Wise Words from Chris Pulman

 

"I’ve gotten so much from skating over the years. As an outlet for creativity, a way of creating opportunities unknown to most people outside of our little world, or just the pure joy at the absurdity of a practically bald primate riding on a wheeled plank.

All I ever wanted to do in skating was to contribute in some way. Not so much to leave a mark or have some kind of legacy but more to feel like part of the bigger picture of the progression of this thing. Now, I’ve probably overthought that set of circumstances too many times to count and definitely thought of more trick variations than I ever had the skill or patience to actualize.

The thing is (and it’s the very essence of skateboarding), we all contribute, just by doing it. It doesn’t matter what skill level you’re currently at as long as you’re smiling or feeling fulfilled. Whoever is the ‘best’ is subjective and therefore irrelevant outside of marketing meetings…

Often our favorite skaters are the ones we personally relate to or are inspired by, rather than the ones that are held on a universal pedestal.

Skateboarding is like life itself: there is no ‘proper’ way to do it. You can be technically able through some innate ability or practice. You can be creative by desire or chance. You can surrender your entire identity to it or just roll around once in a while, depending on the priorities you make for yourself. It’s completely open to interpretation.

I look at skateboarding these days and find it heartening that it’s become so diverse in approach and participation. From a point of past privilege, I’m glad I’ve been able to see this all with more continually educated eyes. It’s becoming open for us all to contribute in any way we wish; something I, and skateboarding in general, always thought it was. It genuinely feeling like it’s getting there…

Go get weird and keep on truckin’"

 

-Chris Pulman

(His original post with this text can be found here)

 

The Wisdom of 8-year-olds

What can •any• kid teach you? That fun is never measured by skill.

 

Session Report, 5/19/22

 Session Report, 5/19/22

    A friend, that I’ve been skating with since I was 16-years-old, is having a hip replacement next week. Tonight was our last session together for the foreseeable future. No one knows for sure when he will be rolling again. We went to a little DIY that he built. He is not skating too well at the moment (e.g. he really needs a new hip), so it was a pretty mellow night. I think we probably talked more than we skated, which is what I expected to happen. Normally, I hate sessions like that—when I am on my board, I want to skate, but I wanted to be supportive of him considering what is about to happen, so I didn’t mind it at all this time. He is a walking encyclopedia of skate knowledge, so we talked a lot about skate nerd stuff, which I do enjoy (just usually not when I am skating).  
 
    I was planning on doing a lot manuals tonight (they didn’t happen), which I am not all that good at—I wanted to practice them a bit. So, I set up an older deck I had, because I knew I’d be doing a lot of tail dragging, and I didn’t want to quickly ruin a new deck I had just set-up. Normally I skate with rails on my deck, but there was no need for them tonight (mostly doing manuals). So, I didn’t bother to put them back on the older deck (had them on it when I was riding it before). This was the first time I’ve skated without rails in about a year (e.g. when I had first re-discovered them). The DIY at the spot we were skating is a small ¼ pipe to parking block. When I was getting warmed-up on the DIY, I realized that I can no longer skate without rails. The lateral tilt that comes with a rail-less deck (e.g. because of the deck’s concave) was totally throwing me off with ANY trick where you ended up in a rock/disaster position. With rails, your board sits “flat” (e.g. STABLE) in these positions. Without rails, there is a lateral tilt (from the concave) where the board shifts side to side. This was really throwing me off. Moreover, boardslides were now totally inconsistent and shaky. I hated it. Unless I am setting up a board for flatland-only (which I would never do), I will never skate without rails again.
 
    And then there was my newest dumb injury. My friend mentioned that I used to be able to do good switch 360 flips a long time ago. He asked if I could still do them. I told him I’d not tried one in…15 years?? I tried a few on flat, and actually came a lot closer to landing them than I expected. I told him that I’d bet I could come real close, if I could try one off a curb or something. While there were tons of curbs around us, there was none that I could ride off of (all abutted grass). So, instead I set my board up in an axle stall position on a curb, and tried to switch 360 flip out of a stationary axle stall. First try, I came close. Second try, I landed bolts. Both he and I are bewildered at what had just happened. We talk for a bit, and then I try another one. My rear foot lands square on the tail. My forward foot lands with just my toes on the edge of the board, which immediately slip off. Due to the rear foot (and my weight) being on the tail, and no front foot on the deck, the front of the board instantly pops up…straight into the bottom of my knee cap. As my knee explodes in pain, I now knew the session was now over for me.
 
