Welcome to Quick Quiver!
When I was first getting into skating, I found a ton of different tutorials online. Everything from how to push to how to ollie, kick flip, slide, and do other tricks. But there just wasn’t as much for longboarders. Choosing your first board—or even your eighth board—is tricky. I’m the kind of person who wants to read three reviews before I buy anything. But that’s just not possible with skateboards.
Sure, you can go to your local shop, but often all you can do is stand on the board to feel its flex. Maybe once you’re more of a regular at a shop they’ll trust you to go down the block and back, but that can’t really tell you what it’s like to skate on it for a week. How will that complete will feel with different wheels or trucks? Will that deck you’re looking at work well with the Caguamas you have at home? Can you set this up with traditional kingpin trucks?
I decided there has to be a resource for this. Something that can help a beginner get started or an enthusiast pick their next board. Somewhere I can write my experiences down and help someone else make their decision.
Me? I’m no pro. I got into skating primarily because it looked like a fun way to reduce the length of my commute. But, as I did it, I realized I stumbled (and fell, and slid, and tumbled) into a new passion. I started coming into the office covered in bumps, scrapes, bruises, and, eventually, a cast! I had found something I really liked doing. I had also amassed quite a few decks in my quiver along the way. People often asked me why I had so many boards, or what each one was for. I explained each one often, but my friends often didn’t get it. Why are my freeride wheels not necessarily for downhill? Why do I need multiple commuter boards? Why do I have so many decks of the same make?
So, rather than explain everything, I figured I’d write it all down. I’m limited by my own experience and my own quiver, but both will grow, and I look forward to helping you grow too.
Skating is often something that is passed along friends. You learned how to do an ollie from your friend showing you how to slide your foot up the board. She learned it from an online tutorial. Maybe you taught her how to do a stand up heelside slide. But, if you’re like me, you didn’t get into skating until you were older. For me, it was a matter of casting aside expectations of women and “adults,” deciding instead to get into skating in my late 20’s (after a failed attempt in my early teens). Could I go to my coworker down the row of desks to see what he thought of the Pantheon Ember, or the Loaded Poke? Nope. Even online, you’ll be hard pressed to find reviews of boards, going off descriptions or perhaps a short YouTube video where someone says they like it a whole lot. You’ll find a bunch of pros raving about a fun deck, only to find out it’s really tough to learn on.
So, with my broken wrist, I couldn’t get out and skate as much as I wanted to. Actually, if I listened to my doctor, I shouldn’t be skating at all! I decided to compromise, and only skate a little. But I miss skating everyday, rain or shine. So, rather than skate every day, I decided I’d finally start creating the resources I had wanted when loading up my quiver. Maybe it’ll fill in the gap as I wait for my bones to fill back in. I hope it helps you too.
Thanks for swinging by, and get skating!