You know you're Old School when…

- You once thought Sims Pure Juice Wheels RULED.
- You actually took Bennet trucks up on their "unbreakable baseplates" promise numerous times.
- You actually took Kryptonics up on their "unbreakable fibre/foam core/ski construction" board promise.
- You had to explain to non-skaters why your board had "AWA" written on it.
- You thought a "real fast" vert ramp had patches made out of panelling that you actually RODE OVER.
- You had two sizes of coping : large and small broomstick handles.
- You remember when boards were skinny *before* they were fat.
- "Dogtown" was the Holy Land of all things Pool-like.
- You thought the Krypto ad with the Cylon Raider toy was cool.
- You actually skated more than one concrete park.
- You knew not to buy a green Norcon helmet because it was hot.
- "Pizza grip" is responsible for a random act of scarification on one of your legs.
- You often wonder "what ever became of the giant pipes in Arizona?".
- You think Tony Alva could still maybe shred Hawk.
- You had a set of Tracker Full Tracks.
- You know what Gull Wings are.
- You know how big UFO downhill wheels were.
- You thought Tunnel Rocks were fast.
- You walk in a bowling pro shop, only to have the scent of urethane remind you of actual skateboard-only shops.
- You once had an all-fibreglass board.
- You had a set of Road Rider 4's.
- You thought Z-Flex had a cool logo.
- You actually skated the Pepsi plexiglass half pipe.
- You know why Inouye carved grooves in his wheels.
- You could tell the difference between AZF's and neoprene bearings by listening to someone skate.
- You broke a set of die-cast trucks.
- Hardcore hadn't happen yet and you didn't like punk, so you skated to tapes of Ted Nugent or Van Halen played at 45 RPM.
- You knew the Guiness Book of World Records barrel jump record holder, and skated his ramp.
- You remember that it was a picture of Tony Alva getting backside air in a kidney pool that was the first shot of a pig in a magazine (and it was complete with a Darth Vader Star Wars bubble gum sticker).
- You once could do more than 15 360's in a row.
- Urethane technology was such that you once melted the core on a set of wheels.
- You thought Gyro's were the best.
- "Green CX-66's" meant something to you.
- You know the story about how fat boards happened.
- You once saw a movie called "Skateout".
- You know that a Jim Muir Dogtown board was the narrowest board they made.
- These names meant something: Upland; Highroller.
- You know what "Rad-pads" are.
- You know you're REAAAAALLY old school when you remember frontside/backside meant the opposite of what it does today.
- AND… You were a poser if you were born before 1970 and don't get any of this.


Article written by Chip "Old School" McDonald