Getting Started - IT HURTS!!!!

#1

Hello Lads

Thought Id better introduce myself. I started skating about a month ago because my 9 year old son is obsessed…and yep I SUCK (but I am a girl)!!!
I was going to head down to Coburg tonight to meet you all , but I thought it best that I stay home and practice, as the acrobatic skills of my skateboard are far more developed than my own. I was seriously concerned that some innocent bystander may get injured by the freespirited little board.
I did have a win today though…I landed my first ollie…I was thrilled to see the wheels FLY…and I mean FLY about 2 centimetres into the air (:smiley: Im told its not the height that matters in the initial stages, but the technique.) Anyway, the board didnt scoot out from under me and I didnt end up with another bruise on top of another on my very tender tail!!!

Hope to meet up with you all soon…however as much constructive advice as possible would be appreciated…some destructive slagging probably wouldnt go astray either!!!
Cheers!!!

#2

Hey Leah, welcome. I went tonight but could’nt skate coz I had my 3 yr old son with me (THAT’S MY EXCUSE!) I suck too, but dont let it stop you from goin, they’re a great bunch of guys and super supportive.

#3

Thanks for that…Im looking forward to getting over to Coburg, wont be there next week but should be there the week after. In the meantime, my deck seems to fly heaps faster than my sons. i have abec 7 bearings and he tells me that they are way too fast for me…what should I be using?

#4

abec is BS leah. bearings make some difference but only if you compare cheap crap with top of the range. cheap crap start out OK but don’t last and they won’t be as fast as a high qual bearing anytime.

i run bones reds coz they’re cheapish but plan to try a set of rockin rons soon.

don’t change your bearings, get some softer wheels if you carrying too much speed. i hadn’t been skating for an age and some of these new school skinny 99+ duro wheels are faster than anything from back in the day - you just get used to them…

oh, g’day by the way :laughing:

#5

Leah,
Don’t slow down your set up, if it fly’s get use to it and enjoy it, makes life heaps easier if your bearing/wheels are naturally giving you that speed, i’m still look’n for the holly grail of bearing and wheel set up, got rockets heading my way hopefully next week. 8)

Keep having a crack at it, carve, grind, slash, very good, have a drink :laughing:

#6

Thanks Jimmy!!!

Im a bit braver now and have discovered that speed is really really really good. Had my first go in the bowl the other night…WOOOOOHHHOOOOOO!!! Ive loosened the wheels off and am going like a rocket and loving every second of it!!! I still fall off heaps…but hey it seems to hurt less when the adrenallin is pumping harder!!! I think it’s time to invest in a bulldog!!!

#7

Leah, you are exactly where I ws about 2 years ago. ie a complete beginner and I have tried all sorts of wheels soft, hard, big, small, whatever.

Speed is good, you need it to carve around the bowl and keep your momentum up. ABEC is just an engineering tolerance which bearing manufacturers use but doesnt really effect speed much. I have tried all sorts of wheels and choosing a large diameter 63mm wheel which was reasonably but not too hard (92D) was what got me going. Soft wheels slowed me down too much. Now I have gone to really hard wheels 99D.
(D = durometer=hardness rating for wheels). Braden’s BDS wheels are really well priced and come in a variety of durometers.

Cheers,

Carey.

#8

Thanks Carey…Im looking at a complete new setup… the whole deck just doesent feel right for the skating I want to do. It was really good to get down to chelts and see what everyone is riding and get some great tips to boot!!! I’ve lost interest in the “pen flicking” tricks and just love the idea of carving up the bowl. It was a great confidence boost also to have everyone there saying “yeah, you’ll be right, have a go”. Cant wait to hook up with everyone again, and hopefully have a go on a few different decks!!! It was such a rush flying into the bowl, now Ive just got to work out how to get around it!!! I know, I have to work on the pump and the kick turns but I’ll get it soon enough!!!