---
title: Skateboarding for Heavier People with a Midlife Crisis
date: 2020-09-07T18:13:00+01:00
author: John Henry Donovan
canonical_url: "https://johnhenry.ie/blog/2020/09/skateboarding-for-heavier-people-with-a-midlife-crisis"
section: Blog
---
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# Skateboarding For Heavier People With A Midlife Crisis

Posted on 07th September, 2020

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**.

![Image of three items: a blue skateboard deck with a red and yellow "Santa Cruz" logo, a black grip tape with red trucks visible from the bottom, and a red circular "Santa Cruz" logo with yellow text. All items are on a white background.](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACAAAAAQCAIAAAD4YuoOAAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAACBklEQVQ4jZVU246dQAzzJfz/9xZm4j5k2O12K7UNoyMEwj5x7DAJvtUGdnrv3d3djQQAQZKSLM0vv3/5reqPTwOkkySduQFARGSABgg06H+g+ANBA7333mvt3aeJACEoUqTltqwd2xKl/yBoYK31rLeGI42EAMHRp2xLnvoQTAJ/7+kLQZJBf6ZeljOGZDoY9LKrqvzJQlskh4YEwC8E3Wvvwb6f577vD5a9d7qRCLBk6Rr0qqtcVXbZ1tDMORys+efIK/ta63me+37u+8d93/e9nrXX6t6HgCx721dVX5W6+qqqq+vlsKlplSAKvZGk07v75dhrPc967ue5p4kne6NDxFJLqUpvdKMz6p0DIKBDZZqoeXH8ONZMujvdmRTsPdzoCGGyE5MtttStbqWVHoQOiSYQCMiZAc8hQYBviSdaIiIgBCTKr9BHCpHjH57xDh5GIgoMISaTUGvb5eqaBBASezfTBCyVdJWvmfFVrktVrnKdAcyocSSSAJAtQIkTJxUc54te/tVFY9Oyr3IdK1WVNUZ6OxsZXhcBoFyaNVBAAIiUbO+9e++coB2blvRpz8+0mW8OOIkjvwTNVTkijvRyVffuzptkTGonaLatuY73KfFVf+bwhYCA7QCZCUvq3d15dxFJn4U62B+7lW+y/raLBMj2y8jmu03zua4pHfQD/h33o34CPpeU219TkrcAAAAASUVORK5CYII=)

## 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**.

![The image shows two yellow skateboard wheels with a design featuring palm trees and the word "orangatang." Next to them is a box labeled "Bones Reds Precision Skate Bearings," with four bearings displayed in front of the box.](data:image/png;base64,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)

## 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)

![A collection of skateboard hardware including a metal truck, two rectangular riser pads with a circular pattern, four black and yellow bushings, eight nuts, eight screws, and two washers arranged on a white background.](data:image/png;base64,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)

Anybody else taken up skateboarding at a late age? Difficulty finding a board to suit your weight? Would love to hear from you below.

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