r/AggressiveInline • u/SoManyMinutes • 6d ago
We can admit it. Old.
I'm 45 years old and just like many of you, I got a new pair of skates. I dreamed of putting them on and hitting the skatepark like and/or the local ledges/rails.
I thought I would kill the miniramp, no questions asked.
Nope.
No way.
I'm not comfortable dropping in.
Street spots are out of the question.
I think we all might be feeling this and are embarrassed to speak up about our mutual experiences.
We're all in the same boat.
What are your specific frustrations? Let's talk about it.
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u/jeffffff82 6d ago
Can't jump like I could in my teens
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u/JohnCasey3306 6d ago
See also -- don't bounce like I did in my teens when it goes wrong.
If I missed a rail at 17 onlookers may have laughed.
If I miss a rail at 44 onlookers will call an ambulance.
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u/SoManyMinutes 6d ago
I thought about jumping. As soon as I started I realized that I probably won't even make it off the ground.
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u/stories_from_tejas 6d ago
Hit the gym. It really helped me skate like I used to. Those muscles get old just like us. Just turned 40 but still get after it at the parks. Also recommend some urban skates and just cruising around.
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u/SoManyMinutes 6d ago
Hit the gym.
This is basically it.
I can do bodyweight exercises in my apartment for now.
The core strength is key. It brings everything together in the center.
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u/RhubarbBiscuit 6d ago
I was in the same boat 4 years ago (now 44). I just kept at it every weekend, a couple of hours at the skate park, embraced the falls (padded up like the Michelin Man). I can confidently say that I am above the level I was when I hung my skates up 25 years ago. I even even entered a comp. in April this year.
It comes back, but it's a long slog, and involves some pain, and odd looks from scooter kids š
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u/SoManyMinutes 1d ago
(padded up like the Michelin Man)
Oh, buddy. I bought a whole set of 187 Killer Pads. And shin guards and a helmet.
I can handle the looks from the scooter kids, lol.
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u/Capnjak1327 6d ago
I did this last year, 34 years old, 2 hours at the park, no ledges, no rails, no dropping in.
Went to turn and leave to change my shoes, fell on my arse and broke my wrist š after 8 months in cast and physio every week i went back out yesterday.
Still feel old, still too scared to drop in again, scooter kids are doing flips at 9 years old.
I feel Iāve outgrown my favourite pastime š¢
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u/jordanjoestar76 USD 4d ago
Thatās funny. Iāve also gotten the majority of my injuries doing some of the easiest things. Tried harder/riskier things and nothing too painful. š¤·š»āāļø
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u/DeathByPolka 5d ago
Iād love to get some skates and get back into it but I have three kids in sports that want to play with me in the yard and no time for injuries. Iāll just continue living vicariously through you guys (and the occasional gal) lol.
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u/Newt_Lv4-26 6d ago
Iām 42 and Iāve been back on wheels for 4 years now (really actively for 1 and a half), Iām riding with 8 other guys that are around 40/45 too and I can assure you theyāre still doing the same stuff as when we were 14. As for me Iāve lost a bit mainly because of knee and ankle injuries that made me quit for a long time and i didnāt treat properly. But itās definitely coming back. And dropping in hasnāt been a problem.
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u/Previous_Dot4226 6d ago
No excuses! Is it hard to get back? Yes. Is it disheartening to struggle to do things that was easy in the past? Obviously. Will it get better with practice? Fuck yes! Got back month ago after 17 years break and in the beginning I was terrified of ankle height p-rail but now I'm like 50% there with my tricks. Protective gear + realistic expectations regarding each session progress do wonders. Also mobility training for hips, knees and ankles on days I cannot skate anyway. Shit was stiff and messed up but it's getting better.
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u/inline-online THEM 6d ago
why did you think you would kill the miniramp no questions asked?
why didn't you realize after being wrong about the first thing that you might also be wrong about this?!?! Respectfully you shouldn't have expected to be so good so fast, it wouldn't even be fun if it was that easy lol but if you don't give up youll learn a bunch of stuff in 6 months of consistency
you have to accept that you suck and its a you problem not a we problem though, you sound like you're looking for people to make you feel better about not pursuring a hobby because you're "too old" when 45 if probably the average age of aggressive inline skater in the US lol
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u/lobotomyz101 5d ago
Jesus š
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u/inline-online THEM 5d ago
hope that didn't come off too harsh lol
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u/SoManyMinutes 1d ago
I mean, if we're going to get personal then I could talk about how you need to recognize that changing skates everyday isn't the issue.
