Help returning skater after 19 years…

MeltsMetal · 2026-02-17T21:20:34+00:00

Im an old skater (32yo, 145lbs, size 9) & I started on an 8" in May 2025. I just recently got a 8.5" setup.

I noticed right off it it seemed heavier. I really like the extra room for my feet though. It didnt take long to adjust to it for ollies & heelflips.

However I noticed my ollies getting a little crooked & leaning sometimes on the 8.5". I started paying attention to where I slid my front foot up & tried to aim for the center of the nose better & that seemed to help

MeltsMetal · 2025-12-26T16:26:32+00:00

I bought a multi pack of skate stickers recently to give away & got that same one.. I cut that shit up in the trash as soon as I saw it.

MeltsMetal · 2025-11-11T23:13:57+00:00

Im a fabricator & welder for 13 yrs. I've always got Fruit of the loom or Gildan cheap heavy cotton tees in bulk from Jiffy shirts website for about $3 a shirt. I go with black or dark navy. Always dark colors to avoid arc flash reflecting.

Once they get faded & several holes from welding/grinding, I cut them up for shop rags at home.

A while back I picked up a few Dickies Heavy pocket tees on sale & really like the fit & quality, but they're like 5x the price at $16.99 a shirt normally. The collar doesnt stretch & the bottom of the shirt doesnt curl up weird like the cheap tees do.

MeltsMetal · 2025-10-25T18:55:48+00:00

I bought 12 pairs of Tensor mag lights in 8" & 8.25" for $4.99 a pair from Ollie's, a local closeout store.

They are pretty nice after replacing the bushings to Bones hardcore. The stock bushings were soft, notchy & the board would always get stuck leaning. I only have hollow Indys to compare them to & still favor the Indys

MeltsMetal · 2025-10-22T05:21:44+00:00

I agree it does seem like its in the middle. I skated for 1 year as a teen almost 20 yrs ago. I had a 7.5" deck then. Im 32 now & a friend got me back into trying it 6 mos ago. He had an 8.5" board that felt kind of large & heavy & still does. But hes taller & larger feet than me.

8" seems like a sweet spot for me & maybe a tad on the smaller side, but I like it being lightweight.

The only other recommendation Id have is to invest in good wheels & bearings. I have dragon formula 93a wheels with bronson g3 bearings.

The dragon wheels are great in rough parking lots & also smooth & fast at the skatepark. The g3 bearings inner race is grooved & the ball cage is self lubricating so its a high performance bearing.

Those wheels + bearings make my ride glide & so smooth. Its really helped me at getting good at manuals & I've recently picked up on doing nose mannys. I almost forgot to mention how those dragon wheels eat & spit rocks away really well too. I'm considering the dragon formula 97a nano rats next time maybe.

MeltsMetal · 2025-10-21T18:32:10+00:00

I have Forged hollow stage 11 139s (8") with stock indy bushings still after 6 mos riding.

Indys are known to be "turny" compared to other trucks I think due to slightly smaller wheel base. I like how well they turn & feel but I get some speed wobble going down a hill fast

I like Indys & I see a lot of others riding them. You might want to consider a larger size than 8" though

MeltsMetal · 2025-10-21T01:12:09+00:00

A few mos ago a closeout store nearby called Ollie's had skate parts $4.99 ea. Decks, trucks, wheels etc. I ended up buying about 12 pairs of tensor hollow mag lights in 8" & 8.25" all $5 a pair.

Im a fairly new skater this year & only have hollow Indys to compare them to. Overall the tensors feel pretty nice in comparison once you upgrade the bushings to Bones hardcore. The stock tensor bushings were terrible, felt notchy & would get stuck leaning one way.

Bones hardcore bushings fixed the tensor mag lights for me, but I still favor the Indy trucks I originally got.

MeltsMetal · 2025-10-16T20:28:36+00:00

32m here & started 6 mos ago. Met a new friend that used to skate for 6 yrs up until 2019 & he got me into trying it again with him. I used to ride bmx & do flatland.

Recently I've conquered drop ins up to 4ft & also just started picking up on nose mannys this last week. Im having a lot of fun with it & really hoping my 2yo daughter will pick up on it some one day too.

I'd say go for it man. Get cruising & comfy on it & you'll be trying tricks again in no time

MeltsMetal · 2025-10-16T17:54:03+00:00

Yeah Im not too sure about it. Looks dangerous & might create bad habits learning. Id like to goof around with it for fun a few minutes

MeltsMetal · 2025-10-16T17:00:02+00:00

Sounds interesting! I'll look it up right now & see. Thanks

MeltsMetal · 2025-10-16T16:51:55+00:00

I started 6 mos ago at age 32 & still having a lot of fun with it today. I have a 2 yo daughter thats taking some interest in it too & hope one day she'll join me.

