Old Fart would like some advice please !

[Shoestring]

[gavmck]

Engerland!

I've skated a LOT of the south coast of england. 150 miles to be exact haha! Where you at? We reside in the thanet area, but hang out with the southampton crews as well.

Come on over to Lush Longboards • Index page lots of UK skaters there.

Anyways to your board...

A kuni will certainly do the job, but you may grow out of it quickly? If you are happy to upgrade parts as needed then the Lush stuff is solid and won't do you wrong. Otherwise people often reccommend the Mako, bit of a step up in price, but lovely components.

Definitely rule out the salt rock and stateside type stuff, absolutely horrible.

Bushings are one of the biggest things that can change your ride and luckily one of the cheapest! So once you got whatever, get a big bag of nice bushings like sabre or venom and have a play around.

[Dewey]

boards of 50 pounds are a bit cheap. don't know if they are thrustworthy.
but if you are only planning to cruise on the seaside a lot of boards will do for you.
just think if you would be comfortable on the board.
the lush kuni would indeed satisfy your needs i think.
a kahuna bigstick however does seem a waist of money to me. if you know how to push with your feet, maybe learn how to pump a bit you will be good.



(it's so funny that i, being 16 years old, am giving advice to a dude nearly as old as my dad)

[slingboard00]

don't know if they are thrustworthy.

Funny type-o.

http://media.photobucket.com/image/a...ce_ventura.gif

[Looptail]

Cheap boards = good;
Very cheap crap = bad.
Kuahuna Big stick = not my thing, so I won't comment.
But I'd be MUCH more inclined to spend the money on a better board and make a DIY stick if you want to try it.

The Lush boards are fine for the money. It's difficult to recommend something comparable (based on price), as there isn't huge availability of other stuff in that price range in the U.K. However, importing from one of the shops that advertise on here is usually very simple (I went with Stoked this summer and David was great to deal with; Shipping took less than 48 hours, L.A. to Germany).

Welcome to the Fish!

[edit]
Separate components are usually better quality than unbranded stuff fitted to cheaper completes. But, for a first board, and as you don't really know your preferences, it's difficult to recommend stuff.

Re. reverse kingpin style trucks. I hardly ride them any more.
(except for a rear Randal on a pumping board).
I've reverted to the classic Bennett/ Tracker/ Indy combos. I find they feel better for general cruising, carve tighter (well, the Bennetts, anyway). If you live somewhere flat, you don't really need the extra stability that a reverse-kingpin truck can offer. And for general cruising, I don't liek the way they turn.

Again, it's all preference. Can you try before you buy?

Also, try these guys. The website is a bit confusing, but they have more stock than most U.K. shops.

http://www.apollo11shop.co.uk/

[Kameli]

[Shoestring]

Jumped in and bought a Lush Makonga and a Big Stick ! Been out and I think its going to become seriously addictive (and possibly expensive).
Anybody suggest places to cruise around Bournmouth ? I think I will have a go along the seafront on Monday.
Thanks for the replys,Chris.

[brassir]

you beat me to it and bought one, as was going to reccomend lush makonga, right blend of size and camber to get started on. one tip is it responds very well to holey trucks as give it a really nice positive "connected" carve, and also play around with some wedges as again can really increase the feel of the board. enjoy

[Oslodunc]

If you're thinking of riding up and down Bournemouth sea front alot, i would do regular maintenance on your bearings.
I remember it being quite fine sand down there.

Anyway, Enjoy!

[botofusup]

Jumped in and bought a Lush Makonga and a Big Stick ! Been out and I think its going to become seriously addictive (and possibly expensive).
Anybody suggest places to cruise around Bournmouth ? I think I will have a go along the seafront on Monday.
Thanks for the replys,Chris.

Welcome to the old farts club. I'm 41 and have been at this almost 2 years, member of the Fish for almost a year. Addictive, yes, yes, oh yes! But it is a blast. I think I am up to around 6-7 boards at the moment, constantly moving parts around and I have a couple sets of extra wheels for different styles and conditions. In all reality it's not that expensive compared to cars, motorcyles and women. And once you have your gear there are no tickets, passes, fees, memberships etc... you can just grab your stuff and skate. BTW, the guy who got me into this is 46, so you are not alone.

[Hilmark]

you beat me to it and bought one, as was going to reccomend lush makonga, right blend of size and camber to get started on. one tip is it responds very well to holey trucks as give it a really nice positive "connected" carve, and also play around with some wedges as again can really increase the feel of the board. enjoy

Nice board.

I've tried several boards for land paddling, and so far my favorite is the Rayne Demonseed with Randal 180's, Abec 11 Gunballs (76mm, 78a duro) and Bones Swiss bearings. This board is a double drop with a width of 10 inches and a wheelbase of 34.5 inches. It is very low and very stable, and carves extremely well. It does not have a lot of flex which I feel robs you of some forward momentum when land paddling. The ride is super smooth and the width gives you plenty of foot movement. Also, the mass of the board keeps road vibration low making it a very comfortable ride for long distances.

Running a close second is the Kahuna Creations Duke. This is a long (57') board and also 10 inches wide. Beautiful board, little flex, carves well and is excellent for land paddling. If you buy one or another Big Stick, use the code "KAHUNAKARL" when checking out and you'll get a 10% discount.

The Kracked Skulls Scimitar is another good board for land paddling, but as I mentioned earlier, the flex tends to rob some of the power from the paddle stroke. The Scimitar carves well and is another wide board which gives you plenty of foot room.

For the record, I'm 50 and have been skateboarding since my youth (pre urethane wheels).

[Brendonia12]

+1 for the Scimitar. Krackedskulls makes awsome budget boards.

And I'm all for reverse kingpin trucks. I'm running randalls with sabre barrell bottom/cone top. Even though my board is dropped through, it's still VERY carvy. If you run soft bushings and loosen your trucks up, it will turn hard no matter what it is.

[GrassDiver]

I am 43, I don't feel old. I crash em up, repair, and repeat. F... getting old, I will skate until they pry this board from cold dead fingers.

[Dewey]

I am 43, I don't feel old. I crash em up, repair, and repeat. F... getting old, I will skate until they pry this board from cold dead fingers.

that's the spirit!

[Hilmark]

I am 43, I don't feel old. I crash em up, repair, and repeat. F... getting old, I will skate until they pry this board from cold dead fingers.

I agree, GrassDiver. I'll keep longboarding until I can't. It does take longer to heal when you're over 40.

[gavmck]

Bournemouth eh? check out the bournemouth YDNA crew...