Skateboarding for Heavier People with a Midlife Crisis
Am I having a midlife crisis? Maybe. Am I very nostalgic? Definitely. Am I parted with my money easily? It’s a given. I recently bought my daughter a skateboard and became smitten with the idea of myself skateboarding again.
I used to do a bit of skateboarding when I was younger but was never really that great at it. Now I'm a 45-year-old, 250lb man with considerably bigger feet and less agility so an off the rack board wasn't going to be an option. I set out to see what kind of setup I'd need. I did the usual pillage of YouTube videos on the subject and some research on other related blog posts. The following is what I came up for myself. I also invested in a pair of wristguards for the money makers.
Deck and Griptape
I went with a blue Santa Cruz Classic Dot Skateboard Deck because the design here appealed to me and Santa Cruz have been around for an age. I decided on an 8.25" deck with some black Jessup Original 9" Griptape.
Wheel Setup
From my research on heavier people skateboarding, I heard a bigger diameter wheel faires better in the long run. I went with Orangatang Centerset Skiff 62mm Longboard Wheels combined with Bones Reds Bearings 8-Pack.
Trucks
Technically I don't know a lot about trucks themselves but went with the Tensor Aluminium Skateboard Truck Set. I needed some 1/2" Risers to deal with the extra-large wheels so they wouldn't bite on the board and some Bones Hardcore Bushings (91A). These are all tied together with Independent Phillips Bolts (1.5" to deal with risers)
Anybody else taken up skateboarding at a late age? Difficulty finding a board to suit your weight? Would love to hear from you below.