This week’s post feels like me spilling everything I can recall about me and skateboards, rather than a cohesive story. So my apologies for that in advance. But I hope you find something here that resonates with you and your Gen-X story.
My skateboarding journey started somewhere around 1974. I remember our local hardware store (Coast to Coast) getting them in. I got a yellow California Free Former with the new urethane-type wheels, and my younger brother got a pink model which was a bit smaller. In the early days, we rode those things everywhere. We lived close to a strip mall that was the local hangout and place to ride. (A few years later they would start posting “NO SKATEBOARDING” signs).
We learned the basic tricks of the day such as handstands, 360 spins, and half-turns. My friend Mike and I rode all the time. We were always looking for that skateable terrain that we saw in all the Skateboard magazines. It was hard being locked in the Midwest with no empty pools to ride, but we made the best of every curb and jump we could find. We also built ramps that got progressively bigger, all the way up to a 1/4 pipe that was about 4 ft tall. Mike and I would set it up at the bottom of a big hill and jump off it into the grass. I remember being outside riding on that ramp even in cold weather. It’s amazing to me how unafraid we were of jumping off at high speeds. We gave little to no thought about the approach or the landing. We were just trying to make it farther and faster than the time before.
When the late 80s skateboards came along, they became more like works of Art. Most of my decks from then on were something I hated to mess up, but eventually, I had to accept that they were not going to stay pristine for long. I am still amazed at the great artwork in some of these decks.
When my youngest brother came into his skating journey (he is 9 years younger than me) I felt my passion to ride and learn new tricks reignite. I began riding around with him in new areas that he had found. I remember, even as I was getting older (in my 20s), I took on that skate culture of that time with the baggy clothes and the big heavy ramp boards.
One of the biggest thrills of my life has been sharing my love of skateboarding with my son. His first board was a “Penny” brand skateboard that looked similar to my first plastic board. Those types of boards are good to start with, but they are small and not very stable. It wasn’t long before he wanted a more modern skateboard. So, we were off to our local skateboard shop, Escapist Skateboarding where we put together his board. I am a bit of a purist here as I don’t buy off-the-shelf (complete) skateboards. The most fun of getting a new board is putting it together with all the parts you want. That was one of the coolest days of my life!
One thing that is much better now than in my day is the availability of skateparks. We have at least 3 different parks in our town alone. When I was a young skater, there was only one skatepark that we knew about. It was in Overland Park, Kansas. We never got to go. It closed down not long after it opened. We had always heard it was because of insurance costs and lawsuits. So now I enjoy getting to go to the skatepark with my son. In the spring and summer, we keep our boards and gear in the car so we are ready whenever we are close to a good skatepark.
Today, I feel very fortunate that I can still ride. When my son’s friends see me skateboard, they tell me that it’s cool that I can even stay on the darn thing. I think it’s just muscle memory from doing it for so long. When I step on the skateboard and push off, it’s as if I have always been doing it. Admittedly, I am not good at the Ollie, the building block for most modern skate tricks. But I still keep working on it. Maybe someday I will get more than 2 or 3 inches off the ground.
Riding a skateboard is something I have always enjoyed throughout my life so far, and it has provided me with lots of great memories. I have always had a skateboard of one kind or another, even today. And I hope I can continue to ride as long as possible.
Here is a list of the skateboards that I remember: Maybe some of these will jog other skaters’ memory of their boards
Yellow California Free Former -This was my first board.
Banzai – Made of aluminum which was revolutionary at the time
The Makaha – The first one I had made of wood, it had different color wheels
Powell Peralta – I think it was the Mike Vallely model from 1988.
John Sonner (H -Street) from the early 1990s – I still have this heavy ramp riding board, and I keep it around so I can move furniture with it. Seriously it works great for that and not much else.
World Industries – One of the “classic” designs with Flameboy and Wet Willy battling it out on the bottom side. (It’s now a shelf in my son’s room).
Max Murphy Strangelove – My favorite graphics, plus I love a bargain. I got it for $25 brand new from a discount salvage store. The Big Lebowski it’s based on is one of my favorite movies. (The Dude Abides)
What about you my fellow Gen-X, Does Anyone have a skate story to share? Is anyone else still skateboarding?
Tim B.
