I had a freakin blast. I walked in with helmet in hand holding my bike—very nervous. There were 2 cute teenage girls working the register, both dumber than a brain dead Jessica Simpson. I said, “how much to ride?” They had to look at a cheat sheet to know that for non members it is 8 bucks and for members it is 2 bucks—that is tough info to remember. I filled out a waiver, when they saw my DOB, one of them still had to say, “you need a parent to sign this”. I said, “I am 33 and I am my own guardian.” One of them started laughing and couldn’t stop, I said, “are you laughing at me?” The dumb girl said, “no, I am laughing at her because she is so stupid.” She was right, she was laughing at a blonde girl that had manure for brains.

I started out with some 180s and kickturns. After an hour and a half I was getting about a half a foot out on the quarterpipes. I could do footplants too. It was soooo fun. I did some hang 5s but no one cared. There was another biker there, I talked to him. He had an FBM sticker on his downtube. I said, “FBM huh, nice bike,” he said, “it is a Wal-Mart Razor; I just put the FBM sticker on it.”

I was older than the moms in the bleachers watching their sons.

There is a major state highway very close to the park, someone driving by yelled out, “TONY HAWK RULES!!” That was funny.

Here is a link to a picture where I rode last night
http://www.skateboardpark.com/skateboardpa....asp?pic_id=769

I forgot to mention that I had to stop about every 2 minutes to catch my breath and when I was done my shirt was completely drenched with sweat.

To my suprise there is a really nice ramp park where i live in saint cloud ,fl. I went there one day to ride with my son. when i got on the halp pipe i soon realized that i am not as brave or confident that i was when i was younger. not to mention that i will be 34 this year and i hadnt rode a bike in ten years,but the desire and passion to ride has always been there. so with every day i ride i try the old things i was able to pull off as a kid. as for what other people think when they see a older guy riding a bike i say they wish they even had the energy or ability to pick up and ride.

Looks like fun ! Hopefully this year I will get out to a park for the first time. Any pics of you riding ?

I'm pleasantly surprised at the number of
parks these days. Even community sponsored spots! If only it had been that way BITD...

As it is now I'm afraid to even get directions to one.

Looks like a cool park. Glad you had a good time. How did the bike hold up?

No pics yet, I need to get some on here.

The bike held up well. I really like my Eastern Sequence. Strong sturdy bike.
http://www.lhs91.com/bike.htm

Glad you like it. I just got some ultralight bars for mine. I couldn't believe how much lighter they feel than the reg Eastern bars. Keep me posted and let me know if you need anything else.



[ May 31, 2006, 11:58 AM: Message edited by: crowdaddy ]

I'm really glad that more of us seem to be doing more riding these days. I know that when I go to the park there are a ton of kids that ask me about the old days. They can't believe that I have actually met and spent time with some of legends of the sport that they have only heard about.

I hope that when my wife gets better I can make it back to the park.

great to see old folks like us getting back up

but in washington they are doing some parks skateboard only
and since i am to old to try to run to the cops gets annoying going to a park and seeing no bike allowed here.

there is a park about 15 miles away that is suppose to be for bike and boards will have to see it when i am not to busy.

jeff,
yours looks like mine
[img]http://s56.photobucket.com/albums/g186/sandycrawford/?action=view¤t=bike1.jpg[/img]

The sticker on the downtube is gone now.

let me try again....

Sweet set up guys. I am also in the works of shedding extra weight on my bike and it does make a huge difference.

Awesome story Sandy! The ramp parks are fun just wait till you get to ride a concrete park. It amazing what is out there now.

double post!

[ May 31, 2006, 01:01 PM: Message edited by: malp ]

I love reading threads like this. Makes me think of two things:

1- That I'm not totally insane for wanting to keep riding.

2- That I really need to take the time to drive up to the NorCal Ramp Club one of these days soon. It's only an hour away.

Make that drive.

I'll be at my local park soon after I get my new Eastern delivered from CrowDaddy.

I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I need some more time on a bike but we have a new skatepark designed by Nate Wessel that is soooo sweeeeeeeeeet for bikes. My STA is there right now as the bike shop inside the place is our only local source for BMX/Freestyle (a word which HAS to come back) junk. Getting a gyro, front brake (Evolver) and having the tech dude go over the bike before I get too stupid on it and get myself hurt. That way I cannot blame the bike when I tweak it, just my fatazz.

I purchased this bike after finding this site and never intended to ride parks. After seeing how fun and relatively safe that park is I jonesed up like a crackhead @ meth lab.

Anyone feel like the old creepy dude when they enter their local park? Same scenario as Sandy recalled, hot teens @ the desk, everybody drooling over my STA as nobody here has seen a Standard.

And of all places... the skatepark, a kid comes up and asks if I am Andy (last name too). I stare for a minute because I figure this lil' dude is family or a friend's kid. No connection made so I answer a hesitant yes. Kid goes off "You are the bass fisherman, my Dad watches you, you know my aunt..." (and I do actually! She used to be my boss and looks like Gretchen Wilson ) and on and on. Now I have to ride there and show these kids how a fat old dude basser cannot ride a park!

I just remembered something. The other night at the park I was on the deck of a ramp and some skater came and asked if I liked tater tots, I thought it was a set up so I didnt give a yes or no, I said, "why", he said, "just asking" and skated away. Does anyone know what he was talking about.

And yes, I felt real creepy, but I know bitd I had some skills and I was pimpin a cool bike. And I thought F them if they dont like the old dude.

Ain't no way that kid would have a yes or no from me either. Lil' freak. I would have gave him the standard retort... "You like being made an example of for other lil' smartazz punks that had the nads to go talk to the old dude...?"

Nah, I would asked the kid if the concession stand had them w/chili and cheese and how much they $$.

Isn't there an old flat trick named "Tater Tot"?

Could be Napolean Dynamite reference too.

"Hey Napolean, give me some of your tots."

I am so ticked. I finally got the opportunity to get a break from caring for the wife for a couple of hours. So I headed out to the skatepark. They close at 11PM and I got to the park at 9:30 and

THEY WERE CLOSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey guys, don't worry about being the weird 30 y/o dude at the park. It goes away after time. JUST KEEP RIDING!!! I'm 30 and been riding again since Jan. of this year. I have gotten to know some of the kids and they are really not half bad kids. Heck one of them helped me learn double peg stalls.

guys, I am still sore from the hour and half I spent at the park on tuesday. I moved very slow after getting out of bed and I am sitting pretty stiff right now here at work. getting old pretty much blows.

the 'tater tot' thing COULD have been a reference to an old Family Guy episode. About Meg flashing her you-know-what's at spring break.

Older guy, younger crowd. Just a possibility.

I'd like to hear the puchline.

As a side note, if anyone was to put together a get-together at a ramppark for us 'geezers'...
Hmm, imagine 200 of us crashing a park....

GREAT idea Profiler. What is the liability insurance on something like that going to run a person?

For real, I am in. Not that I have any business riding park but hell, I'm in.

glad im not the only one , never rode ramps when i was a kid as there were only dirt tracks n the skaters would go mad if yer tryed to go near the skate park
but after 20 yrs without a bmx iv got another one after my oldest son (11) got one for his birthday n i had a go n got rehooked
havent had the guts to go to skate park yet but have razed round an old dirt track with sone and crashed a few times and found i dont bounce as well as i used to now im 36

[ June 06, 2006, 01:20 PM: Message edited by: sonic-1 ]