Any old dogs still like narrow boards?

[Hypnotoad]

Wudup homies.  33 year old fat Dad here here and just failed my 6th or 7th attempt at liking a big board like all the kids skate.  This time an 8.5 welcome with a huge wheelbase, Thunder 149s and 53 mm f4s.

I’m not small-6’2” with size 12 feet-and my glory days in the early 00’s were spent with on 7.6-7.75 boards with skinny-ass venture or Indy lows and 50-51mm wheels.

Tried this new schoolish setup and Just couldn’t feel comfortable doing any of my old flat ground shit. Dug through the closet and Put together an 8 with 139 Indy lows and some hard ass 51mm Tom Asta rictas I picked up today and felt way more comfortable. 

Granted, these days I pretty much just skate flat/ledges at smooth spots that I drive to, but, shit...I just cannot figure out how to do anything but Ollie and kickflip on these big ass boards everyone’s been on for like the past 10 years.  That Kader kid skates freakin 169 indy’s.  12 years ago I wouldn’t have even dreamed of skating and 8 and wide trucks weren’t really a thing, but now 8 is like the absolute minimum size and it’s usually smaller guys riding them.  What’s my problem and does anyone else have it? 

[able]

I tried to get on the wider board bandwagon but i’m 40 and during my “prime” of skateboarding (97-2003) I rode a 7.75’. Why try to ride something your not comfortable with? As we get older the act of skateboarding is hard enough as it is! I see no reason to exacerbate the problem with unfamiliar gear.

[Hypnotoad]

Yeah, that’s the conclusion I’ve come to as well I guess.  Don’t even get me started on how the fuck anyone skates in Chuck Taylors or Match Courts.

[Seadramon]

I'm all about them narrow boards. Currently riding a 7.75 and have most of my life. Rode a 7.62 and loved it (possibly my favourite deck). I'm not very old though, just turned 25.

I have a 8.06 setup up but I think I'll try riding that in the coming spring.

[Lee Ralph Fan Club]

I'm 42 and went as narrow as 7.5" back in the day but hated it. Granted I learned most of my flip tricks on those boards but as soon an 8"+ boards became widely available again I kissed the maple. I'll float between 8.5" and 8.75" now. Never going back. I actually don't think a tiny board would help much at this point. I remember fucking about on a 10" board awhile back did a kick flip and my friends said that was the best one I ever did. Skate whatever floats your boat but unless you're getting insanely technical I think you can do it all on whatever board you want.

[GinosGroceries]

I'm 27 so not that old but not that young

I used to swear by 8.25 with 149s
Now I will only ride 8 and 8" Krux. I love how much lighter this setup is.

[j....soy.....]

Over 40 under 8....

Actually I'm not....I skate an 8 with pretty steep concave....

I have a bunch of set ups but the 8 is my go to....I get the value of all of them but I want to at least try and flip my board still and I skated vert on an 8 so there's no reason to change.....if someone stole everything I'd prolly start over with an 8.25 like everyone else....

[fang]

My prime was probably 98-04 and I'm 41. And I skated 7.625 exclusively. I stayed with that until 2008 I moved up to 7.75 (ha). From 08-13 I didn't get to skate much due to working 55-72 hours a week.. and drinking a lot. I didn't really pay much attention to what others were to riding during those years cuz my 7.75s lasted so long (shame on me). Anyway when I came back from my drinking I was like "I shall buy a new complete to get motivated!". I looked and everyone was riding 8-12 inch wide boards. I'm exaggerating but that's about how ridiculous it looked to me. I've tried a bunch of different widths this past 1.5 years. I tried an 8, 8.25, 8.125, 7.81, 7.5. Just to really spread it out. I learned with my left foot damage (microfractures from stairs days/multiple heel bruises/torn tendons etc) that landing tricks on a board that is skinny.... makes my foot worse. I love skinny boards but that sucks. 8.25 is too wide for me (fun to cruise though?). 8 and 8.125 actually seem to be perfect for me at this point. Which I did not want to admit to myself due to my skinny deck bias but.. I can skate an 8 and do flip tricks without pain in my left foot landing tricks. Oh yeah I'm goofy foot so my rear foot is a piece of garbage now. I don't do many switch or nollie tricks anymore due to being rusty always (work/wife/kids/no time). My switch/nollie shit is just ollies,180s,kickflips, nollie flips , occasionally fs flip and crooked grinds. I really wanted to go back to skinny but I'm guessing with my shitty foot the impact of landing on a small space is hard. That 7.5 really hurt. In any event if the skinny still works for you go for it!

[Jollyoli]

Used to have trouble getting an 8 cause everything was smaller, now the majority are over 8.
Companies are hedging their bets and doing a range of sizes so there is more choice but I always used to think that if you were buying into the "Pro" shape/size/style you would be getting a representation of what they wanted in a board, guess not anymore it's got to be sellable.
- Count the number of Ishod board sizes/shapes/styles, I stopped before I had to take my shoes and socks off.

