Tips for skating in the cold?

[zapruder]

I love colder weather (currently 30-40F here in mpls) but am a huge fan of thin layers (versus thick layers) since you have a little more control over regulation. long tee or thermal, short sleeve, sweatshirt (below 30 only), and flannel. thin gloves only if it's damp and windy. remove layers once your blood's moving but before you sweat, otherwise when it's time to leave you'll be putting on damp sweaty clothes. always keep a heavier sweatshirt or coat in the car (parked in the SUN) for post-session

better be keeping your board indoors (not near a radiator!) were it's nice and toasty until the minute you leave for the session; this keeps your bushings proper and your board free of pressure cracks. being able to carve straight out the gate is a huge morale boost and gets you warm faster. blast the heat on it between spots if you're in a car.

check the weather and try to plan your session for max sun and minimal wind. try to hydrate more since your body is dumb and doesn't want to drink water when it's cold. warm drink every so often. and as someone else mentioned, don't stop once you're warm.

last bit: explore with different waxes; different densities work better in warm/cold temperatures. gulf wax is really good in cool to warm weather but I've noticed in the cold it can flake instead of sticking to the ledge. not sure which one I've got right now (might be from a church) but it's a little softer than average. you'll know it when you find it

[Allen.]

I love colder weather (currently 30-40F here in mpls) but am a huge fan of thin layers (versus thick layers) since you have a little more control over regulation. long tee or thermal, short sleeve, sweatshirt (below 30 only), and flannel. thin gloves only if it's damp and windy. remove layers once your blood's moving but before you sweat, otherwise when it's time to leave you'll be putting on damp sweaty clothes. always keep a heavier sweatshirt or coat in the car (parked in the SUN) for post-session

better be keeping your board indoors (not near a radiator!) were it's nice and toasty until the minute you leave for the session; this keeps your bushings proper and your board free of pressure cracks. being able to carve straight out the gate is a huge morale boost and gets you warm faster. blast the heat on it between spots if you're in a car.

check the weather and try to plan your session for max sun and minimal wind. try to hydrate more since your body is dumb and doesn't want to drink water when it's cold. warm drink every so often. and as someone else mentioned, don't stop once you're warm.

last bit: explore with different waxes; different densities work better in warm/cold temperatures. gulf wax is really good in cool to warm weather but I've noticed in the cold it can flake instead of sticking to the ledge. not sure which one I've got right now (might be from a church) but it's a little softer than average. you'll know it when you find it

First off, @zapruder, big fan of your work pioneering the art of long lens filming.

Second, they’re right. Thin non cotton base layers are what you want. You want to be warm and be able to move still. Doesn’t matter if you’re warm as fuck if you’re like the kid from Christmas Story that can’t put his arms down.
I back 32Degree heavily as they’re cheap and good. And they’re available at Costco.

And I’ll add in my yearly shameful self promotion
https://youtu.be/H6xOw7nuDmI?si=-l_yM1iK-2AwWx7f

[SaySo]

the cruel, unbearable truth is that baggy pants feel cold in the winter (and long underwear too hot)

also, cotton kills

This.

Avoid cotton if at all possible if you can when doing any activity outdoors in cold weather. Once it gets wet it's basically useless (and dangerous) and takes forever to dry.

Synthetics are usually cheaper and require less to maintain, but they have the drawback of environmental damage/microplastics, etc. But they do wick well and dry fairly quickly.

Natural fibers like wool, alpaca or silk are more expensive and are more of a hassle to wash, but cause less environmental harm (though because they are animal products may be ethically problematic for some folks.). Fibers like wool dry from the inside out so you start feeling warmer more quickly when you stop moving/sweating.

Pick your poison, I guess?

On my head I use a beanie, on my neck I use a scarf (if it's super cold I'll wear a face mask as well). On my upper body I usually go with a uniqlo-esque inner long sleeve, a synthetic t-shirt, wool flannel or thin fleece, down vest, and wind breaker. On my lower body I wear leggings (or compressive leggings),  thin socks and wool socks over them. Over that I'll wear a pair of wool pants (usually surplus ones because they're cut a tad bit looser and can be had on the cheap), or Dickies.

As other posters have mentioned, peel off upper layers as you warm up (don't let sweat build - peel until you're not feeling heat, not after you start sweating). A trick I carried over from my hiking/camping days was to pack a hooded puffy down or synthetic puffy jacket in a backpack for the inevitable breaks (they stuff down small so they don't take up too much space). If you time everything right, the layers you've peeled off won't be excessively wet and the few layers you have on still can quickly dry out via body heat once you put on the puffy coat.

TL;DR - layer and if you can; avoid cotton at all costs.