30 years ago I was not a newby.. but now I have some questio

[Andrea Bonetti]

I started skating when I was between 10 and 12 years old, roughly 30 years ago.
There was nothing more than slalom and "free-style" (space walk.. remember it?).
I still have my board in plexiglass, bought in Bilbao (spain) in late 80's.
I remember I had plastic boards, aluminum boards, fiberglass boards, wooden boards (same material of the ski).
For "pumping", the flexible boards were not the best. At the end I reached the conclusion that a rigid board is better.
Now I have this fiberglass (flexible) board, that I think will get broken one day, and I would like to keep it for my son...
So, to make it short: rigid or flexible? I am looking for a new board as you understand easily...

Another general question: THE POSITION. While it looks more elegant the 45 degrees position (parallel feet, at 45 deg), it seems that -at the end- parallel feet at 90 degrees to the board is more efficient. Any idea / comment?

// Andrea

[Joe Iacovelli]

Andrea,

Lots of racing around here, so you may get a different perspective on a longboard or cruising site, but here is one opinion.

Both flexible and stiff boards have their benefits. In racing I think tight and Hybrid respond best to the stiffer boards, in GS a little flex (not a noodle) helps snap you around big offsets.

In just pumping around for fun, I think a stiff board pumps up to speed faster, but a board with some flex will pump along easier once you get them up to speed.

As far as your feet go, in pumping you can put your feet wherever you want, in slalom that 45 degrees is more important for not knocking down cones or crashing hard when you slide on a toe side turn.

Joe

[Eric Brammer]

Yup, what Joe said...

Moonwalks! Yeah, very cool to do going uphill. Still have my Hobie Parkrider, which I learned those on.

Now, thank the Good Lord (and a few veteran skaters!), we've got re-issue stuff that brings some of the best 70's gear right back under our feet. No re-learning curve needed, just hop on, Shoot-The-Duck, nose-wheelie, throw down a Cess slide, cruise around, and enjoy the stoke of some nice graceful turns (or grinds, if terrain allows). I'm SO freaking stoked that Bennetts, Trackers,Fibreflexes, Tunnels, Logans, and Gyros are back! Never thought I'd see that kind of stuff NEW again, ever.

Stiff Vs. flexy, um, for Racing, go stiff-ish. For carving around, have a little flex in there, just to make pumping more fun, and to also allow for deceleration, too. Bowl riding, hey ride whatever, let the youngin's figure it out after you blow by 'em. ;-p

Pick your stance for how you ride, and change it up on a whim. Watch the Video 'Downhill Motion', take note of Greg Weaver or Steve Cathey. Their footwork was great then, and still stylish today. Damn hard to copy IMHO.
I showed that vid (an original copy) to Abe Teter some 16 years ago, and a few years later, when step-in 'clicker' type bindings arrived on the snowboard scene, I saw Abe toodling along the beginner slope hangin' 5, with the board's tail up about 2 feet, he backpedalled, hopped up in the air, put his feet back in the binding plates, carved away. Too Cool! I think E-Tree (Englesman) got that as a photo-sequence later that season in one of the mags.

So, relax, go skate the way you used to, but don't stop learning new moves. Ride retro gear only if it suits your style. There's lots of new designs that blend various elements of old+new in them, probably the best time Ever to be a Skater (excepting, maybe, '74 to '82), the possibilities are endless. Oh, and welcome back!!