ANYONE ELSE EVER SKATE?

[Shadetree Mechanic]

My cousin gave me his old board when I was about 6 years old. It had a blue shark painted on the deck and metal wheels. It is still in my parents garage somewhere. I was going to take a picture of it but I can't get to the corner where I think it is. LOL I think the first time I saw a wide deck board was in the early 80s and it sure looked strange. Then Tony Hawk was getting big and some kids down the street made a quarter pipe and we had fun trying to learn how to drop in. I had a mini bike around the same time. It had a 5 horse Tecumseh motor and spoked wheels. Then I got a 1970 Yahama AT125 and I rode it around like I did my minibike. Just like trail riding, putting around the yard. Then one day I got on it and hit the power band. It carried the front wheel and the grass in the yard was never the same after that. LOL

 

[StrangeBrew]

.... we would all just break up and head down one-way streets the wrong way. ....

Try that in Brooklyn now and you'll be someones hood ornament.

I was always to clumsy for stuff like skating, started buying bikes a bit later in life.

 

[Sonar]

Try that in Brooklyn now and you'll be someones hood ornament.

I was always to clumsy for stuff like skating, started buying bikes a bit later in life.

Believe it or not there are lots of kids that still rip up the neighborhood. Most of them are the Sons of my friends or sons of other people who grew up in the same neighborhood riding the same types of dirt bikes. The very few who decided not to sell out to Chinese people live in the same houses they either grew up in or were born at. Most of my friends sold their homes and moved to Staten Island, and some to New Jersey. Not far from the neighborhood. Right Righ Right over the Outerbridge Crossing. Which is about 15 to 20 minutes away from the old neighborhood. The kids on Staten Staten are more Reckless than the kids in Brooklyn, and that's saying a lot. Weather in Bensonhurst or Staten Island the kids who ride often ride as Reckless as one could. Whether it's a quad or a dirt bike there still out there getting chased by the cops as they laugh and think there's no way 5 0 is going to catch me on this machine. Those kids like we did have the advantage. It's difficult for a cop car to catch anyone on a motorcycle even the smallest cc engine dirt bikes and Trail bikes are very maneuverable. They're just too fast and the kids that ride them in all honesty are actually very good Riders as most of them have been riding since they were 7 years old (some even younger.) They usually start out with a small 5 horsepower mini bike that their fathers bought at a garage sale or flea market. Lots of those kids have excellent skills. It's unfortunate there's not many places to ride the machine the way it was meant to be ridden. Life in the Concrete Jungle. thanks for sharing your story.

 

[Tallman]

In elementry school I had some roller blades. I figured out how to go really fast but had trouble with the stopping part. Before I figured it out I outgrew the skates. Later I got a 1971 or 72 Honda Trail 70 and my priorities changed. I can't remember how many times that little bike kicked my ass.

A cousin of mine had one of those Honda Trail scooters with the handle bars that folded down for carrying in motor homes or campers.
That little bike RAT TRAPPED my ass one day and broke my sternum. Still have a big knot on my chest where the handle bar hit. Deceptive little bikes. You would never expect it to pull the front wheel up on the second to third gear transition. That gear shift clutch combo bit quite a few people.

 

[Sonar]

My cousin gave me his old board when I was about 6 years old. It had a blue shark painted on the deck and metal wheels. It is still in my parents garage somewhere. I was going to take a picture of it but I can't get to the corner where I think it is. LOL I think the first time I saw a wide deck board was in the early 80s and it sure looked strange. Then Tony Hawk was getting big and some kids down the street made a quarter pipe and we had fun trying to learn how to drop in. I had a mini bike around the same time. It had a 5 horse Tecumseh motor and spoked wheels. Then I got a 1970 Yahama AT125 and I rode it around like I did my minibike. Just like trail riding, putting around the yard. Then one day I got on it and hit the power band. It carried the front wheel and the grass in the yard was never the same after that. LOL

