Hello everyone! My name is Bryan. I’m 43 years old and I just bought a skateboard! I guess since I’m not really a car guy that this would be my mid-life crisis. My family thinks I’m crazy, but it’s something I really have always wanted to do. Sure, I had a skateboard when I was 15 and I screwed around on it in my parent’s garage, but I never really took it outside or learned how to properly skate with my friends in my neighborhood. Thank goodness for the internet.
I was on YouTube one day watching a few skateboarders just do some freestyle runs (like I normally do on a weekly basis), and I finally decided that it was time to actually buy a board. My current hobby of collecting sports cards and occasionally blogging about it hasn’t really been fun (well the blogging part is, but the collecting part sucks). The enjoyment just isn’t there for me like it used to be. So, at 8:41PM on Friday August 8th, I pulled the trigger on a beginner board. It’s a Positiv Andy MacDonald board with Positiv brand trucks, Positiv wheels and Mini Logo bearings. It also came with a Tony Hawk helmet. I have to protect this brain of mine. It finally arrived on Tuesday August 12th, and I love it. Although, the trucks are a bit tight, so, I’m going to have to loosen them just a bit. Here is what this thing looks like:
For a cheap board it feels pretty decent and well-built I’m not going to complain about $42 shipped. I also ordered a pair of Emerica skate shoes. I had a pair of Emerica’s back in high school. They were the Ed Templeton’s and boy I wish I still had them. People sell them used for a few hundred dollars!
So, before I set out on this venture, I decided to surf the World Wide Web for a little bit of info, guidance or well, courage…yes, that might be the word. The night before my board arrived in the mail, I stumbled upon some videos from Braille Skateboarding featuring a skater who is also in his 40’s named Aaron Kyro. The first video I found was this one that teaches you the basics. This is what I will be sticking to the first few weeks I think. Nothing crazy, no real tricks, just skating:
How was my first day?
Well, before I went out for the first time, I used a skate tool, seen in the picture below (it's like teal-ish).
The skate tool was needed because the trucks on the board I bought were way too tight. I wanted to be able to maneuver the board, so I loosened them up just a little bit. After that was done, I laced up my skate shoes and also adjusted the strap on my helmet and it fit perfect, and with that, I was ready to roll. Oh wait! I totally forgot, my knee and elbow pads never came in. I had ordered some on the internet because the sporting goods store near me was selling them for $59.99 in my size. I found the exact same pair online for $14.83 shipped. Did this stop me from taking advantage of a 92-degree day? NO! I got right out there and got my kids their bikes and my wife put on her walking shoes, and we hit the basketball court at our playground across the street. At first, I just put my right foot on the board and just pushed with my left foot (I ride goofy foot) and didn't get on the board. I got a feel for the whole process again. Once I went around the court a few times, I got on the board and rode it for about 8-10 feet before getting off. This process continued quite a bit before I mustered the courage to go a little bit faster, move my feet a little on the board and tried some turns. One man was walking in our neighborhood and gave me a thumbs up and said, "Nice job young man!" I said, "Thank you, it's been a while since I have been on one of these...." and boom. I fell. I tucked my arm, but my elbow and shoulder took the pain. I got up right away and saw some road rash on my elbow and made sure my wrist was ok and everything else was ok and I brushed myself off. My kids were so worried about me, but honestly, I felt good that I fell and got that first one over with. I had successfully fallen without major injury (would have been nice to have had the elbow pads though). After that, I gained a bit more confidence in myself, and I rode all over that court. A few times, I went the entire length, turned the board and kicked and pushed myself all the way back and did it again. My kids and wife were cheering me on, and I felt great! To be honest, I didn't want to go back inside, but my youngest needed a bath and I'm always on duty like Inspector Gadget.
Wounds from Day 1:
Nothing a Psyduck Band-Aid and some Neosporin won't fix.
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