Old Dudes Post Up Here...

[Sedition]

Not two dudes I would typically have much interest in but this podcast was a pretty good listen regarding getting into your late 40s and 50s, skateboarding, losing, relearning and surrendering tricks. Also the rapport between them works really well. I was surprised that I enjoyed it.

I keep hearing great things about this. I really need to check it out.

[nekro]

So I'm finally taking the plunge and getting back into skating after a 24 year break after about 5 years of procrastinating.  I'm 42, skated from 87-91 then I stopped as all my mates gave up because they were older and got into smoking dope/drinking.  I then got back into it in 97/98 but things had changed quite a bit, it was all about fashion and the punk attitude had disappeared so I didn't enjoy the social scene so much...and I got into smoking dope/drinking.
I'm living in London and used to skate Southbank, Kings Cross mini-ramp, Kennington, Stockwell, Croydon Whitgift Centre and the mini ramps in North Cheam, Surrey.

I've just bought an Alien Workshop deck and deciding on my set-up, will probably get 2 boards going one for street/park and one for cruising.

Anyone here remember Mud Machine/M-Zone in Croydon?

[Mbrimson88]

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Not two dudes I would typically have much interest in but this podcast was a pretty good listen regarding getting into your late 40s and 50s, skateboarding, losing, relearning and surrendering tricks. Also the rapport between them works really well. I was surprised that I enjoyed it.

[close]

I keep hearing great things about this. I really need to check it out.

I was surprised I actually listened to the whole thing almost non stop just then - had some other stuff to do on the computer, so it worked well - but yeah that was more interesting than I thought it would be.

Might have something to do with Jason Ellis being an Aussie as well, but the talk about getting older and having to just let some tricks go certainly rings true for me, even if they were on a totally different level skill wise.


Thanks for the post and comments, you guys.

[Sila]

So I'm finally taking the plunge and getting back into skating after a 24 year break after about 5 years of procrastinating.  I'm 42, skated from 87-91 then I stopped as all my mates gave up because they were older and got into smoking dope/drinking.  I then got back into it in 97/98 but things had changed quite a bit, it was all about fashion and the punk attitude had disappeared so I didn't enjoy the social scene so much...and I got into smoking dope/drinking.
I'm living in London and used to skate Southbank, Kings Cross mini-ramp, Kennington, Stockwell, Croydon Whitgift Centre and the mini ramps in North Cheam, Surrey.

I've just bought an Alien Workshop deck and deciding on my set-up, will probably get 2 boards going one for street/park and one for cruising.

Anyone here remember Mud Machine/M-Zone in Croydon?

Might have more luck over at ukskateforum.co.uk .

[Sedition]

So I'm finally taking the plunge and getting back into skating after a 24 year break after about 5 years of procrastinating.  I'm 42, skated from 87-91 then I stopped as all my mates gave up because they were older and got into smoking dope/drinking.  I then got back into it in 97/98 but things had changed quite a bit, it was all about fashion and the punk attitude had disappeared so I didn't enjoy the social scene so much...and I got into smoking dope/drinking.
I'm living in London and used to skate Southbank, Kings Cross mini-ramp, Kennington, Stockwell, Croydon Whitgift Centre and the mini ramps in North Cheam, Surrey.

I've just bought an Alien Workshop deck and deciding on my set-up, will probably get 2 boards going one for street/park and one for cruising.

Anyone here remember Mud Machine/M-Zone in Croydon?

Welcome back. Give this a read.

https://vatorat.blogspot.com/2019/11/welcome-back-starting-up-again-after.html?m=1

[Gray Imp Sausage Metal]

All you boys are ripping!
Little bash from my last session:

[Sedition]

...but the talk about getting older and having to just let some tricks go certainly rings true for me, even if they were on a totally different level skill wise.

Tricks are just variables in a larger (existential) equation that we all go through. Jaws learns (and later loses) giant gaps. Hawk learns/loses 720s. Us mere mortals just have different variables, but otherwise it's basically the same thing.

[Easy Slider]

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...but the talk about getting older and having to just let some tricks go certainly rings true for me, even if they were on a totally different level skill wise.