    This annoyed me. Greatly. But not for the reason you might think. I’ve been wearing pads a lot when I skate these days. If had worn my knee pads, this injury would not have happened. My board would have just glanced off the cap, and I would have kept skating like nothing had occurred. Instead, my session was over, I was limping, and even as I type this, I have a nice sized “egg” on my knee cap. I imagine I won’t be skating tomorrow because of it, either. And it was totally, 100% preventable. So, why wasn’t I wearing my pads tonight? I wanted to, but didn't. Why? The short answer: I was too self-conscious (e.g. awkward/kook/embarrassed) to do so around my friend. And that, that, is what bothers me the most about this situation. Even more than the lump on my knee. Even more than the fact that I had to stop skating tonight because of a dumb, preventable injury. Even more than the fact that I might not be able to skate tomorrow. Why did I get hurt tonight? Why did I have to stop skating? Why might I miss out on skating tomorrow? Because of my ego. My fucking ego. How fucking lame is that? And it’s not like he hasn’t seen Instagram clips of me skating in pads before. And not like he doesn’t know I now have some “pre-existing conditions” from my ankle/leg break. And not like he doesn’t know I am 48-fucking-years old, and am trying to skate for as long as I can. And it’s not like we are in high school anymore. And it’s not like I am one to normally give into these kind of obtuse social fears…but there it is.
 
    I supported my friend tonight before he goes into major surgery, with an unknown outcome to his skate career. I am happy I did that.
 
    I did a switch stance 360 flip tonight, which has not happened in a very, very, very long time. I am happy about that, too.
 
    I also got physically injured tonight, because I was fearful of abstract existential injury caused by using something designed to prevent injury (man, the levels of irony in that one). I am not happy about that.
 
    I hope that next time I skate with him, that he has a much stronger, healthier hip. And that I have much stronger, healthier sense of self.   

Random Updates on Saturday Afternoon

I’ve been posting a lot of reviews on this blog. While I admit they can be helpful to people, it was not something I ever intended to do with this blog. The intention was to keep more towards the daily life-existential-philosophical implications and aspects of skateboarding. It seems I have drifted somewhat from that. I suppose that is as much an existential reality as any.

In any event, here are some random updates from life in mid November 2021.

(1)    My friend Joe got shoot (photos) of Tony Hawk, Bucky, Staab, Rene, and other big hitters in Texas last night. That is so awesome. Here is a pic he took of Hawk and Staab.

 

(2)    Staab has always been off in his own world. I am glad to see that has not changed with time. That is an inspiration as much as his skating is.

(3)    I am out on injury, again. Happens a lot these days (hi, old age). This time it’s a pulled muscle in my lower back. I did it on November 9th. I landed an (early grab) b/s air on a mini ramp, and when I landed, my back was like, “Ok. You’re done.” A similar thing happened (other side) when landing an Indy nosepick off a bench earlier this year. It appears that a “hard” landing, while bent over, is something that causes this. I wasn’t really warmed up on either of these two days. Now that it happened a second time, I’m starting to learn/see the patterns. The take away is to, (a) make sure I am really warmed up before going too hard, (b) stretch more in daily life, and (c) maybe add some strength training? It’s starting to feel a bit better. I hope top be back on the board in another week or so.

(4)    I’ve been on this weird trip recently—I need to write more about this, actually—at first I thought it was a nostalgia thing (maybe it is??), but now I seem to be viewing more as an experiment in personal archeology. What does that mean? I means I am toying around with what I experience in the present when I do, visit, and rehash some of the things I did when I was much younger. I am not trying to relive anything from the past. Rather, I am curious about the present, and what happens when the experience of time and place fold back onto each other, if that makes any sense. Again, I need to write more about this.

(5)    My 1980s Instagram account now has almost 18K followers. That is insane. I never thought more than 50 people would be interested that feed. Much of what I was talking about in (4) above has been triggered by some photos from that feed. Again, I need to write more about it elsewhere.

(6)    Fall is here. My favorite time of year to skate. It’s been really warm so far (well, climate change and all that), so it hasn’t really felt like a typical “cool” fall. Winter will be here soon enough, so I shouldn’t complain.
 

