Friday, March 23, 2018

Start Skateboarding Bowls | New Deck Setup | Old and New Skaters

Coming out of skateboard retirement? 

Are you finally getting started on skating something other than that longboard that you can't quite ever have fun on in your flat neighborhood with no hills?

I've been asked by many new and semi-retired skaters what board should they buy and set up. Check out my recommendations below. We’ll break these out by parts. 

Decks

You can go for a new school symmetrical shape (posicle stick) which is great if you’re skating switch stance a whole lot, but I would lean towards a more directional shape like my Anti-Hero Jeff Grosso 9.25". This shape bridges the gap between old school and new school with a distinctive nose and tail, so you don’t have to stop and stare at it to figure it out. 

I’d recommend a deck 9 inches or wider. To give you some context, new school super technical flip trick generation of kids are skating 7.5 to 8.25” decks. For us old school cats who want to skate fast and flow with something wider with a longer wheelbase, a 9-inch deck would be just right. 

Here’s SoCal Skateshop’s selection of 9” decks: 
http://socalskateshop.com/index.php?m=&c=434&l=product_list&sortby=id:desc 

To help narrow it down, here are some shapes I like: 
http://socalskateshop.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=44405 

To save some money look at the house brand SoCal decks: http://socalskateshop.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=87423 

Punk rock, hardcore company Anti-Hero from San Francisco is one of my favorites:
http://socalskateshop.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=86942 

There’s a company called Tired which is made for us tired old people who used to skate!
http://socalskateshop.com/index.php?m=&c=2099&l=product_list&sortby=id:desc 

At the end of the day, it’s all about what strikes a chord in you. Go with what you love just like when you were a kid. 

Trucks 

The idea is to match the width of your deck to the width of your truck axles. For example, I use Independent 169mm (9.125”) trucks on my 9.25” Jeff Grosso board. 

The best turning trucks are Indys and Ace! Look at Indy 169’s or Ace 55 trucks. Not a deal breaker, but for a few bucks more you can lighter with hollow kingpins and axles on Indy Hollow Forged trucks: 
http://socalskateshop.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=58926 

Ace 55 trucks have a slightly narrower axle (8 ⅞”) compared to Indy 169s, and they also turn so friggin good! 
http://socalskateshop.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=6903 

Wheels 

For smooth surfaces like the nice bowls and metal ramps popping up everywhere, go with a real hard wheel. Hardness is measured by the durometer scale. The higher the number the harder the wheel. For example, a 100a wheel is harder than a 90a wheel. Bones Skatepark Formula (SPF) wheels are my favorite. Go with a larger diameter from 58-60mm for a faster roll. 

Smaller wheels are great for more technical street skating therefore the more popular sizes being 50-55mm. 

For outdoor cruising to the shops, pub, etc. you can try a softer wheel to help get you comfortable pushing around on less than perfect foot paths and blacktop streets. Try anything from 78a to 85a in hardness, and stick with 60-62mm size. 

Bearings 

Bones Swiss bearings are the best...period. Though you probably don’t need anything that pricey ($55) at the moment. 
http://socalskateshop.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1694 

I would recommend Bones Reds which are made in China instead of Switzerland and they’re only $18. 
http://socalskateshop.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1694 

I just started skating a new set of the Bronson G2 bearings for the first time and they’re really good. Only $16. 
http://socalskateshop.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1694 

The Independent Abec 7 bearings are also pretty fast. They last a decent while too. Only $18. 
http://socalskateshop.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=7027 

Risers

You might need a set of hard riser pads under your trucks to prevent wheel bite. I love the loose trucks and being super low to the ground, but I caved and put in a set of ⅛” risers. You might want to experiment with ⅛” to ¼” depending on how heavy you are and how loose your trucks are. Pick and choose whatever color and brand you like. Don’t get the wedge (angled) risers unless you are racing slalom. http://socalskateshop.com/index.php?l=product_list&c=724 

Build Complete Board

After picking your deck, click “Build Complete Board” to save money on your whole setup. Have a play with the interface and have fun choosing what rocks your world! 

A friend of mine mentioned SoCal Skateshop ships to Australia at a decent postal rate. Prices are in US dollars, but still much cheaper than anything here in Australia. 

Hope this all helps!