Old-School Skateboards

Back in the summer of '87, I was 5, and all my older cousins who I idolized started skateboarding, so naturally, I became interested in it. They were all riding the typical boards of the day, including Powell Peraltas, Vision, Santa Cruz, etc. After hurting myself bad by introducing my face to a stucco wall at their house while on one of their boards, I didn't get back on a board until much later when I was 11. I skated for a while after that, but I gave it up sometime in college.

Fast forward to this week. I was thinking about a way to get around in the pits at the Challenge this year, and space is limited so a bike is out of the question. But a skateboard.... that would be perfect. I went on a search at my parents place and found a bag I stashed away sometime in the mid-90's full of old-school goodness. In there were a bunch of wheels (Toxic Acid Rains, Speed Wheel Bullet 66's, and 90's era stuff), some crappy Variflex trucks (barely better than nothing LOL) and all sorts of hardware. I then grabbed my beat to hell 1987 Powell Peralta Caballero Dragon deck that I have had in my garage for wall art, and I created a "Rat Board" cruiser for the pits. I hope I don't break my neck.

I will get some pics up later tonight.

Also, does anyone know if Energy Suspension end link bushings interchange with skateboard truck parts?

Being, "ahem", older, you might want to look into a longboard instead. Much more stable and slow for pit cruising.

BTW, hopefully you didn't have to re-drill the board for the trucks. I know you said it's beat up, but even beat up boards that old are still worth some money. Maybe that and the wheels and you could buy a new longboard for what you'd get for them.

-Rob

Man, I remember riding a Peralta on 66's.... good times. Cant wait to see it.

I thought you were going to talk about clay wheels. Old school, you know. Not them new-fangled urethane wheels.

I had a Hot Foot, back in the day....

It was LIGHT YEARS ahead of the metal wheel board that it replaced.

Brings back memories of my Powell Peralta Lance Mountain board with lime green/black tiger striped grip tape. Don't remember what wheels, but I do remember the Independent trucks.

BDT, you must be about the same age as me, Margie and Tim. I had metal wheels on my first. It was terrible. Clay wheels on the next board that I built myself in wood shop class. Then I upgraded to a fiberglass board I bought at a surf shop somewhere out near the beach in the LA area with good trucks and urethane wheels. That one got me through to high school when I eventually acquired 4 real wheels.

This board is BEAT. There are chunks missing from it. It is still reusable though. It has sentimental value anyway so its going nowhere. But yeah, I found that I am a lot taller (and heavier) than I used to be!

And, you don't bounce near as well as you used to.

This thread seems to call for the need to draw attention to the documentary
Dogtown and The Z Boys

Sure, maybe you have seen the movie version, "The Lords of Dogtown" but the documentary is sooo much better.

Video Description: A gang of Venice skateboarders ignited an underground phenomenon that helped shape the attitude and culture of modern-day extreme sports.
Movie Description: Narrated by Sean Penn and directed by skateboarding legend Stacy Peralta, this award-winning documentary tells the story of a gang of discarded kids who revolutionized skateboarding with an aggressive style, awe-inspiring moves and street smarts, and in the process transformed youth culture forever. Featuring historic old-school skating footage, exclusive interviews and a blistering rock soundtrack, the film captures the meteoric rise of the Zephyr skateboarding team from Venice's Dogtown, a tough "locals only" beach with a legacy of outlaw surfing. With rare appearances by skateboarding icons Tony Alva, Jay Adams and Tony Hawk, Dogtown And Z-Boys is a thrilling all-access tour of the birth of a pop culture phenomenon.
Genres: Sports, Documentary
Cast: Tony Alva, Tony Hawk, Jay Adams, Stacy Peralta
Director: Stacy Peralta
Writers: Stacy Peralta, Craig Stecyk
Producers: Jay Wilson, Agi Orsi

Unfortunately, Jay Adams passed away just last month.

BITD i had a Schmitt Stix Allen Midgett (sp?), and some kind of double-kick freestyle board. I still have some nameless (because the graphics were sanded off) vert board on Indy trucks and i can't remember what kind of wheels are on it. it works great for moving my generator around in the garage, LOL.

I started on a Sidewalk Surfer with metal wheels:

Skipped clay wheels and moved up to a generic plastic swallowtail board with approximately the same board size and track width, but urethane wheels. After that, my father made me a board out of 3/16" aluminum. It was beautiful - the griptape was machine-inlaid in strips, it was engine-turned, nice wide front, and a kicktail with a custom delrin skidplate. My name was machined into the bottom of it. My only miscues in laying out the board - it was still the day of teardrop-shaped single-kick boards, and the tail was a bit too narrow. If it had been a year later, I would have made it symmetrical, and had him bend a kick at both ends. That had Bahne trucks and Cadillac Da Kine wheels, which eventually got replaced with Road Rider IVs. The switch to sealed bearings was life-changing. I still have that board. I gave myself a concussion on it and had to wear my motorcycle helmet after that.

