Itll be awesome, hed say.
Kid, Im eight thousand years old, Id reply.
Ill break a hip.
He reached the bottom of the hill in one piece, and called out, Did you see that?
I did it, Dad!
and it hit me like a truck: Soon hes going to skate away from me.
One day at the park, I was watching him decide whether to skate down the big hill.
or to let him risk a fall.
Before long, he pushed off, and as he gathered speed, he went from fearful to confident.
He looked like a skater.
He reached the bottom of the hill in one piece, and called out, Did you see that?
I did it, Dad!
and it hit me like a truck: Soon hes going to skate away from me.
In a few years hes not going to care whether I saw that or not.
Hes not going to ask me to skate with him or read him stories.
I was going to skate with my kid as long as he wanted me to.
Maybe theyd say, Youre way too lame to ride anything but a Rascal, Daddy-o!
Which Skateboard is Right For You?
Longboards are the ultimate, old guy/gal skateboard choice.
you could even pick up aland paddleand get an upper body workout without ever having to push at all.
A great choice if youre new to skating.
For that, you want the lighter street-style board.
According to Val Surf employee Hanson, the best advice is go with what you know.
Get what youre used to riding, Hanson said.
If someone was skating in the 1980s, say, we can set up a board exactly like that.
Its only missing the Siouxsie and the Banshees sticker.
confirm your kid wears solid, certified pads, too, especially at the skate park.
This is not the place to skimp.
Skateboarding is dangerous, but pads can prevent a ton of potential injuries.
Maybe your kid will keep wearing a helmet as a teenager and youre not around.
I put my Hammerhead down on the parking lot and tentatively stepped on.
Id given up skating for cars and girls when I was 16.
But thats not how it went.
As soon as I pushed off, time went backwards.
All of my abilities were right there, as if Id never stopped riding.
The subtle combination of balance and power it takes to ride a skateboard clicked into place instinctually.
I was a skater.
Take it Easy, Pops and Moms
It didnt last long.
After maybe seven minutes of epiphany/euphoria, I stepped off my board, andeverythinghurt.
The bottoms of my feet.
Skateboarding is way more physically difficult for older people than kids.
Ice and ibuprofen are a must.
(As with beginning any new exercise routine, its a good idea to talk to your doctor.)
The ground is alsowayharder than it used to be.
So take it easy.
Old dogs can learn new tricks, but you gotta learn them carefully.
But its worth it.
But I know how quickly it will be over.
I dont when or how the separation will come, but I know its inevitable.
I dont care if I get hurt.
I dont care if I look silly.
Were gonna skate together as long and hard as we can.
