Do you know those “House Hunter” TV shows? My parents are really into them, and I just never understood them. What is so interesting about seeing all these houses you’re never going to buy? They’re all millions of dollars anyway, no one in my family could afford half of one of these homes. But, I recently had an epiphany. They’re not looking to buy a new house, they just want to see options, learn about different things they could do in their own home, and perhaps gawk at the price.
I came to this conclusion, because I realized I have my own version of House Hunters, building boards on Muirskate.com.
Configuration!
I love me a good configurator. Will I ever buy a Porsche? Unless I win a very large lottery, no, I will not. Maybe a used Boxster one day, those look fun, but a brand new Porsche 911 GT2 RS? No. So what am I doing customizing one every few months? I don’t know, it’s fun, and I love to imagine what it would be like to track that brilliant car.
But enough about that, this isn’t a car blog. Muirskate has a customizer on their site as well. Each board has suggested components and others you can add on. It’s fun to play around with it. Go to Muirskate, ask yourself, “What would my optimal Downhill/Freeride/Dancer/Cruiser/etc look like?” Then, build it out using their configurator.
Although, at the end, you remember you already have too many skateboards in your quiver, you’re unemployed, and why weren’t you using this time for your job hunt? Oh, perhaps that’s just me. Still, eventually, you realize you can’t buy a new board right now anyway, but it was a fun waste of a few minutes, right?
That being said, tell me this Landyachtz Evo doesn’t look like it would be a blast. Right?
When You’re Ready to Buy: Go Local
Okay, I would be remiss if I didn’t say this. Muirskate, Skate Warehouse, Stoked Ride Shop, and even Zumiez are all sources to buy skateboards and skating products from. But online businesses are killing small local shops. Often, a community of skaters is built around a local shop. That does differentiate Muirskate from the rest of them. They run events and are active in the longboarding community.
My go-to local shop, Unkle Funky’s in NYC, is a fantastic place to talk to people about skating, new setups, and get advice. I actually got to test their Reds Big Balls as soon as they came in, to let them know how they compare to Bones Reds (about the same, that is to say, fantastic. Time will tell about durability). Local shops are wonderful places to learn, find community, and find the perfect board or gear.
But maybe you don’t have a local shop near you. Maybe you’re afraid of being a “poser” because you don’t skate yet. Maybe you have crippling social anxiety. Beyond not having one near you, I can promise you that you’re not a poser. Everyone starts from nothing and “Sucking at something is the first step to being kinda good at something.” I bet the biggest pros have a story about pushing mongo the first time they hopped on a skateboard or falling flat on their faces. Don’t worry, the skate community is actually beginner friendly, despite our image. Teaching someone to ride and enjoy this sport is a wonderful feeling.
But, if you don’t have a local shop, the closest thing I’ve found are the excellent reviews, comments, and editorials on Muirskate.com (and Reddit’s r/longboarding community, of course). Definitely give them a look.
Disclaimer: Muirskate doesn’t even know who I am. I just like their website and have ordered parts from them before. Absolutely no sponsorship here, just sharing a resource I love to help you get out there and start skating.
