Longboarding

[JKPickin]

Gearing up properly helps a lot. A helmet, minimum, every time you get on the board. Slide gloves with pucks and knee pads are also highly recommended. The first thing to learn is how to foot brake, once you have that mastered learn how to do shutdown slides. Those tools will build your confidence and allow you to increase your skills, speed and fun. Also, find a group of adult longboarders to skate with. They can help you learn and won’t push you beyond your limits. Enjoy the board, it’s not as scary as some of these posts suggest as long as you stay within your limits

 

[imwjl]

Don't listen to the can't or shouldn't do it because of age. Sure, my 60s isn't same as 30s but without bifocals I can still do it. Wear a helmet and some body protection. Same helmet, pads, gloves and shoes that work for bike riding work for the board.

I don't know that much about the gear. A friend had a board to lend. I think mine in the avatar pic here is an Arbor brand and it's more stable than the one I got for free.

 

[tubedude]

If you fall, don't use your hand to break your fall or you'll mess up your wrist. You want to roll and use your whole arm to break the fall.

Find some really smooth pavement. You don't need bumps, cracks, or random bits of gravel to mess you up when you're first figuring out how to cruise along. Speed is your friend, just like on a bike. It's easier to balance when you're moving along vs. going really slow.

Until you're halfway downhill and get the speed wobbles.
Always look for good places to bail, should the need be imminent.

 

[DugT]

I prefer short skateboards because it is easier to control speed because it is easier to turn back uphill with them. skateboarding is a lot safer if you skateboard slower than you can run.

Inline skating is safer and it is better exercise too.

 

[ozcal]

My boards... the black one is one i made from old hardwood floor boards... the bottom is carfon fiber... i still ride at 52 years old... started at about 5 years of age... my advice, get out there and have fun... start on a flat surface, wear a helmet...

 

[Preacher]

I built a longboard maybe 10 years ago my son was into it one case road rash ended that. I would put around the backyard and told my son to never touch it seems longboarders like to throw them now and then. View attachment 944094 View attachment 944095 View attachment 944096 View attachment 944097

Yep its got a skull on it, its a killer for sure!!

 

[Harbinger77]

This thread is rife with misinformation. All these helmet and pad recommendations are interesting I wonder if you could count how many photos in a recent issue of Thrasher depict a skater with a helmet or pads (not on a vert ramp). Knee and elbow pads are only used to safely bail and slide down the transition on vert ramps that are generally over 10 feet tall. they are useless in the street and will likely impede your movement. wrist guards are another illusion: if you tag your hand hard enough to break your wrist, but are wearing a wrist guard, the force gets transferred up to your elbow.

If you’re old and you skate, I applaud you. You’re somewhat pf a purple unicorn.

if you’re an adult and you want to “try” skating and you ask about it on an old guy guitar forum, stop right there. As the viral video states, “You’re not that guy.”

 

[oregomike]

Hey!

I've been running/swimming/biking for a while now, and recently got a longboard on craigslist. Never skated before, but excited about trying something new. Any of you into this? Any tips?

Thanks!

Enjoy the rabbit hole of upgrades! I bought what they call a dropped doublekick cutaway, or something like that. Here's the deck I got (2013 model) Bought it when my son was getting into boarding. Of course he quickly moved on and I got stuck with the thing, but love riding it once in a while.

. I replaced the wheels and bushings. The thing is a blast, especially if you have good smooth streets in your neighborhood.

 

[chris m.]

Pads can reduce road rash, but don't do much to prevent orthopedic injury. Ask me how I know....

 

[Stanford Guitar]

When you're first learning to skate you're not going to be going fast enough to skid in a fall. You're going to fall flat on your hands, elbows, or knees and likely hit your head. Because you're not used to falling and you don't know how to fall in a controlled way. You also don't need to worry about 'range of motion' being impeded by pads, if this were the case, no big ramp skater or hill bomber would wear pads, almost all do. And you're not going to be doing anything in the beginning that requires this big 'range of motion.' So wearing pads/helmet is very smart.