I like an 8.

[gsosa]

You gotta wait a couple more years when the skinny board craze starts again

[commander jameson]

I'm 40 now and have been skating 7.5 -7.87 since early 90's . For decks 7.62 and below I use 126 mm wide trucks and for 7.75 and up 136 mm wide. Wheels were always thin shaped usually around 50-53mm.
It is hard to find nice shapes in narrow decks nowadays as they are not popular but it is possible.
I like narrow and long decks so when I find shape and dimensions that I like I stick to it for long time.
Now I'm on 7.8 with nice 14.25 wb with rounder nose and tail like in mid 90's.
I don't see need to change my setup as it works.

[j....soy.....]

If you've been skating the whole way through and haven't gone through your axels...chances are you're skating a 139 or equivalent...which don't really set up well w stuff over 8"....

I find on 8.5 it is comfy for transition skating and actually my kickflips are more consistent.....anything beyond that though isn't gonna happen....

[jamersonbass]

Wudup homies.  33 year old fat Dad here here and just failed my 6th or 7th attempt at liking a big board like all the kids skate.  This time an 8.5 welcome with a huge wheelbase, Thunder 149s and 53 mm f4s.

I’m not small-6’2” with size 12 feet-and my glory days in the early 00’s were spent with on 7.6-7.75 boards with skinny-ass venture or Indy lows and 50-51mm wheels.

Tried this new schoolish setup and Just couldn’t feel comfortable doing any of my old flat ground shit. Dug through the closet and Put together an 8 with 139 Indy lows and some hard ass 51mm Tom Asta rictas I picked up today and felt way more comfortable. 

Granted, these days I pretty much just skate flat/ledges at smooth spots that I drive to, but, shit...I just cannot figure out how to do anything but Ollie and kickflip on these big ass boards everyone’s been on for like the past 10 years.  That Kader kid skates freakin 169 indy’s.  12 years ago I wouldn’t have even dreamed of skating and 8 and wide trucks weren’t really a thing, but now 8 is like the absolute minimum size and it’s usually smaller guys riding them.  What’s my problem and does anyone else have it?

Dude, I think we're basically the same size.  I might have an inch on you height-wise...

I'm 33 and quit skating from 20-26.  A buddy at school convinced me to get back into it, which I'm forever thankful for.  My sweet spot before getting back into it was a 7.88.  I went with a 8.12 shape when I bought my "comeback setup".  I too got the itch to mess with larger boards (thanks, Slap).  I went from 8.25, which I did some of my best skating on, to 8.44, down to 8.38, back to 8.25, and then up to 8.5.  It's fucking maddening.  There's pros and cons with every setup.  I really like the big surface area of an 8.5 for cruising and how it makes me flick my board.  With an 8.25 or 8.12 I have more control with shuvit variations.  My goal after winter is to setup something smaller to focus on learning new flip tricks and try to take them to the big setup after that.

[Matthew_James]

I always rode Gino & Guy's shapes and sizes when I was in high school, if I could have a stock pile of those to last the rest of my life I'd be extremely happy.

[j....soy.....]

If you're old....shouldn't you be working on a quiver?

[Noioso]

Have you tried skating an 8.25? I've skated a boards from 7.63 - 8.8. In the days of smaller boards, I pretty much always rode an 8. I spent the last few years skating boards from 8-8.5, and found 8.25 to be perfect. I'm 31, 6'0 and have size 13 feet.

[franc]

I'll be 36 next week, I'm a big guy (6.2, 11.5 shoes), skate 7.875s with 139s and can't see myself changing as this feels comfortable.
I actually have 2 bigger set ups (square shape and 90s shape), two 8.125s that feel really big, haha. I love those for mellow skates but will keep a 7.875 as my regular board.
I see kids half my size on 8.5 and bigger boards all the time, they really struggle with flip tricks. I wonder how long this current trend is going to last.

[bumpnrun]

Turn 43 next month. Only skate 8" wide boards and it's been like that for 4 or 5 years. I moved up from 7.75 to 7.875 to 8 in the 5 years prior to settling on 8. I break a lot of boards if I go thinner than 8.

[Krooked antihero]

If you're old....shouldn't you be working on a quiver?

Every skater should have a quiver, old or young! (34yrs young w/ 5 completes atm...)

[rhythm]

I always rode Gino & Guy's shapes and sizes when I was in high school, if I could have a stock pile of those to last the rest of my life I'd be extremely happy.

just yesterday Girl reissued a Jovontae deck using their original 7.5 PS Stix shape, which is the same as the mid-to-late 90's Mariano shape.  Pretty big deal if you ask me!  https://crailstore.com/collections/all/products/girl-tae-turner-7-5-skateboard-deck

I usually skate an 8 but out of boredom I actually recently started skating a Chocolate Hsu on the 7.625 shape, which I was surprised to find since they haven't made that shape in a while.  I used to ride that shape (the old Carroll shape basically) exclusively for years in the late 90's and early 2000's.  Anyway I've been loving it. 