If you ever dig up that bored please share the photo with me. You can send it to my phone or post it here. I will save it and share it on my most favorite Facebook page. Old school skateboarding. there's plenty of photos of old decks homemade and company produced a like. Everything from the first plastic banana Decks to the first Dogtown and Z Flex boards. You probably wouldn't believe how many people collect vintage decks, and pay big bucks for them. Companies like Dogtown and z-flex often produce a certain amount of retro throwback decks every few years. There are people that don't even skate yet collect skateboard decks. Even some of those early homemade boards are worth money. My first board was a solid wooden deck with clay Wheels. I got it for my birthday when I was eight or nine. It was a Hang Ten. My grandfather bought it for me and @ the local sporting good store. I rode it for that summer, but quickly lost interest, and didn't gain an interest again until I was about 12. I didn't start skating vertical ramps until I was 14. We just skated throughout the whole borough of Brooklyn. Looking at the photographs in skateboarder magazine of those California kids skating in pools and dreaming of being able to do that one day. Our dreams came true. First on a piece of plywood propped up against the side of a brick wall building. Then getting serious about building quarter pipes, and eventually building 1 that probably had about 3 in of vertical. But it definitely did the job. I pulled off my first front side aerial on that very ramp. We skated night and day. We lived for skateboarding. I digress. But in all honesty those were probably the greatest days of my life.

 

[Sonar]

A cousin of mine had one Honda Trail scooters with the handle bars that folded down for carrying in motor homes or campers.
That little bike RAT TRAPPED my ass one day and broke my sternum. Still have a big knot on my chest where the handle bar hit. Deceptive little bikes. You would never expect it to pull the front wheel up on the second to third gear transition. That gear shift clutch combo bit quite a few people.

I know exactly which bike you're talking about. That dent in your chest is a character mark. And a lifetime memory of the day you decided to take that little bike for a big ride. Thanks for sharing the story.

 

[Sonar]

lol. Another picture from the first and only concrete skateboard park in New York during the late 70s. That Park had more kinks then Lola. But it was heavan to us.

 

[Tallman]

I know exactly which bike you're talking about. That dent in your chest is a character mark. And a lifetime memory of the day you decided to take that little bike for a big ride. Thanks for sharing the story.

Then I must be a real character with all of the marks I have. I like to share stories of things that have happened to me.

 

[Sonar]

Then I must be a real character with all of the marks I have. I like to share stories of things that have happened to me.

I know all about character marks. And being a character for that matter. It's nice to talk about the good old days. (Those were the days after all.)

 

[Tallman]

I just realized I'm an old codger talking about the good old days!

Maybe we need a section just for the "OLD GUYS"? Call it the "Cracker Bowl?"

 

[Sonar]

I just realized I'm an old codger talking about the good old days!

Maybe we need a section just for the "OLD GUYS"? Call it the "Cracker Bowl?"

I think that's an excellent idea. There's nothing wrong with reminiscing. After all we did grow up in a simpler time. At least it seemed that way compared to what's going on in the world now.

 

[Tallman]

I think that's an excellent idea. There's nothing wrong with reminiscing. After all we did grow up in a simpler time. At least it seemed that way compared to what's going on in the world now.

Back then a person word was their bond and you could actually have friends you could trust with your life. All of my old friends have passed on or moved to points unknown.

 

[Sonar]

Back then a person word was their bond and you could actually have friends you could trust with your life. All of my old friends have passed on or moved to points unknown.

That's unfortunate. I've lost many friends throughout the years, but am lucky enough to still have most of them around. And most living within 70 miles. PS lost my best friend to colon cancer less than a year ago after he battled for six years. I don't think a week went by that we didn't spendsl time together with a bunch of other friends that have been together since the age of 3. I come from a very tight-knit neighborhood. Most people think that New York is a place where no one knows each other. On the contrary my neighborhood although being the fourth largest city in America at one time was about as small as the smallest towns in America (in the way we lived.). Everybody knew everyone. It was like one big family. And although it has changed somewhat the Old Crew is still around and hanging tough. Where between 53 and 60 years old now. We always find time to get a little crazy. Thats me on the left and my buddy danny (rip.)
Bensonhurst was and for the most part still is the epicenter for NYC's mustache Pete's, and big cigars. If you know what I mean? One either became a cop or a gangster. It is what it is.

 

[Sonar]

Does anybody remember the Fifteen Toes skate board? A solid rigid plank of 3/4" plywood with metal roller skate board wheels?

I sent you a photo over to my friend Alfredo at Old School skateboarding. The knowledge he has gleaned from running his Facebook page old school skateboarding has given him an extreme knowledge about the worth of just about every skateboard deck ever made.

Look familiar? Depending on its Condition it's worth between 100 and $350. Of course ones have sold for much more being New Old Stock but he's only heard of a few. Looks like you've got Yourself quite a little gem there Tallman. 73

 

[Tallman]

We literally ran the wheels off of the board by "Street Skiing." Mine was the red painted one too.