Author Topic: Progression of board sizes for pro's through the years  (Read 3869 times)

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CrappyChan

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Re: Progression of board sizes for pro's through the years
« Reply #30 on: February 23, 2021, 12:12:04 PM »
I think it boils down to your shoe size alot more than people really think about. I'm a 10.5 so 8.5-8.6 feels like the perfect street board. I can do all my flip tricks and still feel comfy rolling in a bowl. Alot of pros have tiny feet. GT wears a size 9, lots of pros wear a size 8. For them a 8.25 or 8.12 is probably the same as an 8.5 for me.

You know what they say... Big feet
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ok boomer

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Re: Progression of board sizes for pro's through the years
« Reply #31 on: February 23, 2021, 12:16:01 PM »
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I've got a 2000 buyer's guide magazine where pros talk about this and most were riding 7.625 or 7.75 BUT Rowley was on 8, and BA I think was 8.5. Comparatively, I've got a mag from 06 where it seemed more 50/50 . Some 7.75 people then some 8 and 8.25.

Edit: BA said 8.25 - 8.75

Also think Reynolds and Arto were riding 8 or so back then
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Don't mind bringing in some actual numbers and names. That would be sick!
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I'll mess with it when I get home from work, I keep that mag handy in my office at home. There's a weird batch of pros in the 2000 one: Danny Way, Colin McKay, Chad Fernandez (7 7/8), Rowley, BA, Reese Forbes (7 5/8), and a few others. I have a few more after 2000 that are also handy. I think in other mags (Thrasher probably) I read the thing about Arto and Reynolds.
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I remember an interview where Reese said he only like small boards and short tails so he could pop super quick. Definitely worked for him.

I had a few of his boards back then. 7.625 and 7.5 I believe. I even tried the Destructos that he was using, did not help me.
I was a total nerd for that "World tour" era of Element. Note: Reese rides Indys now and I believe he is on or around 8.25s

I should have also 2002 or 2003 of that mag but I haven't found it yet.

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Re: Progression of board sizes for pro's through the years
« Reply #32 on: February 23, 2021, 12:24:13 PM »
I think it boils down to your shoe size alot more than people really think about. I'm a 10.5 so 8.5-8.6 feels like the perfect street board. I can do all my flip tricks and still feel comfy rolling in a bowl. Alot of pros have tiny feet. GT wears a size 9, lots of pros wear a size 8. For them a 8.25 or 8.12 is probably the same as an 8.5 for me.

You know what they say... Big feet


I've wondered that as well. I mentioned in my 7.75 thread, that having control over the board is something that I need, and with my size 8 hooves, I only feel that control with smaller boards. BUT also, wonder if I'm just so used to the smaller boards because I skated more during those sizes being popular. 8 feels okay to me but I skated so many 7.5's and 7.625s in my life that they are my fave. I've also wondered if shoe style has a lot to do with it also. During the small board era, most of the shoes were huge. And then the trend went to smaller/thinner shoes and bigger boards. Also wondered if that cancels each other out?

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Re: Progression of board sizes for pro's through the years
« Reply #33 on: February 23, 2021, 02:08:33 PM »
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I think it boils down to your shoe size alot more than people really think about. I'm a 10.5 so 8.5-8.6 feels like the perfect street board. I can do all my flip tricks and still feel comfy rolling in a bowl. Alot of pros have tiny feet. GT wears a size 9, lots of pros wear a size 8. For them a 8.25 or 8.12 is probably the same as an 8.5 for me.

You know what they say... Big feet

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I've wondered that as well. I mentioned in my 7.75 thread, that having control over the board is something that I need, and with my size 8 hooves, I only feel that control with smaller boards. BUT also, wonder if I'm just so used to the smaller boards because I skated more during those sizes being popular. 8 feels okay to me but I skated so many 7.5's and 7.625s in my life that they are my fave. I've also wondered if shoe style has a lot to do with it also. During the small board era, most of the shoes were huge. And then the trend went to smaller/thinner shoes and bigger boards. Also wondered if that cancels each other out?

It's weird because compared to your kicks or wheelbase, width is probably the least important dimension of a board. But it is also the primary standard of measurement when we talk about what we skate (IRL, the gear section on here doesn't count). And while there is some relativity at play for sure, I think shoe size is the main thing with width. Im a size 11, so the range of widths I skate is going to skew wider than what you like as as a size 8. But then within those ranges, it ends up just being a matter of preference, probably a bunch of which is aesthetic.


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Re: Progression of board sizes for pro's through the years
« Reply #34 on: February 23, 2021, 03:25:04 PM »
Someone scanned the TWS 2010 buyers guide issue in it’s entirety and put it up in PDF form. The PDF file can be found here.

https://skatemagarchive.blogspot.com/2018/04/transworld-skateboarding-buyers-guide.html?m=1

This is right around the time when a lot of pros were transitioning to wider boards (8.0+) but also when a lot of pros were still stuck on skinnier decks as well, you can definitely see a change starting to happen though when reading a lot of the pros answers on their board size compared to what they were riding a year or two back before this tho.

Reed Richards

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Re: Progression of board sizes for pro's through the years
« Reply #35 on: February 23, 2021, 03:36:49 PM »
I feel like board size as a whole is cyclical, and sub-8 inch boards will make a comeback when people realize they can be flipped easier.  Eventually I hope companies embrace skinnier boards they same way they do 8.5s and up nowadays.