Then, for my birthday, I got a park board. 27" Alva Skates, with Tracker Mids (no clearance for wides) and Kryptonics Green 70mms. The skatepark closed within a year and the giant, hard Kryps were useless, so I put the Road Riders on it.

Again, I was just a year too early. A year later and that Alva board would have been 8-9 inches wide, instead of 6. After I put the RRs on it, I rode it as a commuter board in college for a while. I may have made the mistake of giving that one away. Eventually I ended up with a generic 10x32 single-kick board from Madrid, that I did a custom airbrush paint job on and added side rails to. I still have that one, too. I ride it occasionally, or use it to move heavy furniture around the house. Basically, just like this except about 6 inches shorter.

I grew up in the 80's too. I had a Vision Mark Gonzales with Independent trucks and white Proton wheels ... My aunt threw it away, along with my brother's Santa Cruz Jeff Grosso. I was pissed when I went looking for them and could not find them.

This is what mine looked like:

My brother's:

Off to Ebay to look for some skateboards

Slippery wrote: Off to Ebay to look for some skateboards

You'll be amazed / appalled at some of the prices they fetch.

So let's see this aluminum deck already.

If you actually want to ride the things, they make re-issues now of a lot of the classic decks. They are anywhere from $40-90 depending on where you look. They also make re-issued old-school wheels too.

This place got my attention:

http://www.sk8supply.com/index.html

Off to Youtube to look for old Nickelodeon SK8 TV episodes....

In reply to mndsm:

As soon as I can find it and take pics, sure. I think it still has the Kryps on it, which are entirely wrong.

Duke wrote: In reply to mndsm: As soon as I can find it and take pics, sure. I think it still has the Kryps on it, which are entirely wrong.

Eh, whatevs. I love custom jobs. I had a custom deck back in the 80s. Whale tail, custom delrin brake plate, matching grind rails, custom lathe turned wheels. We were broke and my dad was a machinist. That board went missing after he died and I went offroading.

SilverFleet wrote: If you actually want to ride the things, they make re-issues now of a lot of the classic decks. They are anywhere from $40-90 depending on where you look. They also make re-issued old-school wheels too. This place got my attention: http://www.sk8supply.com/index.html Off to Youtube to look for old Nickelodeon SK8 TV episodes....

I've got pics of an old school alien workshop I spotted at.zumiez looking for a half deck for my.kiddo.

As a kid in the 80s, I always wanted a Powell & Peralta or Bones Brigade skateboard, but could never afford one.

25 years later, I realized one day, "Wait a minute, I'm an adult. $70 isn't a lot of money anymore." It was a real "Eureka" kind of moment.

And that's why I have this Powell & Peralta Rob Caballero deck.

I've got one like the HotFoot, must have 100,000 miles on it by now.

I never set a foot on it. Moved about two dozen refrigerators, my wife's hugeass potted plant every spring & fall, wheeled engines and transmissions around the garage, thing is priceless.

Pics!

Pile of stuff:

Santa Cruz Speed Wheels Bullet 66's:

Toxic Acid Rain 59's (I think), I put these on the board because they already had bearings installed:

Assembled:

I don't have pics of the top, but it has the most disgusting clear grip tape. The tail has a chunk missing, too. Whatever... it's together and I'm gonna ride it!

SilverFleet wrote: Pics! Pile of stuff: Santa Cruz Speed Wheels Bullet 66's: Toxic Acid Rain 59's (I think), I put these on the board because they already had bearings installed: Assembled: I don't have pics of the top, but it has the most disgusting clear grip tape. The tail has a chunk missing, too. Whatever... it's together and I'm gonna ride it!

I had those same wheels, Tony. The deck I remember most was one that had an elephant on it, but I forget the skater, or the brand. I loved that board!!! If I could find another I would buy it for my sons in a heartbeat. I'm too old and fat to skateboard now, and I wasn't very good as a youth, but I had a lot of fun on them.

Side note: See that "Hardcorps" sticker? That was my local surf/skate/snowboard shop. The guys there were awesome. They were also into cars... AWESOME cars. A quick list of what I remember they had:

-Multiple Buick Regal T-Types and Grand Nationals

-Alfa Romeo GTV6

-S12 (?) Nissan 200SX Turbo

-a beautiful RUNNING Maserati Biturbo!!!!

-the first Turbo Honda I ever saw: a 1993 kermit green Del Sol

-Custom chopped 70's Chevy Stepside with exhaust exit in the bed flares

-weird custom 1988 Chevy long bed pickup extend cab with a chopped nose, it only had one row of headlights (so effing weird...)

And more. They were the coolest, but sold the shop to someone who turned it into a hot dog stand. They introduced me to weird fast import cars, powdercoating, and all sorts of other stuff. Miss those guys.