The Big Four: Ace vs. Indy vs. Thunder vs. Venture

 I recently revisited the four major trucks brands. 

 

Ace. 

Indy.

Thunder.

Venture.

Below is a ultra stripped-down product review/comparison of each. But don't take my opinion as dogma. Try them and find out what works best for you.

Ace 44 AF1 (8.25")

 

"Squirrel Tanks." These are heavier than standard Indys. I could not get passed this. I constantly noticed it. The stock bushing are mush. Combine that with Ace's shorter wheelbase, and these things ride like "squirrel tanks." Due to non-standard sizing of Ace bushing, there is no easy swap-out for aftermarket bushings.* Some fawn over how Ace trucks looks. I am not one of them. I think they look like something you'd get on a Wal-Mart board. Oh, the sound. How could I forget that? Something about these trucks (the pre-oiled pivot cups??) made my board sound like it was just pulled out of a swamp--a horrific water-logged, deaden, thud. I can't deal with that. Oh, they are really expensive, too. And I'm not even going to touch on the fiasco with with their sizing catastrophe. Different is one thing. Dumb is another. Lot of the latter going on over there. All this said, Ace trucks do turn really well, and have a nice surfy feeling. I can see why people like them. I, however, am not one of them. I should also note that since they have the shortest wheelbase of the group, they have the "worst" pinch (e.g. krooked grinds).

 

Heavy.

Squirrel turn.

Ugly.

Sound like Swamp Monster.

Over-priced.

A lesser pinch.

 

*Ace now makes a "hard" aftermarket bushing if you want your trucks a bit tigher....but they still ride quite loose. 

 

Thunder 148 Team Hollows (8.25")

I didn't totally hate these. Wait. Yes, I did (but not as much as Ace). They are tad lower than my Indys, and have almost the exact same wheelbase. The turn, however, is very different. It's a much stiffer turn (at first), but then goes kind of quick at the end, and then snaps back to level. Even with softer bushing my trucks felt "tight." I found myself doing lots of tick-tacks. No fun. I tried a few different bushings types and hardnesses in these. Nothing felt really good. They had a decent grind. The slightly lower truck height made my pop feel a little more...flat. These might be better suited for a deck with steep kicks, but I am not about to switch out trucks based on the deck I am riding. The real deal-breaker on these is the baseplate issue. Even if you were to assume that I could make these turn/pop like my Indys, I'll never get passed the Thunder baseplate problem. Yeah, you can nose/tail slide on Thunders. That said, there is less room for margin of error and/or you need a lot more wax, and it becomes a lot more like a power slide (e.g. wheels rubbing) than a nose/tail slide. Hard pass for me. Thunders, however, have some of the best pinch on the market.

 

Souless turn.

Wonky pop.

Absurd baseplate.

Killer pinch. 

 

Venture Hollows 5.6 (8.25")

 

The lightest of the bunch (but only by a tad). Oddly, I liked these more than Thunders, despite Ventures also having the longest (by far) wheelbase of the group. I put stock 90a Indy bushing in these, and they felt...meh. Certainly not a super-quick turn, but a turn that felt decent. Venture are notorious for a stiff "turn." Weird grind. Metal seems harder than any of the others. Ace, Thunder, and Indy all have a round metal encasing around the axle. Venture does not. Theirs is more of a "straight wall" of hanger. I feel like the rounded axle encasing of the others helps with grinds, whereas the "wall" of Ventures has a tendency to catch more (esp. on chunky ledges/curbs). Best kingpin clearance of the bunch for Feeble/Smith grinds. I also think these trucks look a little...weird, almost 1960s SciFi-ish (which is normally a great look). And again, weird baseplate issues. There are two problems with Venture baseplates. First, is the outermost hardware mounting holes are so far under the hanger (or the hanger is so far out over the baseplate) that it makes its really difficult to get a skate tool on the mounting hardware bolts. This is just absurd. Second, is the exact opposite problem of Thunders; Venture baseplates stick quite far out*--more so than any other truck on the market. Thus, the extended baseplate gives you a smaller effective nose/tail (e.g. less space to balance on). I mean, we are talking small amounts here, but it's enough that (a) I can notice it, and (b) it occupies space/causes mental doubt in my head about nose/tail slides. Last, Ventures with their long wheelbase also have great pinch.

