| : Hi again, Everybody.
: You're probably saying to yourself "1st sk8s??? I know Jay's had SK8s before" & yes, of course I do/have.
: But I, unlike so many of my creative roller-friends, have never BUILT my own sk8s. In fact, until this year I'd always ridden stock derby-style sk8s with slight modification for my grind plates.
: As you guys know (if you read my last post!) I went to SoCal this weekend. What I didn't mention was that in addition to getting a flat spot (and no spare wheels) I had an issue with my front truck on my right sk8. I was able to jury-rig (thanks mostly to Duke) & sk8. While it seems to be holding I'm afraid my kingpin is gonna snap @ anytime.
: This got me thinking: what happens if I have a similar snafu @ RC?!? I was panic-stricken.
: So, I went to my local sk8 shop for new wheels. I got some KILLER old school Powell Peralta Bones that are 64mm & 97A. Now, initially my plan was to get new wheels for my existing sk8s. But after scoring some killer Titanium Abec-9's @ a great price too, I thought, if my kingpin snaps mid RC-session, you're still screwed killer wheels & bearings or not. That's when inspiration struck me. I decided to build my own 'spare' pair of SK8s! Now, I needed trucks too! By this time the shop owner (a very cute woman about my age) was getting pretty amped. I mean as a rollerskater I'm buying TWO sets of everything I want. She's loving it. She even breaks out her bearing press from the ack room to put my bearings in for me. :)
: So, I get home & start measuring & drilling holes.
: Believe it or not, this is what I wanted to use for these skates boots-wise:
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: I know how tired they look, but these were my fav (& 1st!) ramp sk8s & I skated them almost 10 years til the boots strated to really come off the speed plate due to busted rivets. :(
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: Then I remembered. The tricky part is the mounting plate. And I had nothing. I was considering mounting the trucks right to my boots when I remembered my HMWP that I use for my sliders. I was off & running then. God Bless Dawnie, she let me go crazy for 3+ hours while she tended our son so I could humor myself with this construction attempt.
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: Here's my assorted parts:
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: I was pretty stoked on myself by this time thinking I had it licked. In no time I had my 1st sk8 assmebled & ready for a picture. Here it is:
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: It was only after looking at this picture while still in my camera, NOT at the SK8 itself, that I noticed I was making a ToeStop-Free RollerSkate! Yes, I have those kind of moments sometimes. I AM a grandfather now!
: But I was this far along, so I had to soldier on. So I put my killer Bones wheels on it & started on Sk8 number 2 (aka lefty), right after putting righty on & rolling around on my patio one-footed just to see how it felt. I liked it! Here's that 1st SK8 complete.
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: So the second one went together faster than the 1st (don't they always?) & I had a set of sk8s. Here they are:
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: And a comparison shot so you can see they're wider than current sk8s:
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: I'm not sure if the res on these pics is high enough to see, but I'm actually 4 bolts/nuts short of having them fully done. I thought I could use shorter ones for the fronts as there's no heel, but was wrong. That's why I'm here posting to you guys instead of trying out my new SK8s! Tomorrow. I'll try to capture some footage but not sure if it'll be possible.
: Thanks again everybody for bearing with me through yet another of seemingly pointless posts. I'm just so Stoked on actually building my own SK8s! I think they're gonna work too! I rolled around on both on patio & other than maybe adjusting my stance a bit wider, just in case, I think they're gonna work just fine.
: Now that lack of Toe-Stops on the other hand..........
: So, any advice from my ToeStop-Free friends would be appreciated. Before I bust my Ass!
: PEACE!!!!.............................Jay
Wow, very impressive Jay! crazy skills hidden under the surface? those are burly...looks supa fast. just remember to keep your feet apart and don't forget you dont have stoppers!
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