[close]

Tricks are just variables in a larger (existential) equation that we all go through. Jaws learns (and later loses) giant gaps. Hawk learns/loses 720s. Us mere mortals just have different variables, but otherwise it's basically the same thing.

Wait, Jaws can't do giant gaps anymore? What's he do now? Ledge tech? 

[Sedition]

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...but the talk about getting older and having to just let some tricks go certainly rings true for me, even if they were on a totally different level skill wise.

[close]

Tricks are just variables in a larger (existential) equation that we all go through. Jaws learns (and later loses) giant gaps. Hawk learns/loses 720s. Us mere mortals just have different variables, but otherwise it's basically the same thing.

[close]

Wait, Jaws can't do giant gaps anymore? What's he do now? Ledge tech? 

Curbs. Mini ramps. It's the fate of anyone on a skateboard who sticks with it long enough.

[Easy Slider]

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...but the talk about getting older and having to just let some tricks go certainly rings true for me, even if they were on a totally different level skill wise.

[close]

Tricks are just variables in a larger (existential) equation that we all go through. Jaws learns (and later loses) giant gaps. Hawk learns/loses 720s. Us mere mortals just have different variables, but otherwise it's basically the same thing.

[close]

Wait, Jaws can't do giant gaps anymore? What's he do now? Ledge tech? 

[close]

Curbs. Mini ramps. It's the fate of anyone on a skateboard who sticks with it long enough.

I agree with curbs but you'll never catch me on a mini ramp. I tried learning to ride transition as a kid without pads and took many a ghastly slam on the hip trying to learn rock to fakies. I've been scared of ramps ever since.

[Sedition]

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...but the talk about getting older and having to just let some tricks go certainly rings true for me, even if they were on a totally different level skill wise.

[close]

Tricks are just variables in a larger (existential) equation that we all go through. Jaws learns (and later loses) giant gaps. Hawk learns/loses 720s. Us mere mortals just have different variables, but otherwise it's basically the same thing.

[close]

Wait, Jaws can't do giant gaps anymore? What's he do now? Ledge tech? 

[close]

Curbs. Mini ramps. It's the fate of anyone on a skateboard who sticks with it long enough.

[close]

I agree with curbs but you'll never catch me on a mini ramp. I tried learning to ride transition as a kid without pads and took many a ghastly slam on the hip trying to learn rock to fakies. I've been scared of ramps ever since.

I was pure street skater my entire life. Hated ramps. A few years back I discovered pads in conjunction with mini ramps, and WOW, total game changer. I became obsessed with mini ramps, and it felt like it did when I was 12-years-old all over again. So much fun!

[Easy Slider]

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...but the talk about getting older and having to just let some tricks go certainly rings true for me, even if they were on a totally different level skill wise.

[close]

Tricks are just variables in a larger (existential) equation that we all go through. Jaws learns (and later loses) giant gaps. Hawk learns/loses 720s. Us mere mortals just have different variables, but otherwise it's basically the same thing.

[close]

Wait, Jaws can't do giant gaps anymore? What's he do now? Ledge tech? 

[close]

Curbs. Mini ramps. It's the fate of anyone on a skateboard who sticks with it long enough.

[close]

I agree with curbs but you'll never catch me on a mini ramp. I tried learning to ride transition as a kid without pads and took many a ghastly slam on the hip trying to learn rock to fakies. I've been scared of ramps ever since.

[close]

I was pure street skater my entire life. Hated ramps. A few years back I discovered pads in conjunction with mini ramps, and WOW, total game changer. I became obsessed with mini ramps, and it felt like it did when I was 12-years-old all over again. So much fun!

I might get there, there's a decent mini in my local. But not just yet. My next project is kickflip a two stair lol.

[dofrenzy]

I agree with curbs but you'll never catch me on a mini ramp. I tried learning to ride transition as a kid without pads and took many a ghastly slam on the hip trying to learn rock to fakies. I've been scared of ramps ever since.

