What truck is suited better for someone that doesn’t have a lot of power in their popping foot? Injuries have made it hard to pop my board. Should I be looking at trucks that pop fast and are light (Thunder hollow lights, lower truck, extend wheelbase) or something that lightens the pop? (ace/indy)
I broke my leg (fib) just above ankle in early 2019. There was also significant ligament damage. Two surgeries. Lot of internal hardware. Off board for a year. Had to learn to walk, let alone skate again. Yes, some of it is age, but I will never again skate the same way I did before the injury. My ankle is far less flexible than it once was, and not as strong. I am regular foot, and my left foot is the one I jacked. So, that means nollie and switch stuff took the brunt of it. I tinkered with my set-ups pre injury, but the real Madness for me did not start until I was cleared to start skating again. And the Madness happened for good reason: (1) My body no longer functioned and moved the same way it used to, and (2) I needed/wanted to capitalize on whatever incremental advantages equipment tweaks had to offer at this stage of the game. This is literally to say I was not same person (physically) as I was pre-injury, so maybe that also necessitated a change in equipment to better match the “new” me?? Enter the Madness.
During that time I literally tried everything from 7.75 decks with venture lows and 50mm wheels to 9" shaped decks with standard 169s and big-ass wheels. And guess what? I ended up almost back on the exact same set-up I had pre-injury (with some minor tweaks).
Long time readers of this thread (and the DLX thread) will know that I like flatter decks. That is because of the injury. Flatter decks offer me two advantages. First, I don't have to bend/flex my ankle as much
just standing on the board, let alone doing tricks. Second, flatter decks help avoid ghost pop (yes, you can also adjusting via truck height and wheel size, too), and with taller/steeper kicks, you need more power to get a good snap. But too flat, and too low, and it's like trying to ollie on just a deck on the carpet with no trucks on it…so you need some power there, too, to really get off the ground. The key is to find your optimal middle ground between steepness and height. For this exact reason, I ride Indy Forged trucks. 53.5mm tall. Right in the middle. Not as high as standard Indy, not as low as others. It's a good middle ground. I ride 53mm wheels, because they are also a nice height/pop compromise. Wheelbase (deck and truck) also comes into play here, too. Oddly, deck width also came into play for me, too. Narrower boards had me more on my toes (e.g. lots of ankle use). With a wider deck, I could be a little more flat-footed, with less strain on ankle. These days I go back and forth between an 8.75 and an 8.25, depending on the mood.
As to your original question, I do not think there is a magic bullet that is applicable to all people in similar situations. You will just have to embrace the Madness and find out what combination of kick steepness, board height, weight, etc. works best for you. That said, flatter and lower is probably going to be your friend.
Last, if you know you have an injury (like mine), that will forever impact how your body works, the hardest pill to swallow is adjusting your expectations. If you’re lucky enough to skate long enough, age will eventually force you to do that, too.
EDIT: When my orthopedic surgeon cleared me to skate again, he said something I will never forget. "You no longer have any restrictions, but you will certainly have some limitations. What exactly those are, and how to manage them, is for you to discover." Good life advice there, too. I wish you the best of luck with your...discoveries.
Topic: Gear madness support thread (Read 369250 times)