Variflex were at least skateable. I don’t think I ever got a full setup back then, just started with a turbo II type of a thing then got a deck and some wheels and eventually some new trucks but by then the deck had no tail left and by the time I managed to get another one my wheels were all coned. I was at it for ages before I ever had an actual decent setup together all at the same time. Obviously fond memories but those big old 80s clunkers never really suited me. It just felt right straight away when they evolved away from that. It was like in the 80s people realised that 70s boards were obviously too small and so stuck with the idea that they ought to be fucking enourmous instead for far too long really.
This is debatable. My first trucks were variflex and when I got a tier 1 truck it was night and day.
Tier 1. Indy, Venture, Thunder. (I guess now Ace and Force) - These are all top quality but with different feels.
Tier 2. Tensor, Royal, Gullwing, Fury. - These are skateable and possibly as good as anything but not premium.
Tier 3. Variflex, Enuff etc - Not very skateable at all.
Have you actually skated all of them though? I thought fury were modelled on Indy geometry and were supposed to be ok
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Royal, Tensor, Fury, Variflex, Gullwing, Indy, Venture, Thunder, Ace.
Have skated all of the above. Not on other peoples boards. I’ve had a setup with them.
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I’d say Variflex were definitely good entry level kit compared to what most people had at the time - the Turbo II type set up’s like Mark (& me). I did the same and swapped bits and gradually it became more rideable… starting with swapping the plastic ‘wheels’ for a set of, very coned, Variflex Street Rage (1’s). 
Bringing the conversation back to me buying a Natas…
I’ve taken a few deep breaths and counted to ten and the urge has lessened.
A bit.
Bigspin blank and some variflex’s was my first setup that was a hand me down.
1st paid for was a powell jason ellis.
gross.
I had a set of Bigspin All Start wheels as part of a blank complete I bought on holiday in Newquay once. Hadn’t heard of them before or since… until now.
B52 trucks as well. Same thing.
Have never seen variflex trucks for sale! Only on the old school completes. I had a variflex speed freak complete. Managed to pick up a nos one on eBay for 25 quid. Dont remember ever having an issue with the trucks
Main thing with variflex was the kingpin was WAY too high but also the hanger snapped.
I guess because I couldn’t grind anything I did mosher drops instead.
This was my first proper set up after an argos board. Not very exciting, but I’ve still got the snakes catalogue I used to study hard.
when I first started getting sidewalks etc it was when SA was first coming out of sanctions and the end of the era of only being able to buy skate stuff via mail order from the US. Being a bit too poor to be one of those, I just used to look at the UK shop pages and be mindblown that there was more choice than Santa Cruz and Powell blanks in shops (these were distro’d by surf companies who have never really had much of a conscience, politically)
There’s my first proper complete on the left. Second hand G&S and Slimeball CDs or something. Santa Cruz seconds.
(Pop Swatch model’s own.)
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Got to agree with the variflex as a good beginner board . I had this one 
All my mates went to the local weekend market and got those god awful £20 chinese completes with plastic wheels and bearings that only worked best on a hill.
My dad refused to get me one of those and got me the variflex , you could just tell instantly how better it felt . Proper wheels and bearings , flying past everyone on the £20 jobs . It was even better when I got new bearings from clarke’s skates , but they were that good I slipped out and it was run over by a car. Gutted. Didn’t skate again till 92/3.
My next setup after that was my mates second hand pete dosset deathbox fish board with gulwings . Can’t remember the wheels. Weighed a tonne , wish I’d never sold it on, but needed a proper 90’s set up .
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Ha must have been something about fords ! Mine got taken out by a mk2 Granada.
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I hit a raised paving slab slipped out, then it went under a parked car into the road and the back wheel of the Granada flipped it up and hit the parked car .
I grabbed it ,legged it and was shitting it! The nose and trucks were mullered.
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Was on a family holiday in Florida and picked this up at a mall. Previous board was a fibreglass ‘Holy Sport’ board, bit like a Penny board.
First upgrade were white SC Bullet 66s, they were SO fast compared. And absolutely massive.
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That looks like it weighs about 5kg
In St. Albans?
Sure was! I was like that kid in a sweet shop the first time I went in there. Can still remember the smell of the engine oil from the motorbikes from the main shop when you first walked in.
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I asked my dad for a new (proper board) for Christmas. Luckily he seen my brother (Navitronic) in Exeter and he helped him choose. Was a boarding house shop deck, candy red ventures and reaction wheels. I can remember snapping both kingpins in the space of a week and sending my mum out to get me some new ones each time.
