Skategeezer Feedback - Page 4

Mike, I just wanted to say that I really dig your site!! I can't even believe you have a gorilla grip shot on there!!

I was born in 1962 and skateboarding has been IT for me since about '68. It is so cool to see all of the"old guys" either still riding or back into it.

More on me: I was a sponsored am/pro for Madrid in the 1980's and spent most of that period on the staff of THRASHER mag writing as "Billy Runaway". I have some incredible memories from that time, both good and bad. So much happened so fast--it seems like it was only yesterday.....

Anyway, as for the here and now....I have gotten totally into longboarding these days with a little guidance from Brad Strandlund, George Orton, and Biker Sherlock(remember some of those names??). Anyway, we are starting a longboarding magazine called "Cruz" that will debut over the summer. Brad is working on an interview w/ Tom Sims for the first issue!! Support for the mag has been unreal, with lots of people wanting to contribute articles and photos, which brings me to my request: I was wondering if you could put the word out to all who contact you or supply me with some e-mail addresses of people who might be interested in contributing articles and photos?? We are accepting ANYTHING that has to do with ANY aspect of longboarding: downhill, cruising, luge, vert, you name it. (just send it to mbrooke@interlog.com and I'll send it along!)

Keep up the good work with the site and I hope to hear from you soon. Keith


Mike

I just found your site. It's great. I just got a computor recently and was browsing some skates sites listed in the new issue of slap mag. I still read thrasher and slap just to keep up with whats going on. I'm 35 now but i still remember being in the store reading the first issue of SkateBoarder mag with greg weaver carving on the cover. I was still learning tick tacs on my clay wheels on a board I got at Gibsons ($7??)

I soon made my parents take me to Town & Country to get Cadilac wheels and Chicago trucks this was the seventies and my dad was stationed in Hawaii. Then Road Riders, Logan, G&S, Bahne, Powell, Santa Cruz, Alva skateboarding truly changed my life.

I still ride every now and then. Skateboarding is still the best sport ever invented.

sincerely mike

ps dogtown rules


Wow! Your site sure brings back great memories of endless carves, concrete parks and pools and gooey knees (never got into pads much). I grew up in Jacksonville, FLA and skated Kona SkatePark often along with my 1/4 pipe. The 80's brought a move to SoCal and Upland Skatepark (best pool ever) and the AIDS Pool in Long Beach were the sh*t. Now I play music full time and too many broken wrists halted the skate activity. I miss it...but ever try playing the drums with a cast on?

I looked in my shed yesterday to find most of my cool (complete) decks were gone or lost (SIMS Brad Bowman, DogTown Jim Muir, Duane Peters Santa Cruz etc.) Now I am down to an Alva 32" by 11", a Logan Earth Ski, 2 highly collectable Black Flag Skateboards, and a few others. Oh well...Adulthood sucks when I let it.

Thanks,

Bill


WAYRAD SITE!!!

excellent nostalgia trip for an old fatty like m'self. i started sk8ing in 1974 so i'm just a beginner:) built ramps in the late 80's, all steel at first -my claim to fame is a name check in skateboard! magazine as adam the skateboarding blacksmith hehe. also built plywood mini ramps etc. forever.

I'm still tootling around in devon, england on a late 70's simms taperkick 36" with mk1. 70 mm red kryptonics.

thanks for a good laugh, i remember all the list...and i've bookmarked you twice to be sure to be sure...


hey dude!! I definitely remember the 70's . I've still got my Gordon & Smith board. And an Infinity fiberglass board. The 70's were great. With skateboard parks and stuff. Thanks for your article.. Really cool

Peace, Brooks Johnson


I was born in '71, started skating in '77. I was glad to run across your page! I went to buy a new board yesterday and found out they havesince changed the bolt pattern for trucks! I was pissed when I had to drill new holes to fit my Trackers on! It made me feel old, even though I'm only 25. But since my first board (sims, acs 651 trucks, OJ wheels) I can't remember the mounting ever changing. I've ridden Indy, Tracker, Gull Wing, Venture, and yes, even Z-Rollers and never had to worry if they would bolt to my board.