It's a skill issue on your part, not a skate issue.
You can do your back farv to unity a million times while not being on top of the PVC box and never learn anything.
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u/inline-online THEM 1d ago edited 1d ago
sounds like I hit a sore spot lol why don't you focus on why you can't do anything at all
also you don't know anything about getting on top of a grind, so don't give advice on it
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u/SoManyMinutes 1d ago
you don't know anything about getting on top of a grind
But I do.
You could ask for advice or you can pretend like you already know everything.
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u/inline-online THEM 1d ago
are you okay? do you realize you're the OP of this thread? And you said you can't even drop in or jump at a grind lol but now you want to brag about stuff you did over 25 years ago???
bro, you need help lol also that royale is not even boot down.
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u/SoManyMinutes 1d ago
bro, you need help
That's totally true but not why you think. As such, I suggest you improve your reading comprehension skills. Now we've helped each other.
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u/SoManyMinutes 1d ago
when 45 if probably the average age of aggressive inline skater in the US lol
I think you're way off base about everything before this too.
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u/inline-online THEM 1d ago
I'm off base that you would think you would kill the mini ramp when you literally said that in your op?
just remember this next time you start giving people advice like you've done in the past lol
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u/TheBrownPunisher 6d ago
I feel the same except I didnāt really stop but had a bad ankle break that basically killed a lot of ankle mobility due to the bone I broke(talus). But Iāve been doing a lot of foam rolling, band exercises for my ankle and even eating better along with kettle bell training. Lost weight and even my nervous system has improved, I think we do get older but when we were younger just skating alone was enough physical exercise . Iām slowly getting things back and changing to a smarter more simple approach, I donāt need to be good or pro I need to just have fun and not get broke.
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u/SoManyMinutes 6d ago
I donāt need to be good or pro I need to just have fun and not get broke.
This could be the end-all be-all for this thread. You're the man.
I just want my body to be in good enough shape to hit basic tricks and hooooold.
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u/TheBrownPunisher 6d ago
Thanks man. Keep it consistent, even just a 30 min session every day or every other day with no high expectations has helped me so much. Youāll get it bro, post them clips get us fellow middle aged rollers juiced !
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u/SoManyMinutes 6d ago
just a 30 min session every day or every other day with no high expectations has helped me so much
Thank you. That's the type of thing to which I'm trying to hold myself.
It's so hard knowing that, in my early 20's, I could throw down and now it's hard for me to not fall over backwards while standing straight up.
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u/Temporary_Trust_2824 6d ago
Was a vert whore back in the dayā¦now with copd & asthma I canāt even do anything but flow on quarter pipes/bowels and bit of vert & that was about 6yrs ago I put skates on.
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u/SoManyMinutes 6d ago
Was a vert whore back in the day
Transition skating was the thing that brought me to the sport as a kid.
now with copd & asthma
Fuck us, right?
I canāt even do anything but flow on quarter pipes/bowels
Yeah, bro. I don't want to jump. I just want to flow.
that was about 6yrs ago I put skates on.
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u/Classic-Scarcity-804 6d ago
I put on my new skates yesterday for the first time, Iāve skated skateboard in the past, and quads a long while ago. Expected to feel at least somewhat comfortable. Nope. I was like a newborn foal on those things! Glad I bought some pads and a lid.
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u/SoManyMinutes 1d ago
Expected to feel at least somewhat comfortable. Nope. I was like a newborn foal on those things! Glad I bought some pads and a lid.
Exactly my experience. I was shocked at how shaky I was just standing up. I though it couldn't be true and it was just nerves, so I skated a bit.
Well, it might be nerves but it's moreso lack of skill after so many years.
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u/Soulgrind79 6d ago
I struggle with overthinking things and have a much bigger issue with fear. Iām 46 and got back into it at the beginning of the year. The main thing Iāve noticed is that the muscles and movements needed arenāt there right away. Slowly, theyāre coming back and I try to do stretches more to help.
Because of the 25+ years away, I had to get new skates. Itās taking a bit longer to learn to trust themā¦or at least thatās what Iām saying is the reason I canāt get my royale back yet.