Mr. Stinky

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Re: Progression of board sizes for pro's through the years
« Reply #36 on: February 23, 2021, 03:42:30 PM »
Someone scanned the TWS 2010 buyers guide issue in it’s entirety and put it up in PDF form. The PDF file can be found here.

https://skatemagarchive.blogspot.com/2018/04/transworld-skateboarding-buyers-guide.html?m=1

This is right around the time when a lot of pros were transitioning to wider boards (8.0+) but also when a lot of pros were still stuck on skinnier decks as well, you can definitely see a change starting to happen though when reading a lot of the pros answers on their board size compared to what they were riding a year or two back before this tho.

I was astounded to see that Greco was skating 129s on an 8.5.  Had to smile a little at "Spitfire 52mm--not sponsored by them, but I would love to be." Also of note: Jon Goemann claiming Panera Bread as a sponsor.

Not at all germane to this thread, but the those Vans TNT Mid II Cups from the ad in the first several pages are absolutely sick.  Vans is blowing it, unambiguously, by not putting a Dunk knock off like that in their line.

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Re: Progression of board sizes for pro's through the years
« Reply #37 on: February 23, 2021, 05:14:12 PM »
Also of note: Rick impersonating Guy


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Re: Progression of board sizes for pro's through the years
« Reply #38 on: February 23, 2021, 05:33:59 PM »

Not at all germane to this thread, but the those Vans TNT Mid II Cups from the ad in the first several pages are absolutely sick.  Vans is blowing it, unambiguously, by not putting a Dunk knock off like that in their line.

I had heard Vans almost collapsed because they were not geared to do cupsole shoes, only vulc shoes so when the big shoe thing came out and their expenses blew out because they had to essentially outsource their manufacturing to make what people were wanting in the cupsole tech type of shoes.  That was about the same time Rowley came along and brought it all back to simple vulc shoes or something to that effect. Seems of late they are trying to push boundaries again, but this time they are geared up to do it.

On board size, yeah there seem to be a lot of guys who used to ride smaller boards now going for slightly bigger boards, but only slightly.  Most of those guys are still riding what would be considered "smaller than average" boards, but people like BA who is still riding a popsicle 9 and some others on "old school shapes and sizes" are more the exception, from the older pros.

Newer pro kids coming up are all riding bigger boards because that is what they are used to riding, so it is interesting for those who have the 90s as their pro era vs those who are in the 00, 10s or even 2020+

I talk too much about skateboards.  Sorry.

Molte

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Re: Progression of board sizes for pro's through the years
« Reply #39 on: February 24, 2021, 03:09:14 AM »
Also of note: Rick impersonating Guy


8 inch board on 159 Indy's, that must be a typo!
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Re: Progression of board sizes for pro's through the years
« Reply #40 on: February 24, 2021, 08:18:19 AM »

8 inch board on 159 Indy's, that must be a typo!

I would say so, maybe the person entering it had hand written info and the 3 looked like a 5 (as he was on 139s) but some of these guys still don't really know what they are riding and being "shop guy" I often got to check out their boards during signings and demos.

I talk too much about skateboards.  Sorry.

Winford Thomas

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Re: Progression of board sizes for pro's through the years
« Reply #41 on: February 24, 2021, 08:59:02 AM »
I feel like board size as a whole is cyclical, and sub-8 inch boards will make a comeback when people realize they can be flipped easier.  Eventually I hope companies embrace skinnier boards they same way they do 8.5s and up nowadays.

i agree with you it does seem to go in cycles. by the late 1970s everything from 7" to 10" wide was already happening.



i bet to this day most pros and everyday skaters use a variety of sizes over their skate careers.

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Re: Progression of board sizes for pro's through the years
« Reply #42 on: February 24, 2021, 11:36:52 AM »
I remember hearing pros riding wide boards but selling small ones with their names on it because no one would buy the one they rode.
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Re: Progression of board sizes for pro's through the years
« Reply #43 on: February 24, 2021, 03:48:00 PM »
Dope thread. I love this kind of stuff. It’s interesting to watch how the gear trends change. I also like knowing what peak Cardiel was riding. Did PJ size up? WHL vs plan b? It’s funny seeing certain people riding just one setup, and sticking to it: JB Gillet, and Gino both looked like they had 7 7/8 size boards with 5.2 lo’s, which was kind of big, and now they look to ride the same, and it’s fairly small. Puleo skating all of those crusty spots on what looks like 5.0 venture lo’s and 50s....and then it’s interesting to see which era people stick with. Like Sheffey. He’s the best ever in the life video, and yet he still skates a board that looks straight out of 1996 (from what I can tell). The Cardiel thing was a trip. This hesh dude in my town would always skate bigger boards and clown us for skating small world boards. He skated burnside for awhile and came back on the 7.5 and 129s. My favorite is to hear the justifications that I and others make, when following the trends. Plenty of fools out here crop dusting flip tricks on boards way way bigger than what D.Way jumped the Great Wall of China on. Whatever gets you hyped. I can’t stick with anything so I sure as hell dunno.
Anyways, hopefully I get to read more pros setups. I had that 2010 buyers guide. Lots of funky setups as people were caught changing their setups: 145s, and 8.2” decks....etc. wish I had some other issues.
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Re: Progression of board sizes for pro's through the years
« Reply #44 on: February 24, 2021, 07:13:07 PM »
I skate 7.75... I can skate whatever size, I just choose to use a smaller board

people are too hipster nowdays, mothafuckas talk like board size is a football team, and the discussion looks like people discussing football in a bar lol who gives a fuck

I skated with alex carolino here in br, he skates 7.6, a homie that skates my park uses almost a 9, who cares?

a board size will not make you skate better or worse, theres no proven science behind it.

Wise words, it's primarily a matter of taste.

But isn't it obvious that a wider board will give your feet more space for flicking and landing? You dont't have to be as precise when flicking because there is more deck area for the side of your shoe to catch onto. A short but relatively wide board is probably the easiest board to do flip tricks on.