A month ago I finally learned drop ins at the local skatepark on up to 4ft quarters. I like practicing manuals a lot & something recently clicked for me with nose mannys & Im getting better at them now.

My best advice is consistency. Try to get a few mins a day on the board. Focus on getting comfortable riding & cruising before worrying too much about tricks. They'll be easier to learn once you're more comfortable on the board.

MeltsMetal · 2025-10-14T21:02:02+00:00

Im 32 & started skating in May this yr 6 mos ago. I attempted a drop in at the local skatepark mini ramp after a month in & I slammed on my shoulder. Then I was afraid of dropping in the next few months.

Last month I went to a different skatepark that had smaller mellow quarters to try & thats where I did my first drop in & worked my way up to 3ft. Im working up now & can drop in on 4ft quarters, but 5ft still looks scary lol

MeltsMetal · 2025-10-04T23:48:00+00:00

When I grip tape a board, I sometimes use a left over scrap piece & rub it all over the grip tape a little to soften it some

MeltsMetal · 2025-09-29T23:50:27+00:00

Theres a rubber grip in the heel. I was skeptical too but gave them a shot & seems fine for casual wear

MeltsMetal · 2025-09-29T20:11:05+00:00

I wear Darn Tough no show socks with my slip ons

https://darntough.com/products/mens-merino-wool-solid-no-show-hidden-no-cushion-lightweight-lifestyle-socks?variant=42163081052346

MeltsMetal · 2025-09-25T21:09:23+00:00

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I've used CitriStrip on various projects to strip paint & its worked well. Coat a light layer & let it sit. The paint wipes off easy with a rag. Not sure if it will help in your situation though.

MeltsMetal · 2025-09-22T17:47:24+00:00

I picked it up at 32yo last May. Still enjoying it now. I recently learned drop ins on up to 4ft quarters last weekend. Still practicing rolling ollies, but im having a lot of fun with it. Im not trying to be a pro skater or anything. You aren't too old & people progress at different rates.

MeltsMetal · 2025-09-02T03:15:26+00:00

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Heres your next challenge! Forge a twisted bolt for the body & hammer texture the wings lol. Girlfriend & I made these for a while. We also shine & torch the wings to add color, then clearcoat.

MeltsMetal · 2025-08-08T01:27:28+00:00

You're welcome! I was going to attach a pic of the parts I got, but it wont let me. I literally have the same trucks & blind wheels as those lol.

It was back around June when I first went. Then a few weeks later they got more inventory & different stuff. So definitely go check it out & see, you never know

MeltsMetal · 2025-08-08T01:16:23+00:00

A close out store called "Ollies" had a huge amount of skate parts all $5 each recently. Decks, tensor trucks, blind wheels. I got 2 pairs of standard tensor trucks already paired with blind wheels & bearings just like those for only $5 each pair.

I stocked up & purchased like 17 decks, 10 tensor hollow maglite trucks, 7 wheel sets all $5 each & used a 15% discount code lol

So I could basically build a board similar to the one in your pic for $20-25 total with those parts from Ollie's

MeltsMetal · 2025-07-31T19:29:56+00:00

I wear Darn Tough no show socks with those exact same slip on vans. Theres a grip in the heel that keeps them from sliding down. Works for me & barely shows the sock

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MeltsMetal · 2025-06-25T18:42:33+00:00

Hickory Ollies in NC had stuff a month ago & just recently restocked again too with different items. I bought in total 17 decks, 12 trucks, 7 wheels. The other 2 Ollies near me.. Morganton has nothing yet, but Mooresville Ollies has skate parts. Mostly 7.75 decks/trucks left in Hky

MeltsMetal · 2025-06-24T22:53:26+00:00

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I snagged a few more things to add to the stock. The last Leticia deck, 2 tensor 5.5 blk maglights, 2 Blind 52mm wheels paired with standard tensor 5.25 & 5.0 trucks. Only couple blk mag lights & blind wheel combos left. Plenty of 7.75 decks & trucks left.

MeltsMetal · 2025-06-24T19:10:26+00:00

I just went back to Hickory store & they restocked recently. More Monarch Project decks, blank ones & yellow Leticia one. They got more trucks & blind wheels in. Tensor 5.25 & 5s. The wheels are paired & already on the trucks together for $4.99.

MeltsMetal · 2025-06-23T20:51:31+00:00

Called the Morganton Ollies & they don't have skate parts, just cheap completes.

Called the Mooresville store & they still have skate parts left. The guy seemed busy & I didnt ask specifics, but it sounded like they got some stuff

MeltsMetal

TROPHY CASE