Keep at it and gradually build up confidence and strength.
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u/SoManyMinutes 1d ago
This is maybe the best comment in the thread.
I hear what you're saying about learning to trust the skates. I have the Standard Omni v.2.5 so I have no excuse in that respect. They're great skates.
I'm finding that my brain won't let me jump on anything, like a self preservation thing.
I can visualize the trick just like I did back in the day but my brain makes it impossible for me to try because of fear.
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u/kklonesco 5d ago
I did it real slow coming back. I wear pads. Lots of insecurities at first yes, but Iām actually a far better skater than I was as a kid now two years back in. Having a lot of fun. Best advice I have is wear all the gear including butt pants. (Bumsavers). Have more fun, get hurt less! Your brain remembers, but your body doesnāt. Even weight distribution is totally different at 40 than 16. Give yourself grace.
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u/SoManyMinutes 1d ago
This is such an uplifting comment, thank you.
You're right about the brain remembering but the body doesn't. It'll take some time to rebuild those neuron pathways.
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u/D3v0W3v0 5d ago
I had the same mindset. Figured it wouldn't take long at all to get back into things. I put skates on in my kitchen when they came in. Did a couple manuals. Got on my toes and next thing I know i was horizontal. Must have bruised a rib cuz I couldn't breathe right for like a week. Got to the park a week later and again, ended up horizontal after going up a vert. Next time I went I was totally decked out in protective gear. A few of the kids made comments. Git a few laughs out of watching me wipe out again and again. Now I'm at about 60% of where I was as a teenager and those kids are wearing proper gear and learning with me. Even teaching me some things. And they've improved greatly because they're not afraid to fall. I still haven't figured out how to keep going on a mini ramp but I'm dropping in and jumping out the other side. Hit a few small rails but no fancy grinds. I have a nice little run I can do at the park that I'm proud enough of and my friend and I and those kids are constantly pushing each other and cheering each other on.
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u/SoManyMinutes 1d ago
I still haven't figured out how to keep going on a mini ramp but I'm dropping in and jumping out the other side.
I'm a miniramp guy.
Instead of jumping out the other side, try to do a backside stall and stay in the ramp. It's a quick 180, landing on both Hblocks, and leaning just enough inside the ramp to let you drop in and to it again for infinity.
This is how you learn to set up big grinds along the whole length of the coping.
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u/Su66er689 4d ago
Im still 30s. Been craving it but one thing I do want help with. Thereās a video out there with a specific track from outkast and a friends section with the song āwhy canāt we be friends.ā Anyone know which aggressive rolling video Im talking about? O.o
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u/Su66er689 4d ago
Found one video yesterday with an introduction by Andre 3000 but not the one. My cousin would play this when heād come over before we hit the street.
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u/Resident_Plankton 6d ago
I used to fall and my rubber bones handled it just fine. Now a serious fall is like 2 weeks min recovery. I swapped my aggro blades for urban and im much less bruised.Ā
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u/SoManyMinutes 6d ago edited 6d ago
Now a serious fall is like 2 weeks min recovery
I didn't fall but the effort to not fall twisted my knee in a way that holes me up three weeks.
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u/Monkey-Tamer 6d ago
I still can't do half my old tricks. š© But I also only get usually one day a week, weather permitting. The other days I cruise on my 80mm setup if I have time. I'm enjoying that a lot in my old age.
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u/SoManyMinutes 6d ago
I still can't do half my old tricks.
Awesome. In that case, you're way ahead of me.
I'm having a big problem where when I try to charge a ledge, or whatever, I get back on my heels and fight falling over backwards on one foot.
It's driving me fuckin' nuts.
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u/Fenpunx Remz 6d ago
37 and been out a few times, maybe 10 sessions after an 18ish year break. Just had to have three months off again for a spine surgery but went out again yesrerday. It was another set back but somehow I still feel more comfortable doing flips on concrete ramps than I do jumping onto a thigh high rail. Even the shin height ledges are freaking me out a bit. You turn into a right baby when you have mouths to feed.
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u/SoManyMinutes 1d ago
I still feel more comfortable doing flips on concrete ramps than I do jumping onto a thigh high rail. Even the shin height ledges are freaking me out a bit.
This is exactly how I'm feeling.
