3 mm) risers work for that as well.

https://www.slapmagazine.com/index.php?topic=88869.8820

[AngryBlackMan]

I was actually around 255 when I started this thread.  I’m around 215 now and I’m actually skating trucks stock for the first time in years 

Still prefer decks with some kind of tech in them. Mainly for the stiff steep tail.  Impact light and recently pop secret have been good too me.   Also any Santa Cruz deck feels good.

[Fhk]

I was actually around 255 when I started this thread.  I’m around 215 now and I’m actually skating trucks stock for the first time in years 

Still prefer decks with some kind of tech in them. Mainly for the stiff steep tail.  Impact light and recently pop secret have been good too me.   Also any Santa Cruz deck feels good.

You better focus this thread then Mr.215!! Congrats on the weightloss man thats awesome!

[socksthewizard]

hello husky lads, I'm about 5'11'' and probably hovering around 220 at the moment. Definitely want to get down to under 200 at some point but being a rugby prop and shotput thrower doesn't make that a wise choice for me. Currently, I'm riding an 8.38 FA with Indy 149s, medium tightness on both trucks, and 54mm spitfire tablets. I just wanted to say that as someone who while being into skateboarding for the longest time but only recently actually started skating consistently, it's been so so encouraging to read this thread and know there are bigger guys out here skating. I'm just never going to have the typical skater's body type (genetics, sports, etc don't help), and getting more comfortable with that and having confidence in what I've got right now is something I'm working on. This thread has been a big help in that way. Much love

[DarkPools]

Expand Quote

I can relate to this thread. 6’ and 210. 169 Indy or 161 Thunder are my trucks of choice. I like shaped boards around 9”-10”. Hard Bones bushings. I’ve been messing with 1/8” and 1/4” risers lately but I’m tinkering and can’t really say it makes a big difference. I prefer 54-58 mm wheels.

[close]

I love 169 Indys with Bones Hard. Also considering risers since the occasional wheel bite throws me off, literally. As I pointed out above, I hate the damped sound of the board, however. Anyone experimented with pieces of wood?

Expand Quote

This was probably mentioned somewhere else in this thread, so apologies if it's not new. To help reduce the wheel bite pinching, I'd suggest waxing the wheel area of the deck a lot and regularly. I notice my wheels biting far less or being not as bad if they do as I'm finding the right bushing tightness.

[close]

This definitely helps, however I did feel that sometimes a bit of wax gets on the wheel and makes me slip out on transition.

I'm lucky to not have experienced that OR have not noticed slipping out from wax on wheels yet (it's probably happened lol) but that's a great point! I guess, like any packaging disclaimer: "do so at your own risk", so whatever amount works!


Also,
Anyone else notice/try a harder duro conical bottom bushing to help their goal of getting a satisfying turn but not wheel biting or not being as responsive to spring back to normal?

[listentoaheartbeat]

^^^I made a post about polycarbonate risers. They do not dead your shit. I have always run risers on my Indy’s so as not to break my boards. Now I like using risers because my leg timing has slowed down and it gives me more time to shuffle my feet. Never really had wheelbite issues and I keep my trucks stock medium tight so maybe 1/8” (3 mm) risers work for that as well.

https://www.slapmagazine.com/index.php?topic=88869.8820

Good stuff! Definitely motivates me to go the DIY route.

[Gary Bucket]

Great thread. I’m 5’10” and anywhere between 185 and 220 depending on my drinking habits which means I’m about 210 right now. Deluxe boards have always treated me well but I swear I’d have the meanest goddamn front lip if I could do more than dust it off on special occasions. Only been skating strong since summer and I’ve lost 2 boards to flat bars. Got plenty of reason to believe it’s not all technique too.

Anybody else have tricks they have to avoid for fear of losing a board?

[animalflesh]

Yeah usually frontside disasters

[listentoaheartbeat]

Have been 225-235 lbs for years now, never broke a board since moving to 9"+. The 9" Jart popsicles are super strong, but my current Gonz Sweatpants 9.8" is holding up well, too. I have large feet so it makes total sense for me anyway. I can see how decks this wide can be over the top for others. But worth considering for durability.

[slutbang666]

Anyone ever lose weight on here and their skating benefited? 5’9”, I have been 245 at my heaviest - kept it between 165-180 for the last several years. Always thought if I lost weight I would be able to do more, but not really. I still feel fat when I skate, so I feel as if I belong in this thread

A few years ago I went down from 205 to 170 and skated the best I had since I was 17-18. I was 28 then, I’ll be 32 in a couple of days and I’ve gained the weight back. My skating has suffered👎

[Freelancevagrant]

When I was in the low 2’s I felt like that was by far the best I skated.

Tangentially related, my buddy and I started a weight loss challenge today, we’re both over 230 and who ever wins (loses the most amount of weight in two months) gets a deck from the loser. I’m quite a bit heavier thus have more to lose, and I’m fucking starving on day one.

[augustmoon]

about 210 here.  like others, i fluctuate, but generally beween 220 and 190.  I wish i could get down to about 180/175, but I've been stuck here for a while so Im just trying to live with it while doing what I can to exercise and be healthy. 

I'm finding I don't really have a problem with pop.  I can still get up on high shit and can pop my flip tricks pretty good.  Falling is a different story though.  I go down like a bag of bricks. 

Its a weird feeling.  I'll feel myself falling, go to catch myself, think I'm all good, then I smack the ground before i realize whats going on.  It must be the forward momentum coupled with the added weight.  its frustrating.  I've been sticking to lower ledges lately because I'm more scared to fall from something higher than knee high. 

[sammyz]

I think the last time i posted here i was about 220...since nov have been on diet, low carb protien shake for dinner and no food till 11am...plus more fruit, veg and nuts. Now i’m down to 200.

From skating perspective I feel lighter, but not popping any higher, just feel more nimble.

I would love to get to 190...that would be my weight from my late teens...i think that would be good achievement at 45...2.5 months to go!

[Fhk]

I think the last time i posted here i was about 220...since nov have been on diet, low carb protien shake for dinner and no food till 11am...plus more fruit, veg and nuts. Now i’m down to 200.

From skating perspective I feel lighter, but not popping any higher, just feel more nimble.

I would love to get to 190...that would be my weight from my late teens...i think that would be good achievement at 45...2.5 months to go!

Nice job! I just did the complete opposite at 43 yo. I always stayed at 185-190 since my mid 30's. and about 165-170 in my early 30's. Now in the last 3 months I am ended up at 215 and it seems without a rigorous workout routine it won't budge. I need to change my diet due to some health issues so hopefully I can follow in your footsteps!