Right here seems like a good place to put this little video I made today.  Was going to keep this out of Slap because I know I’ll get Slap’d around, but god damn this thread is just asking for this:

Edit -  for those wondering, I think what happened was when I realized my >tail-stall< didn’t feel right, I tried bailing by taking my front foot off but I guess my back foot was still pressing enough to keep the board connected to my front foot.  That’s about as near as I can figure what happened.  I just got the tail stall the day before (after many weeks of working on it) and wanted to keep it dialed in, but wouldn’t you know I am even more sketched out by it now.  I tried about 20 more times after the slam but only got it once.  One of my rules of skateboarding is if I can still go, I have to immediately try the thing that slammed me.  I’m stupid like that (well, not JUST like that, I am stupid in many other ways also)

[Landmine]

Gnarly IG video link

Fuck man, the last time I slammed on transition I did the same thing: caught my foot on my own board and lost it all.  It fucking SUCKS! 

You feeling alright now?

[dofrenzy]

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Gnarly IG video link

[close]

Fuck man, the last time I slammed on transition I did the same thing: caught my foot on my own board and lost it all.  It fucking SUCKS! 

You feeling alright now?

@Landmine  I appreciate the sympathy, thank you.  I’ve been discovering new pain all afternoon, like, it took a few hours for me to learn that I screwed the left side of my back, but looking at the slo-mo that was the first part of me to land.  On a heating pad right now.  Little bit of whiplash too.  Tomorrow is gonna be tough.  I am the BEST candidate for full pads and helmet….that much I know!

But yeah, feeling alright, all things considered!

[sk8n hugon]

[quote ]A few years back I discovered pads in conjunction with mini ramps, and WOW, total game changer. I became obsessed with mini ramps, and it felt like it did when I was 12-years-old all over again. So much fun!
[/quote]

I may be completely wrong about this and would love to be convinced that I am, but I feel like pads (knee pads especially) make mini ramp more dangerous. Falling to flat on your knees with knee pads on is so jarring and prone to causing injury. I have only worn knee pads probably %5 of the time I have spent riding transition, but had pads on the two times I seriously hurt my knee. One time was torn meniscus from full twisting compression. The other was a completely torn pcl from a hard impact directly on the knee. I honestly feel like if I hadn’t been wearing pads I would have figured some way to run out or roll. That said, I may be completely wrong and just had unlucky coincidences. I have no “coolness” problem with pads, and would love to wear them if I could avoid injuries and get even more years of laying left. They just scare me, and I feel like when I fall with them it is to flat, and not on the transition. Maybe I just don’t know how to use them.

[Easy Slider]

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I agree with curbs but you'll never catch me on a mini ramp. I tried learning to ride transition as a kid without pads and took many a ghastly slam on the hip trying to learn rock to fakies. I've been scared of ramps ever since.

[close]

Right here seems like a good place to put this little video I made today.  Was going to keep this out of Slap because I know I’ll get Slap’d around, but god damn this thread is just asking for this:

Edit -  for those wondering, I think what happened was when I realized my >tail-stall< didn’t feel right, I tried bailing by taking my front foot off but I guess my back foot was still pressing enough to keep the board connected to my front foot.  That’s about as near as I can figure what happened.  I just got the tail stall the day before (after many weeks of working on it) and wanted to keep it dialed in, but wouldn’t you know I am even more sketched out by it now.  I tried about 20 more times after the slam but only got it once.  One of my rules of skateboarding is if I can still go, I have to immediately try the thing that slammed me.  I’m stupid like that (well, not JUST like that, I am stupid in many other ways also)

Gnarly. Stepping back on the board after bailing on flatground is bad enough but this… You convinced me not to go near any transition in the near future with or without pads lol

[Sedition]

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A few years back I discovered pads in conjunction with mini ramps, and WOW, total game changer. I became obsessed with mini ramps, and it felt like it did when I was 12-years-old all over again. So much fun!