Later skater,

Dave


I am 28, from the 80's skate generation. When I read the comments made by 'skate geezers' who have visited your site, I feel right at home. It is difficult to meet others who understand the thrill (an understatement) that skateboarding can bring, even to those skaters who don't do it much any more.

It is a life changing activity. You learn that actions have consequences (painful ones like 'hippers' and broken elbows). You learn that you can conquer your fears (like dropping in on vert for the first time). You learn to be persistent (ollies). And you have a very good time without realising that you are learning anything much at all. That's the way to do it.

I began skating 12 years ago on a Vision Gator with Indy 169's and Sims wheels (that coned out far too quickly). My friend and I started out seeing how far we could ride the thing in his carpeted basement. Not far. We ended up a couple of years later pulling airs to tail (and the like) on vert.

I stopped for 5 years, but have started up again. Dropping in on vert after such a long time (on a new-school board) was initially worrying, but my body remembered what to do. Once a skater, always a skater. After having broken a couple of bones in my neck in a nearly fatal car accident from which it took me a year and a half to recover, everyone was surprised that I was skating again. But it felt great. Nothing can replace the feeling of flying over large vert transitions. Riding with the 'skate wisdom' of 12 years of experience really helps. When everything becomes instinctive, you manage to stay on the quirkiest variations. It just works.

The new double tailed decks are not that bad if wider than 8.5. The trucks are a little narrow, but grindable. The small wheels should be shot out into the infinite depths of outer space never to be remembered - they are a disgusting ride. I am using an old set of Cross-Bones.

If you want to skate, do it. We didn't start skating because we worried about what people thought Why should we now? By the way, Warren Tellam is the king of old-school. If you're in London, check out Meanwhile 2 (a smooth concrete ditch). Also, the old-schoolers at Maximus in Boston are rad as hell and friendly as well.

Thanks for your very cool web-site, Fareed Appleseed.


I've got some gear I would recommend for any readers of your page. The Powell Hot Rod deck and Think Duane Peters model. These are both good solid decks at least 9" wide and will easily accomodate a set of Indy 169's and 60mm wheels (Spitfire classics or whatever). They've got the "modern" big nose/small tail shape but have enough width that that you have a solid/stable surface to land on.

I've been using the Powell Hot Rod on the street, ramps, and ditches here around Austin and have been very impressed with it, and I've noticed a lot more older skaters coming out to the spots lately with the bigger decks and wheels that are now available. As you may know, there was a trend driven period for a few years when you couldn't find a deck wider than 8 inches or wheels bigger than 46-48mm. The decks sucked and would snap after a couple of slides on a parking block. I'm glad that shit is over with (I hope), and we are getting back to a skater/customer driven market.

Now if only they would start making rails and T-bolts again!! If you go into Blondie's skate shop here in Austin and ask for that stuff, chances are the clerk won't know what your talking about (I usually go to Armadillo or somewhere else in town, less selection but at least you don't pay for the attitude).

Thanks,

Andy G


Pizza Grip tape would tear the shit out of your shorts when you sat on them.I remember IKS Bearings. They were the shit and they were located a block from where I used to live. Needless to say I hit them up for free bearings all the time... And the incredible Mr. Bennett. His piece of shit plastic baseplates would break just going to the market! Also Lonnie Toft with his wacky eight wheeled skateboard. I actually made one of those, it rode pretty good once you figured out how to keep it straight. Man, I LOVE your site! It really brings back the memories!

Glenn


Found out about your site from alt.skateboard. It's almost like a breath of fresh air compared to all the negativity I find on that newsgroup. I was born a year after you which surprises me, considering that I didn't know anyone skates after their 20's. I didn't start on clay wheels, but I haven't been able to fight the skating urge since the 70's. Now I've been married three years, own and operate my own business, and still can't stay away from it. You're performing a tremendous service, not just for the nostalgia but for reminding skaters that they don't need hostile attitudes and huge pants to skate.

