I know this isn't a modification per se but my daughter recently, while using one of my vintage skateboards, came off it on the high street and sent it flying under the wheels of a bus. After checking she was not hurt I then basically got really upset at the loss of the deck, I'd had it for 25 years and it was/is rare as hens teeth. Anyway, after not being able to even look at it for a couple of months, I took the snapped truck apart, bought some second hand bits and decided to re-launch another of my old decks. On with the story telling.
At 42 years old with a slightly gammy knee I probably shouldn't still be on a skateboard, but after the joy of leaping around in the 80's the 90's became more sedate and turned into cruising, which is quite popular these days I gather. After some great decks in the 80's, such as a G & S Neil Blender, Powell Peralta Per Welinder and an Alva Fred Smith III amongst others ( which my Mum binned once I'd left home, try not to contemplate the value ), I was in a surf/skate shop on the Barbican in Plymouth and saw this board hanging on the wall for weeks and weeks, eventually it had a sale sign on it and I bought it, I absolutely cannot remember for how much. As it turned out it was a Tracker yardstick, ie 36" long, not cool in anyone elses eyes as it was a. A Tracker and b. A yardstick. It is now set up with Randall II 150 trucks, some abec 7 bearings and some softish wheels from a mindless longboard. I believe the design is called Screaming Flower.
I freakin' loved it! I never bought another deck shorter that I can remember (parts of my youth are quite hazy). A couple of years later, I bought another longboard, a whopping 0.125 of an inch longer than the Tracker. I have absolutely no recollection of where I got it, either Taunton, Plymouth or Bath I guess. It is a Powell Peralta Rose Bones longboard, the one my child killed. I loved this board, it rode beautifully. The shape just sat perfectly under my feet and (wait for it) I just loved the length...
Ahem, anyhoos, I can't remember what it was running originally but at its death it was on Randall II 180 trucks, some Powell bearings and some quite large and soft Abec II Oldskoolz wheels. So here it is.
I saved bits of the truck and one whole one and the wheels are on one of my daughters cruiser boards (she has a Mindless cruiser, a Mindless longboard, a trick deck and a Z-Flex cruiser on some 80's G & S Fat Little Roman wheels).
I didn't get another one for a while, well they last quite well well you just carve about and don't put them under a bus. Sometime around '97 I obviously hankered for another as I bought one. This time from Brixton Cycles that backs onto the skatepark behind Brixton Academy. At the time longboarding was starting to come into fashion a bit more but rather than the super flexy decks that are really popular companies were still manufacturing these 80's style, no flex longboards with tails and noses on them. Ideal, especially when said deck had a picture of Bruce Lee on the bottom and it was even longer than the other two at 38.5". The deck in question was a Numbchuck Afroman, I got all retro nostalgic and stuck it on a set of Independent trucks with some Speed Demon soft wheels and Powell Reds. That one hasn't changed a bit although my child is not alowed to toch it anymore.
So that's that, I'll probably still get another if I'm feeling flush because I'm a bit daft really. Hope a couple of you are old skaters and enjoyed that anyway. (sing the next line) Meeemories, misty water coloured...memories.
*edit* Please join in if you have anything like this sat in a garage or shed or if you, like me, still ride the damn things.
At 42 years old with a slightly gammy knee I probably shouldn't still be on a skateboard, but after the joy of leaping around in the 80's the 90's became more sedate and turned into cruising, which is quite popular these days I gather. After some great decks in the 80's, such as a G & S Neil Blender, Powell Peralta Per Welinder and an Alva Fred Smith III amongst others ( which my Mum binned once I'd left home, try not to contemplate the value ), I was in a surf/skate shop on the Barbican in Plymouth and saw this board hanging on the wall for weeks and weeks, eventually it had a sale sign on it and I bought it, I absolutely cannot remember for how much. As it turned out it was a Tracker yardstick, ie 36" long, not cool in anyone elses eyes as it was a. A Tracker and b. A yardstick. It is now set up with Randall II 150 trucks, some abec 7 bearings and some softish wheels from a mindless longboard. I believe the design is called Screaming Flower.
I freakin' loved it! I never bought another deck shorter that I can remember (parts of my youth are quite hazy). A couple of years later, I bought another longboard, a whopping 0.125 of an inch longer than the Tracker. I have absolutely no recollection of where I got it, either Taunton, Plymouth or Bath I guess. It is a Powell Peralta Rose Bones longboard, the one my child killed. I loved this board, it rode beautifully. The shape just sat perfectly under my feet and (wait for it) I just loved the length...
Ahem, anyhoos, I can't remember what it was running originally but at its death it was on Randall II 180 trucks, some Powell bearings and some quite large and soft Abec II Oldskoolz wheels. So here it is.
I saved bits of the truck and one whole one and the wheels are on one of my daughters cruiser boards (she has a Mindless cruiser, a Mindless longboard, a trick deck and a Z-Flex cruiser on some 80's G & S Fat Little Roman wheels).
I didn't get another one for a while, well they last quite well well you just carve about and don't put them under a bus. Sometime around '97 I obviously hankered for another as I bought one. This time from Brixton Cycles that backs onto the skatepark behind Brixton Academy. At the time longboarding was starting to come into fashion a bit more but rather than the super flexy decks that are really popular companies were still manufacturing these 80's style, no flex longboards with tails and noses on them. Ideal, especially when said deck had a picture of Bruce Lee on the bottom and it was even longer than the other two at 38.5". The deck in question was a Numbchuck Afroman, I got all retro nostalgic and stuck it on a set of Independent trucks with some Speed Demon soft wheels and Powell Reds. That one hasn't changed a bit although my child is not alowed to toch it anymore.
So that's that, I'll probably still get another if I'm feeling flush because I'm a bit daft really. Hope a couple of you are old skaters and enjoyed that anyway. (sing the next line) Meeemories, misty water coloured...memories.
*edit* Please join in if you have anything like this sat in a garage or shed or if you, like me, still ride the damn things.
) new,old and home grown,I never gave up skating I just built bigger boards.........
