It Was All About the Nose

It was never about a dual wheelbase. At least not in 1989 or so. The nose of the board was starting to become just as important as the tail with the evolution of the nollie and the advance of nose tricks such as nose slides and stalls. I am eyeballing another custom, one with a 5 to 5.5 inch nose, 15 inch wheelbase, and an overall length of 31.75 to 32 inches.

The Disposable Skateboard Bible

Back in 2010, my friend Bear sent me a copy of this book as a college graduation gift. It was the most thoughtful gift he could have given me. Bear knew me way back in the 1990s, the first time I was in college. He was a music major and I was an English major, but I took a lot of photography classes in the arts building so I was able to meet some cool folks like Bear.
I still grab this one from self at least once a week if not twice, poring over the pages of boards from years gone by. When I set out to have a custom deck designed, it was Disposable that the biggest source of inspiration, even more than the internet.

The Future of the Skateboard Blog

The skateboard blog. Is it dead or alive? In my opinion it is, for the most part, alive and well. It has, like skateboarding itself, rolled with the punches, dealt with the changes, and kept right on trucking.

Oh the punches. What can beat up a skateboard blog? Primarily, I would say low readership, which can be attributed to a handful of various factors such as bad writing, uninteresting or irrelevant content, and competition from other blogs or websites.

To say that social media has changed since I started this page nine years ago would be an understatement. When I launched this blog, the laptop computer was still the tech device of choice. Now, we no longer have to tote a big ol' laptop anywhere! The advance of handheld devices and smart phones brought along applications like Instagram which is blooming with skateboard clips and photos from skaters and brands using the photo based app as means of promotion via social media. And I'm still here, banging on the keyboard of a six year old HP desktop, bring you all of what I find relevant to my microcosm of the skateboarding universe.

And, like a lot of my favorites, I'm still here. I have to admit that there are times when it is difficult to come up with content, but there is ALWAYS something going on in the world of skateboarding. With all of the old guard still here and new blogs popping up, I believe the skateboard blog is here to stay whether we want it or not. To those of you who do, and those of you who take the time to stop by and look at what I have posted, I thank you. Here's to more skateboarding in 2016 and beyond.

Ace Your Face

I have primarily ridden Independent Trucks for the last 10 years. I say "primarily" because I have also ridden a couple of sets of Tracker Trucks here and there on different setups but I have always gravitated back to Indy. I am currently riding a well broken-in set of Stage XI 169s and I have to say that I really like the way they grind, and that the new lower kingpin design has been a long time coming.

So, if it's not broke, then why fix it? Well, I have to say that I am really curious about these ACE Trucks. I want to know how they turn, and how they grind compared to the trucks I have been riding. I have never faked a front of brand loyalty to a truck company. Growing up I rode Gullwing , Tracker, G&S (I HEART chromoly trucks), Venture, and even Thunder well before I even owned a set of Independents. I didn't start riding Indys until we met Sal Barbier right at the time he switched from Tracker! So I can't claim any brand loyalty, no "Indy for Life" tattoos or anything like that here. And with all of the truck testing that has been going on over at Luchaskate, I feel the need to try something new!

I figure I will swap out the stock bushings for something a little more firm. Trust me, my trucks are loose, but me and 90a stock bushings do not mix well. I'm more of a 93a - 95a body type, so if any of you reading this have a good suggestion for a replacement, then please let me know in the comment section. The final tipping point to my decision is that the Ace 66 runs just a little more wide than the Independent 169, checking in at 9.5 inches from axle tip to axle tip, a full 1/2 inch more than the 169. And I am riding a 10.2 custom Fickle, so I've got wiggle room! Stay tuned for pics and more in the upcoming weeks as the truck transition continues.

Saturday Session Selfie

Met up with Mr. Risk late this morning to lay down some slappies. After towel mopping the curb dry we rode for a good hour with slappy after slappy. Mr. Risk even pulled a NBD at the spot today, dragging a feeble grind the length of the curb and yanking it back in at the last second!