[410420247]

I’m 32 and I ride an 8.  I’ve ridden boards in the 7s but sized back up to an 8 when I started skating again as an adult.

I’ve always ridden Indy 139s, but want to try some Aces on a second setup. 33s are skinnier than 139s, and 44s are wider. I don’t see me going smaller than an 8, and maybe trying a 8.125. Which size Aces?

[nsskater1993]

I agree with those who mention that different boards have different benefits. I have a large quiver that ranges from what I call a mini (Not sure what the exact width is but it's one of those real renewal boards, and it's definitely in the lower 7 range) and goes all the way up to my cruiser that's over 9 at it's widest. I really like boards in the 8.125 to 8.3 area but 8.25 is my common size. The 9 inch board is awesome for cruising and I can even get some nice pop on it from time to time.

[SodaJerk]

I’m 32 and I ride an 8.  I’ve ridden boards in the 7s but sized back up to an 8 when I started skating again as an adult.

I’ve always ridden Indy 139s, but want to try some Aces on a second setup. 33s are skinnier than 139s, and 44s are wider. I don’t see me going smaller than an 8, and maybe trying a 8.125. Which size Aces?

44's will just fit

[Lee Ralph Fan Club]

There's also a magic ratio of height to width. I fucked myself in the early 2000s by trying to ride 58mm/ 60mm with tight 139s on 8" - 8.25" boards (Blame eastern exposure III and the new wave of concrete parks).

Lower and looser really helped for me but so did lowering my rig. 8.5" with 55mm and under is my starting point. Any bigger, I have to go wider.

[Lee Ralph Fan Club]

Quivers also do help. Its hard to grind vert with the same board you want to tre flip. No shame in that for grown man with a job.

[se7en3two]

40 and smaller. 5-6" 170lbs-  after about a 15yr layoff, I'm about 3 months back and knew Id have to experiment.

About to move to my third deck in these sizes: 8.06, 8.0 and moving to a 8.18. I noticed big differences in the nose/tail/wheelbase lengths and how steep the concave was. I guess I could name brands, but I also wanted to get back on some PS wood. The first deck I was riding, felt soft after about a week.

Started with low indy 139's, but they felt too low/narrow with 52mm spitfires. Moved to standard indy 144's and feels just right. I go about a half turn tighter then factory, so they feel somewhat loose.

I had a guy question my griptape, which i was somewhat oblivious to major differences. I have been using Jessup with gumsoles, but would like to experiment in this area at some point also.

[chodekaka]

I’m 32 and I ride an 8.  I’ve ridden boards in the 7s but sized back up to an 8 when I started skating again as an adult.

I’ve always ridden Indy 139s, but want to try some Aces on a second setup. 33s are skinnier than 139s, and 44s are wider. I don’t see me going smaller than an 8, and maybe trying a 8.125. Which size Aces?

The 44s have an 8.3 axle, I’ve been skating them on 8.1s and they work perfect, but I wouldn’t put them on an 8.

[fang]

40 and smaller. 5-6" 170lbs-  after about a 15yr layoff, I'm about 3 months back and knew Id have to experiment.

About to move to my third deck in these sizes: 8.06, 8.0 and moving to a 8.18. I noticed big differences in the nose/tail/wheelbase lengths and how steep the concave was. I guess I could name brands, but I also wanted to get back on some PS wood. The first deck I was riding, felt soft after about a week.

Started with low indy 139's, but they felt too low/narrow with 52mm spitfires. Moved to standard indy 144's and feels just right. I go about a half turn tighter then factory, so they feel somewhat loose.

I had a guy question my griptape, which i was somewhat oblivious to major differences. I have been using Jessup with gumsoles, but would like to experiment in this area at some point also.

Tell me more

[max power]

36, fat and over 6'. I've been skating a 9" (Polar 90's shape) with 159's, risers and 54's. I used to ride 7.375's and 7.5's with 50mm wheels in my heydey, but now I like the way bigger boards flip. I'm not doing shit like nollie inward heels anymore, but kickflips and 360 flips feel good on big boards.

[Willie]

I'm 6'1" with size 11 feet.

I held out on riding smaller boards for the longest time and used to have to hunt down anything 8" or wider.

Finally got a 7.75 and it was way easier to do the shit I wanted to do. Have ridden little else but 8s or below for last 15 years. Have tried a few forays into 8.25-8.5 but I can't seem to get a setup that is as "twitchy" as an 8 or below and I have to ride differently with the bigger setups.

Kinda feel like I'm missing out on stability but I also notice that I probably use my overhanging toes and heels in some way for control when riding a skinnier deck.