Skate Dad

One thing that is really hard to do when you are starting to skate after a long break is taking it slow. Once you decide to start skating again you start remembering all the stuff you used to be able to do and you remember how fun it was. Your mind thinks you are 18 years old again and ripping it up. Here are 5 tips, in no particular order, to help you ease back into skating without killing yourself.

1. Take it slow. After a multi-year layoff you are not going to jump back on your board and rip it up day one. Your body has forgotten all the things that you used to do. Remember how you could do a smith grind on anything anywhere at anytime? Not anymore, at least not right away. Sure try it day one but don't do anything you are not feeling good about, the time to push yourself is not now, wait a while until you get your skate legs back.

2. Helmets and pads are your friends. Even if you didn't wear them before you should wear them now. Maybe not street skating but on any transition and especially on concrete. There are lots of really fun parks around but the concrete is really hard and your knees are really soft. Face it all you got going in your advanced age is your brain and you don't want that leaking out of your skull. Remember all those tricks you forgot? One of them was how to fall properly.

3. Get new gear. That Steve Caballero Powell deck with Gullwing trucks you rode back in 1989 ain't going to cut it anymore. Take the trucks off, hang the deck on the wall in the garage to remind you of the good ole days and go out and get some new stuff. Make it exciting and get a new school shaped deck, good news they make some wide ones these days.

4. Find some skate buddies. Ones that are your age if you can, if not maybe some kids that are just learning. If you try to ride with the rippers right away you are probably going to get frustrated and/or just stare at them on awe. One great site to find old time rippers is Old Man Army.

5. Watch some skate videos. New stuff or old stuff it doesn't really matter it will help you get and stay stoked. The things kids are doing today are mindblowing and are inspirational as long as you keep things in perspective, like you are not going to do a switch kickflip back lip down a 10 stair rail. I get stoked just knowing someone can do that. Better yet get Fuel TV and watch stuff like the Vans' Bowl-A-Rama contest and watch old guys like Chris Miller and Steve Caballero still rip it up.

Bonus tip!! - You need to stretch! Yeah you do, you are old and stiff from sitting in an office on your ass for 8 hours a day. Pulled muscles and sore ligaments can really slow you down. Stretching is a great way to avoid some of those little nagging injuries. Just do it!

I hope those help you get out and keep skating!