First of all, I’m new to the forum so hello everyone!
The title says it all really, for context I’m 32 now, let’s say larger than I used to be back when I did skate and other than rolling round a local car park once quite recently I haven’t touched a skateboard since I was 15.
I’ve just bought myself an Alien Workshop deck, it was a complete but the trucks sucked absolute ass and kept blowing bushings out so I got myself a pair of Thunders which seem so far to be a hell of a lot better (I can’t completely blame the og trucks, I am overweight).
I really enjoyed rolling round again, but I couldn’t help but feel self conscious any time I could even hear people nearby.
so really I’m looking for advice on where to go? what to work on? what should I be doing before I skate at my age/size?
literally anything to help! I’d really love to get properly back into skating!
I’m based in the West Midlands if that helps, specifically the Black Country.
thanks
I’ve been looking for a while for a local indoor skatepark that holds an “old guys” type event, None of my local indoor parks seem to do it, one I discovered through this forum in Stoke on Trent seems to, it’s not too far away but definitely not what I’d call local either. i’ll see about going earlier in the day. I think a lot of my anxiety comes from feeling like an idiot learning to skate all over again at 32, like for some reason I imagine that anyone else still skateboarding at this age is an absolute god or something and that I look stupid awkwardly pushing around.
I’m living in Dudley in the West Mids, not very many places to skate I can see, especially these days! a lot of the spots I used to go are housing estates or going to be housing estates now.
Unit 1 don’t unfortunately - it’s my local. Rollersnakes (Derby) do their ‘assisted living’ night for older and new starters but check their instagram for that.
Some people will be, but most will be clinging on the the few tricks they have left. I’ve been skating since I was 13 (I’m 36)and sometimes I look like I’ve never stood on a board before.
If it helps, there’s definitely been a lot of guys in their 30s and 40s getting back into it the last couple of years, so if you pop to a park early sesh you’ll likely bump into someone around you age.
Maybe find an empty car park to get your balance back etc, then once you go to a skate park you will at least be a bit more confident riding around
Ah man, I thought I read something on their website but I’ve looked at so many today it could have been rollersnakes! still, Derby isn’t that far away either.
I think I’m struggling to get over that barrier of that “Skateboarding is for kids” mentality that’s been forced onto me by the older generations, eventually I think I’ll just get over it.
I did have a roll round a car park once recently, however I chose to go to one of the old flat ground spots I used to go to with mates back in the old days and genuinely forgot how busy it was with pedestrians. I think this is what brought on all the anxiety
i’m grateful to find somewhere to talk about skateboarding at least, none of the old lot I used to skate with seemed overly interested in getting back into it unfortunately, the ones I’m still in touch with anyway
relearn to fall properly, you may be able to get the tricks back but your body lost its skate conditioning so will be prone to more injury.
Looser trucks will strengthen your ankles and get some footprint insoles . Knee savers and heel bruise savers . I swear by them after starting to skate again at 37
I both love and hate the sound of that. Love that its great advice. Hate falling over.
How do you even learn to fall properly? (I get the feeling i’ll regret asking that)
Black Country you say! I feel like our paths should crossed at some point, I’m only in Wall Heath so not far.
Can’t pretend like I have spent much time on the board for a while. Living up to the nerd on the internet who moans about skateboarding without actually doing it myself vibe. However the local scene is thriving.
Tons of friendly people out there locally and some great parks and spots. Bournbrook DIY in Selly Oak springs to mind straight away. Indoors a lot more limited. I haven’t been for a number of years but there’s a park called Just Ramps in Wolverhampton that should help scratch the itch when the weather’s poor.
For me you cant beat a good indoor carpark session (RIP Stourbridge Multi), especially if you’re still trying to get your skate legs back.
Technically skaters were doing parkour before parkour, instead of going down like a sack of spuds try and roll in/out the falls if it’s possible. Take the impact out .
genuinely still not over stourbridge multi being gone. or ramparts, The school used to take a group of kids in a minibus there one night a week, its what made me get a board then no sooner had I got one they stopped it all, didnt really have any money back then to take myself either so I only ever skated street really. skated the car park once or twice though! it was always so quiet! don’t really know of any carparks that come close.
yeah definately something to learn, I only remember slamming and eating absolute shit, I dont remember rolling much
Not sure how much of a bust it is but Merry Hill multi seems to be skated.
I would of been about 16-19 during the ramparts days and have a vague memory of a mini bus coming from a school so no doubt we bumped into each other many moons ago.
Very easy for me to say on here as it’s part of the reason I don’t skate so much these days but - I think it’s about accepting your limitations (still push them) and enjoying skating for what it is… Fun!
Yeah pretty common wrist injuries with people staring back, only natural to brace yourself on a slam .
Anyway time will fly by when you’re back on your board and it will be a year already and you’ll be well back on track .
Enjoy man , best thing I ever did at 37
Always used to skate merry hill multi and used to get thrown out quite regular, can’t imagine much has changed now theres a bowling alley there and its almost always busy.
I’ve got wrist guards, but I can imagine they’re only gonna do so much. but I can absolutely see why, skateboarding is nothing like riding a bike. i thought getting back on would be easy and i’d be up to my old tricks with not too much time and effort