[close]

I may be completely wrong about this and would love to be convinced that I am, but I feel like pads (knee pads especially) make mini ramp more dangerous. Falling to flat on your knees with knee pads on is so jarring and prone to causing injury. I have only worn knee pads probably %5 of the time I have spent riding transition, but had pads on the two times I seriously hurt my knee. One time was torn meniscus from full twisting compression. The other was a completely torn pcl from a hard impact directly on the knee. I honestly feel like if I hadn’t been wearing pads I would have figured some way to run out or roll. That said, I may be completely wrong and just had unlucky coincidences. I have no “coolness” problem with pads, and would love to wear them if I could avoid injuries and get even more years of laying left. They just scare me, and I feel like when I fall with them it is to flat, and not on the transition. Maybe I just don’t know how to use them.

You know how you can instantly tell when someone isn't a local, because they mispronounce the name of a street, city, store, etc.? The statement "falling to flat on your knees with knee pads" is pretty much the same thing (it's a comment/sentiment people often make/have about pads on mini ramps). Well, this is also usually an instant "tell" that someone has either (a) never actually worn pads, or (b) never learned to use them correctly. When you wear pads on mini ramps, you don't just jump up in the air and land on your knees. The proper technique like how you sit in a chair; it's a slow, controlled, "let down" (on to your pads/knees). If you are jarring your knees that much with pads on to cause injury, you are doing something drastically wrong. 

[Sedition]

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I agree with curbs but you'll never catch me on a mini ramp. I tried learning to ride transition as a kid without pads and took many a ghastly slam on the hip trying to learn rock to fakies. I've been scared of ramps ever since.

[close]

Right here seems like a good place to put this little video I made today.  Was going to keep this out of Slap because I know I’ll get Slap’d around, but god damn this thread is just asking for this:

Edit -  for those wondering, I think what happened was when I realized my >tail-stall< didn’t feel right, I tried bailing by taking my front foot off but I guess my back foot was still pressing enough to keep the board connected to my front foot.  That’s about as near as I can figure what happened.  I just got the tail stall the day before (after many weeks of working on it) and wanted to keep it dialed in, but wouldn’t you know I am even more sketched out by it now.  I tried about 20 more times after the slam but only got it once.  One of my rules of skateboarding is if I can still go, I have to immediately try the thing that slammed me.  I’m stupid like that (well, not JUST like that, I am stupid in many other ways also)

Thank you for sharing this. It illuminates two important points. First, you do not have to be "seriously" skating to get "seriously" hurt. Second, helmets have real merit. Even on smaller stuff. Something to think about, esp. for the older crowd (myself included).

[EvenStevieNicks]

Haven't felt the urge to bust out the selfie  stand since I tunred 46 but decided to document a quick session today.

Such savagery at 46! Fucking rad!

[Sedition]

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Haven't felt the urge to bust out the selfie  stand since I tunred 46 but decided to document a quick session today.

[close]

Such savagery at 46! Fucking rad!

Beautiful f/s rocks.

[Frank and Fred]

Thanks @Sedition and @EvenStevieNicks

@dofrenzy I saw your slam on IG. Brutal. I also agree some of the worst slams come from trying seemingly simple and safe tricks. I broke a toe once putting my foot down to brake to avoid colliding with a friend at high speed. Took forever to heal. Going to inspect my helmet now. I was in a regular habit of using it in concrete parks, not sure why I lapsed.

[Landmine]

Thanks @Sedition and @EvenStevieNicks

@dofrenzy I saw your slam on IG. Brutal. I also agree some of the worst slams come from trying seemingly simple and safe tricks. I broke a toe once putting my foot down to brake to avoid colliding with a friend at high speed. Took forever to heal. Going to inspect my helmet now. I was in a regular habit of using it in concrete parks, not sure why I lapsed.

After faceplanting and breaking my glasses when I ate shit in a bowl, I'm never skating concrete without a helmet again.  My helmet (that I'd purchased two days prior) has a nice scrape across the brow and I only had a slight bruise on my nose.  Thinking about grinding my face down the transition gives me the creeps.

[Sedition]

Thanks @Sedition and @EvenStevieNicks

@dofrenzy I saw your slam on IG. Brutal. I also agree some of the worst slams come from trying seemingly simple and safe tricks. I broke a toe once putting my foot down to brake to avoid colliding with a friend at high speed. Took forever to heal. Going to inspect my helmet now. I was in a regular habit of using it in concrete parks, not sure why I lapsed.