 

[Stanford Guitar]

Enjoy the rabbit hole of upgrades! I bought what they call a dropped doublekick cutaway, or something like that. Here's the deck I got (2013 model) Bought it when my son was getting into boarding. Of course he quickly moved on and got stuck with the thing, but love riding it once in a while. View attachment 944378 . I replaced the wheels and bushings. The thing is a blast, especially if you have good smooths streets in your neighborhood.

Rayne makes some of the best longboards around. I have a Rayne Renegade in my quiver.

 

[JL_LI]

Not for me. I’m on blood thinners. Smack my head and I’m dead.

 

[oregomike]

Rayne makes some of the best longboards around. I have a Rayne Renegade in my quiver.

Yeah, I love it. Grew up skating (and surfing) in the 80s but was pretty horrible at skating compared to my friends who were already riding quarter or half pipes. Love the flow of long boarding. Skate and Destroy.

 

[ozcal]

one of my fave skateboarding stories... as mentioned, i m 52 and have been skating since i was a youngster... now i have a grey beard and grey hair... anyway, a few years back the wife and i went to santa cruz so i could surf... we were hitting the coast 6 or 8 times a years so i could get a few waves... we pulled into the airbnb and i wanted to get a 6 pack of cold ones... local gas station was about 1/2 a mile away... i grabbed the longboard i d thrown in the car for the trip... skated down to the gas station and i walked in... smug young bloke behind the counter sees me and laughs, he says. ' long board eh, how s that going for ya ?' i turned and looked at him whilst looking at my watch and said. ' it s going ok... only been doing it for about 40 years'...

 

[rcole_sooner]

Not on a board, but this guy sure enjoys skating.

 

[Whatizitman]

Hey!

I've been running/swimming/biking for a while now, and recently got a longboard on craigslist. Never skated before, but excited about trying something new. Any of you into this? Any tips?

Thanks!

Yes. I just turned 50, so probably not again, if ever. Too easy to get hurt, and I can't afford to do so. I fall and break things a lot more than I used to. Harder to get back up now, too.

Still have my board, though. Y'know. Just in case.

EDIT: Oh yeah. Make sure you get the largest diameter wheels you can find. Because... rocks. I keep thinking about getting bigger wheels. But I don't really use it now, anyway. All my fun money goes to guitars and amps.

 

[Stanford Guitar]

No discussion of long boarding would be complete without a shout out to Doggface.

 

[Whatizitman]

Thanks for the replies. Y'all are making me nervous. Maybe I should have mentioned that I just plan on riding the local hike and bike trail. I'm hoping nothing too crazy can happen on that.

I'm assuming it's paved? Is it one of those "mountain" boards?

Hikers and bikers are on the same trail. They can stop and get out of the way easier than you can. But it's generally not considered very nice to test that.

Find a nice flat, empty parking lot to get the feel of things before testing any hills. Longboards go fast before you realize how fast you're actually going.

 

[Deeve]

It’s fun to watch, also.

Fun to watch, indeed.
The music bed appeared to borrow generously from Ben E King's Stand By Me

 

[telemnemonics]

This thread is rife with misinformation. All these helmet and pad recommendations are interesting I wonder if you could count how many photos in a recent issue of Thrasher depict a skater with a helmet or pads (not on a vert ramp). Knee and elbow pads are only used to safely bail and slide down the transition on vert ramps that are generally over 10 feet tall. they are useless in the street and will likely impede your movement. wrist guards are another illusion: if you tag your hand hard enough to break your wrist, but are wearing a wrist guard, the force gets transferred up to your elbow.

If you’re old and you skate, I applaud you. You’re somewhat pf a purple unicorn.

if you’re an adult and you want to “try” skating and you ask about it on an old guy guitar forum, stop right there. As the viral video states, “You’re not that guy.”

You’re funny!
I’m not gonna argue with you though...


Not sure what year but my first was a 2x4 with trucks & wheels off a rink skate.
Never wore any protective gear besides gloves from hardware store or ski shops.

I made a long board in maybe 79 but found it boring just because long enough hills were not plentiful and with something like a 30” board I could do all sorts of things in varied conditions.
Safety gear seems like a good idea, I just didn’t have access to it and never wore a bike helmet either.
Motorcycling yes.