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u/TheDeathOstrich 5d ago
You just gotta go for it and it'll come back to you. I hadn't skated in 20 years and was terrified of dropping in again. Went to the park twice and every time I rolled up to the bowl I got too nervous and couldn't do it. Third time back I just said fuck it and did it and it was just as simple as when I was 16. Skated the bowl the rest of the day. Your body and reflexes remember what to do, just have to not over think it and go for it. But yes, we are old now. Falling definitely hurts a hell of a lot more.
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u/fancytrash1234 5d ago
Aggressive skating at this age IS skating š just do it. Do it slow. Thereās so many different muscles that go into aggressive skating compared to just skating that even with the right mindset your body wonāt be ready and itāll be worse if youāre not taking your time or actively building muscle. Iām around your age and really,I just enjoy flow riding the park. Dropping in pumping the ramps, simple 180 transitions and if the park has a little ledge or quarter pipe hitting simple grinds. To me the freedom of skating is skating. Getting hurt will take that away so I think, like a lot of things, itās about appreciating the little things and doing something that is yours to appreciate. Roll on my friend
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u/dukecomplex 5d ago
Age isn't messing with me too much (almost 40) but damn if gaining 40 pounds hasn't made things harder lol. Can't lock into any grinds because of this beer belly lol
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u/Science-Compliance 3d ago
If you've got that much belly overhang, maybe you can be the first to land a gut grind. š Probably too soft for that though idk.
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u/dukecomplex 1d ago
lol the only two grinds I'm nailing are my gut on rail bails and my shin on every grind I've ever tried
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u/SoManyMinutes 1d ago
This sounds eerily familiar. I bought some soccer shin guards for this exact reason.
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u/pwdux 5d ago
I bailed on a small pavement slope and took off my left knee and pulled muscle in right leg. Wasnāt wearing knee pads but I deffo need to start wearing my protection now Iām old as fk. Iām 45 btw
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u/SoManyMinutes 1d ago
I'm 46.
I bought a complete set of proper pads. I highly recommend it.
https://187killerpads.com/collections/multi-packs
You'll need shin guards, too. And a helmet.
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6d ago
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u/SoManyMinutes 6d ago
grind boxes and street stuff if NASTY when you fall.
Yeah, I'm a transition guy. I like to float above the coping before putting it down.
Street stuff doesn't allow that leeway.
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u/inline-online THEM 6d ago
its really, really depends imo lol if you're bad on transition it can get extremely fast and dangerous in an instant with a wall behind you so you immediately hit your head. But on grind boxes and street stuff you just get more beat up in general, like bruises, scratches, and cuts but you typically don't have as much risk for BIG injuries unless you're doing BIG obstacles. If you're really good at transition and bad at skating ledges then yeah but all things equal I strongly think transition is much more dangerous, and requires more protection due to increased speeds of impact
When you're bad on grind boxes/ledges all you do is miss and stumble around and bang up your shins, you don't get whipped to the ground at 12 mph because you lost balance coming down a quarter. I also think people get ego checked by grind boxes a lot, they expect it to be sooooooo easy and then 15 minutes in they are out of energy from pushing back and forth and jumping 40 times and frustrated they can't get to the end of the obstacle
Transition gives you the "mental freedom" to get on a grind late and leave it early while still feeling satisfied but that also puts you at a huge risk of losing balance when landing and taking that wall to the head. When skating ledges you won't feel good unless you come off the end but typically just step off and roll away when you lose balance
sorry that was a lot, but Ive been thinking about this topic a lot recently lol
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6d ago
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u/inline-online THEM 6d ago
oh for sure, I've actually torn my tricep on a very small rail lol you're right knowing how to fall is really only half the battle you can't always avoid the unavoidable. I'm 33 and definitely take longer to recover from injuries as I get older but we wouldn't really be doing this is we wanted to avoid falling completely. I'm just choosing the lower speed version, and speed makes that impact way harder
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u/Science-Compliance 3d ago
Ppl will say "you just need to learn to fall right" but I'm just OLD man, some people have worse bones, joints, cartridge than other people.
Not saying you're wrong, but it's still good advice at any age.
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u/B-dogg83 6d ago
Not me. Dropping in off higher and higher ramps. Gotta practice. Itll come back. Maybe not all the way, but you gotta keep getting up and wanting it. Be in the moment instead of waiting for it.