Peace,

Peter


Hello my name is Tim and I'm sixteen years old living in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. (CANADA KICKS EVERY COUNTIRES ASS) You are probably wondering what the hell I'm E-mailing you for, because I'm definetly not a geezer yet! You are probably saying to yourself, oh my god another disrespectful board flipping kid from hell! Well I'm one of few skaters who do respect the past of skateboarding.

I grew up skateboarding. It has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. At early ages I could often be found scooting around on the board I purchased from some damn store, consumers or something. It was terrible. In about grad three (age 7) I decided it would be a good Idea to burn my board, so my dad would realize I needed a new one. Well I burned it and my dad was very pissed off. Well as it turned out he did buy me a new one. I went down to the local skateboard shop (Skatefever) and purchased my first half decent skateboard. It was a B.B.C. (Bad boys club) with thunder trucks, german bearings, the biggesty green risers, and Powell peralta street bone wheels.

After a few years I learned basic manouvers such as the ollie, the boneless and other crazy old school tricks. Ever since I started skateboarding I could remember this show on tv SK8 TV. It had a lot of halfpipe in it. My dream was always to skateboard in a pipe. Well finally my dream came true. My first drop in I slammed so hard I think I lost brain cells. I learned lots of tricks of launch ramps and lip tricks on mini ramps.

The first skateboard video I have ever saw was the search for animal chin by Powell Peralta. It was so amesome. I personally believe that every true skater should watch that movie and realize what message they portray. "As long as skaters search for chin, they already have found him". For me that line is near religous.

In around 1993 skateboarding went into a serious drought. ALl the parks and pipes closed in Regina. Through all those years you could always find a jump ramp on my driveway. In 1994 I temporarly stopped hardcore skateboarding because of my freinds dying interest. In 1996 I came to high school. This is when I realized how much I truly loved skating. I have always been a skater, but that summer I forgot how important skateboarding was in my life. Ever since high school I have been a hardcore skater. Every day every week every month I think about skating and what it has done for me. This winter a brand new skateboard park opened in Moose Jaw (only 45 minutes away from Regina). I got to skate halfpipe for the first time in four years. I was so happy I almost started to cry!

Skateboarding although positive has taken a toll on my body this year: one broken tibia (leg), one broken alna, one radius, 1 badly spraned ankle and two broken fingers! Wow what a harsh year!!!

Tim


Hey!

Cool site, more photos please.I'm Chris,lived in Irvine Calif since 1974, was born in Orange Calif in 1961, Skated with Irvine locals Steve Ship and Ed Nadalin of Hobie and Mahjaraha.I still skate, but I'm not on my Z-Flex, Bennett, Roadrider 4 combo anymore and don't even try to get airs outta the pools (bones take longer to heal at 36 eh?)

I don't like to think of myself as a geezer, especially since people think me and my nine year old daughter are brother and sister. I'm now riding ramps with my Powell 32",GrindKing trucks, and Bones 60mm wheels. It's almost like the old days.Just bought the anniversary Skateboarder and saw Alva, and Adams, I skated with them too. Alva at 40 and Jay at 36 still skating cool huh! With skateparks starting to come back I'm gettin more stoked on skating again.I hope the smooth fluid styles come back to join the insane airs these kids are pullin off these days. You see all these kids doing all these ollie tricks and stuff but they dont seem to have any style otherwise, I don't know maybe fluid movement isn't cool anymore and I'm just old.

Well keep up the good work. Chris S.


I enjoyed your SkateGeezer page. I'm a few days away from 40 years old. I skate, surf (longboard), bodyboard, and snowboard. If it can be carved, I'm on it.

I started skating on a steel wheeled "sidewalk surfer" in Hawaii in 1965. I graduated to clay wheels, and finally to urethane. Something for your "Nostalgia" list: Cadillac Wheels. They were one of the first (and my first) commercially successful urethane wheels.

Danny


Remember those shitty plastic "California Freestyle" boards? They came in either bright yellow or blue plastic in regular or "double tail". No grip tape, the grip came from a pebbly texture top. Instead of grommets to turn the trucks, the board optimistically relied on enclosing the end of the truck pivot in a plastic cube, the truck would simply "click" from one side to the other.