See injury thread. In 2019 I badly broke my leg/ankle doing a “set-up” trick on a 6’ mini ramp that I’ve done 1,000s of times. Didn’t skate for a year because of it. My ankle will never be the same. Yeah, a lot that stuff is a “freak accident,” but tell that to someone who had a life-changing injury due to a freak accident. Oh, right. That guy is me.

[IUTSM]

@dofrenzy

Beautiful slam, bro. Absolutely beautiful

Mini ramps have always bugged me out. I love skating pool/bowl, but riding fakie has never made sense. Good on you for getting it down dude!!!

[BugleBites]

C’mon, pads on mini ramp? It’s a MINI ramp. Just slide onto your butt or walk out of any missed trick like a normal person.
I dread the day I feel like I can only skate transition, just not appealing to me, and I used to own a mini ramp. I’m 44 and still skating street, ledges. I honestly doubt I’ll ever retire to transition skating, I’ll probably just call it when I can’t do enough on street to be satisfied. I sure as hell ain’t buying pads. That shit is for vert.

[Frank and Fred]

No need to give people shit for doing what they feel it takes to keep them skateboarding.

[cky enthusiast]

C’mon, pads on mini ramp? It’s a MINI ramp. Just slide onto your butt or walk out of any missed trick like a normal person.
I dread the day I feel like I can only skate transition, just not appealing to me, and I used to own a mini ramp. I’m 44 and still skating street, ledges. I honestly doubt I’ll ever retire to transition skating, I’ll probably just call it when I can’t do enough on street to be satisfied. I sure as hell ain’t buying pads. That shit is for vert.

do you ever find yourself skating alone frequently? if so, do you ever wonder why?

[BugleBites]

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C’mon, pads on mini ramp? It’s a MINI ramp. Just slide onto your butt or walk out of any missed trick like a normal person.
I dread the day I feel like I can only skate transition, just not appealing to me, and I used to own a mini ramp. I’m 44 and still skating street, ledges. I honestly doubt I’ll ever retire to transition skating, I’ll probably just call it when I can’t do enough on street to be satisfied. I sure as hell ain’t buying pads. That shit is for vert.

[close]

do you ever find yourself skating alone frequently? if so, do you ever wonder why?

Nah I have a great network of friends, but that did come of harsher than it needed to. Apologies. But yeah, you don’t need pads on mini ramp. Elbows can help, even wrists, but if you’re knee sliding on mini you’re risking more injury than you need to for the size of what you’re skating.

The rest of that was just my personal preference. Retiring to transition feels like giving up to me. Seen it a million times. It’s the last step before quitting altogether.

Edit: I should qualify my opinion … I’ve worked at indoor parks where I see lots of older guys fully padded up, jumping hard to their knees any time they mess up, and it just looks brutal. It’s not necessary, at all, and harder on your body than sliding onto your butt or just walking out. It’s also bad for your ankles because they fold under you. And I see people teaching kids to jump to their knees on street etc as well, which is just plain wrong. You’re gonna be hating that decision to keep jumping to your knees when it’s much easier just to walk out of a trick, or slide onto your butt if you’re worried about a knee tweak.

[Frank and Fred]

Just my experience here but I grew up street skating but always loved all terrain. About 25, i thought I was old and mostly skated parks and transition. My mid 30s I started skating street again. At 46, I really enjoy variety. Flat, hills, pools, bowls... whatever. Spice it up. Just go with what feels good, never force anything.

 I really think being open to everything is really what is going to promote longevity in skateboarding. Forcing yourself to skate one way b/c that's what you define as optimum skateboarding is a potential recipe for disappointment and injury. 

Statements like, "Retiring to transition feels like giving up to me. Seen it a million times. It’s the last step before quitting altogether" is just absolute nonsense.

I do agree with the way people bail on smaller transition. Knee slides only make sense on bigger smoother transitions. On bigger ramps and vert the knee bail will really help.