I must admit that I have recently returned to the fold as an active skateboarder. I never left skateboarding as a culture, but geography, women, jobs, and all around lameness kept me off the board for many years.
There are probably many people like me who fall into the lost generation of skaters. Born in the mid to late 60's, we fully embraced the Dogtown and Z Boys era when we were kids, but when skating went underground and eventually focused primarily on street in the 80's and 90's, we had moved on to other activities like golf and shame.
My first board was a Logan Earth Ski with Bennett trucks and Roadrider wheels. My second board was a Bahne with Tracker trucks and Sim's Pure Juice wheels. Based on what these bad boys are fetching on Ebay, I should have held on to them. At the time though, they represented freedom to a young kid.
Cruising down the street, bombing a hill, small launch ramps, this was the skateboarding I knew. It is also how I became a mongo pusher!
I'll weigh in at a later date on the modern stigma of pushing mongo as it pertains to street skating, but let me just say that having your weight over the rear wheels is much safer for pushing over long distances.
Now I'm back, and boy how things have changed. Boards are designed like projectiles with rock-hard wheels and so many concaves that my size 12's can't find a flat spot anywhere. Ollies, Nollies, Kickflips, Shove its, Tail grinds, Stairs, Rails....W.T.F. happened to setting up a slalom course in your driveway ?
There are probably many people like me who fall into the lost generation of skaters. Born in the mid to late 60's, we fully embraced the Dogtown and Z Boys era when we were kids, but when skating went underground and eventually focused primarily on street in the 80's and 90's, we had moved on to other activities like golf and shame.
My first board was a Logan Earth Ski with Bennett trucks and Roadrider wheels. My second board was a Bahne with Tracker trucks and Sim's Pure Juice wheels. Based on what these bad boys are fetching on Ebay, I should have held on to them. At the time though, they represented freedom to a young kid.
Cruising down the street, bombing a hill, small launch ramps, this was the skateboarding I knew. It is also how I became a mongo pusher!
I'll weigh in at a later date on the modern stigma of pushing mongo as it pertains to street skating, but let me just say that having your weight over the rear wheels is much safer for pushing over long distances.
Now I'm back, and boy how things have changed. Boards are designed like projectiles with rock-hard wheels and so many concaves that my size 12's can't find a flat spot anywhere. Ollies, Nollies, Kickflips, Shove its, Tail grinds, Stairs, Rails....W.T.F. happened to setting up a slalom course in your driveway ?
1 comment:
You're my hero
Post a Comment