My mom bought me a series of these things back in the 70's (at about $8 retail). She was somehow convinced that those "big boards" (read real trucks, real grip tape, retail price around $30.00) were somehow MORE dangerous than the CF's. I lived right on the biggest hill in town, and one summer they closed the road down to widen it to 4 lanes. Needless to say, we had a field day riding down the hill, doing coffins, catamarans and such.

One day I was blasting down the hill to my friend's place on my yellow Freestyle when the plastic cube enclosing the truck broke open (the most common malady of the Freestyles). Needless to say, I messed myself up pretty bad. I was so pissed off that I threw the board down the bottom of a 20 foot exacavation ditch and buried it with dirt clods (it was later paved over). Someday an archaelogist in the future will probably dig the thing up (no biodegradable parts on these babies). They can have a good laugh at the crappy dept. store skateboards we used to ride. I myself later moved up to a Variflex Spectra (another crappy board, but not nearly as bad as a Free Style). I often wonder how much better I would be if we had modern gear when we started skating. Oh well, just thought I would share this with you instead of working.

Later, Andy G


Hey old man,

Just read your note on the Summer of '76. I was looking around for old skateboard stuff on the Net and found you. I just stepped off my 1976 G&S "Stacey Peralta" Warp Tail with Tracker Trucks and Tunnel Rock wheels. I still have it after all these years. I am at this minute skimming over a July 1977 copy of Skateboarder magazine I found in my closet. Red-Ryder ad on the 2nd page.

But I must say Bennett trucks were cheap-o's compared to Tracker and Gull-Wing. And Alligator wheels had the reputation as the badest. Just giving you a hard time. I had similar experiences when learning to board. But gave it up by 1979. Can still whip it around a bit, though. I'd like to know if there are any sources for that old stuff these days (like new, that is). By the way, I'm almost 32.

Later... Scott


Great page!...I was a skater in the 70's in the Central Jersey area...I managed a Skateboard Shop for 2 or 3 years after I graduated HS in 1978...It was a always a great time...I still have a very big collection of Skateboarder Mags (probably 99 % complete)...your page has been jogging my memory, I may have to get em out and take a trip back in time!

We had some great spots to skate...In Trenton area we skated this drainage ditch that we smoothed out the bottom transition with bagged cement...we would do midnight assaults on the high banks of The Trenton Speedway (they used to host Nascar and Indy Races there)...We used to cruise to skate parks at the Jersey Shore like the Monster Bowl in Seaside..or the parks in Ocean City..Beach Haven..or Point Pleasant...and we'd go to this funky indoor pre-fab fiberglass park in Levittown PA..( Ernie Martin the skateboard high jump record holder would show super 8 films of motocross and his California skateboarding adventures..

But things really got hot when they built and indoor skate park in Cherry Hill NJ...complete with 4 different pools...a 3/4 pipe and a freestyle area...Shogo Kubo was the resident pro for a while there...I once got an Improper Left Turn ticket from one of Cherry Hill's finest while transporting Doug Saladino back to his motel...He Dennis Martinez, Tony Jetton, Steve Cathy and Frank Blood were doing skate demos for the shop I worked for...we all went out to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show at midnight that weekend...they were a great bunch of guys... See ya later...thanks for letting an old skate rat ramble on about his adventures!...

lets see...I've got some Kryptonics and Gull Wings...and I bet that old laminated water ski could be shaped into a primo longboard...and this hill out front of the house is pretty safe for and old guy....yeah...( now if the wife doesn't yell about breaking a leg or something....hmmmm) take care... Tom

tkrawiec@juno.com


Mike-- I remember it all. I have a page which is more of a personal account of the 70's Skateboarding Revolution. It includes faded images I scanned from moldy issues of Skateboarder magazine. I also include an update of Upland's Pipeline skatepark. Would you believe me if I told you part of it still exists? Check it out! Mark Johnson


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