 

Weird grinds.

Meh turn.

Meh-er looks.

Baseplate calamities.

Good pinch.

 

*NOTE: The forged Venture baseplates are the ones that stick out kind of far. The cast/regular baseplates are about the same size as Ace/Indy (e.g. normal). Also, the forged plate Ventures have a longer wheel base (.25" longer) than the cast plate Ventures. There is also a height difference between the two. I think forged was around 52mm and cast was around 54/55mm. 

 

Indy Titanium (or any forged Indy) 144 (8.25")

 

I saved the best for last. No baseplate issues. Not too heavy, not too light (these are actually a few grams lighter than the Thunder Team Hollows). Smooth consistent turn (with lots of aftermarket bushings to get exact turn feel you want--super loose, to super tight). Mid-sized wheelbase. Mid-sized height. Every truck listed above has some kind of "problem" with it (weight, turn, grind, baseplate, appearance, etc.). Indy has none of those, at least for me. Everything else always gets compared to Indys, for a reason. A friend said it best, "If you are trying to get your trucks to ride like Indys, then just ride Indys." Pinch is better than Ace, but not as good as Thunder/Venture.

 

Note: Forged Indys are 53.5mm tall. Standard Indys are 55mm tall. Standards are too tall for me, and get a little ghost-pop at times. The forged ones are a great mid-level height, on par with most other trucks. The mid-Indys (mIndys) are 52mm tall, but those things have a host of other problems I'm not getting into here.        

 

 

   

Ankle Update, Feb 2021

This below clip is a little outtake from last night's session. The angle iron was a tad sticky. Didn’t go fast enough/lean back far enough to compensate. Front end dipped down. I stepped-off onto the bad ankle...and down I go.

Almost two years after the initial broken bone, after two surgeries, after almost a year back on the board, and after significant recovery, my front ankle STILL betrays me on occasions...and sometimes even on very simple/low impact things such as this little 5-0 grind. I never know when it’s going to happen. 

Fortunately, this doesn’t occur nearly as often as before, and when it does, my ankle doesn’t hurt nearly as bad. Things like this used to be a session-ender. Now I just get up and keep going. That’s awesome. The pads continue to be a real life-saver when it does happen, because I usually go down straight to my knee (sound on to hear the plastic scrape). I don’t foresee loosing those anytime in the near future—it’s just not a game of Russian roulette I want to play with my kneecaps, because eventually I will loose in a serious way. It's just not worth it. 

 

The other major improvement is that I can now control my falls much better than before—I don’t go down nearly as hard. That’s also great news. So, despite occasional floundering, my ankle doing pretty good. 

Keep pushing...I certainly am. 

Diminish, Fade, and Wither: The Inspiring Delcline of Tony Hawk

I am an old, broken, skateboarder. My balance is not what it once was. I don’t react as fast as I used to. I don’t heal as quickly as before. Every year skateboarding becomes harder. Every year I become more susceptible to injury. I like my pads a hell of a lot more than I used to. These are hard facts of biology, time, age, and life.

Recently Tony Hawk posted about his recent struggles doing a 720. A trick he invented long ago. He said he could not spin them as fast anymore. He said previous attempts ended badly and did not inspire confidence. He said they were much harder now. He battled it for awhile, pulled one, and said he may never do it again. Albeit vastly different scales, these battles are ones many of us already know quite well. I certainly do. They are also battles EVERY skateboarder WILL know, provided they stick with it long enough. There is no escape.

It’s not often someone in skateboarding, especially someone at Hawk’s level, openly talks about (and shows) the impact of aging. It’s almost unimaginable to hear TONY HAWK talk about battles with CONFIDENCE. Hearing and seeing his own battles with declining skill and ability certainly make our own battles with the same that much more universal and...humanizing.

Much respect for making that 720, Tony. But even more respect for the honest vulnerability. Every session is a gift. It won’t last forever...and even Tony Hawk knows that.

We diminish. We fade. We wither. And that, at least to me, is a gift. The impermanence of it all is what makes it so special. It’s what makes it so hard to take anything for granted, and what reveals how profound the simple really is (and I’m not talking about just skateboarding here). As I knowingly roll into my own twilight, I do so with a gratitude brighter than a thousand Suns.

Hawk, battling to land a 720, one last time.