For this entry’s slice of nostalgia, I want to talk about another passion of mine: video games. While growing up, there weren’t many skateboarding games, and nothing that accurately portrayed street skating. Rudimentary titles like Skate or Die and California Games were limited to downhill or vert ramp skating. I did mess around with an NES copy of Skate or Die 2 found at a yard sale, but mostly because I was obsessed with the awesome title song. Skate or die…die die die die. Try getting that out of your head. You’re welcome.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater (1999) on the original Playstation changed everything. It featured stunning graphics (for the time), super slick controls, and an infectious punk/ska soundtrack. Very accessible, it bridged skate culture with the world at large. Suddenly, skaters like Bob Burnquist, Chad Muska, and Andrew Reynolds became household names alongside Hawk. Being able to outfit your skater with real brands of boards and clothes etc. fueled product sales across the board. Actual spots that kids could only dream about skating were recreated, allowing players to realize their gnarliest skate lines with an almost superhero-esque quality. Realism wasn’t the goal. Rather, anyone could pick up a controller to participate in a culture and sport that would’ve seemed otherwise inaccessible.
Pro Skater let everyone know that skateboarding was here to stay. No, not just here to stay—to dominate multiple industries. Sequels were released yearly, dipping in quality after the superlative Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2, but the series has been largely absent in modern gaming.
Until this year. 
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 was reworked from the ground up with all the current technological bells and whistles, and it looks NUTS. I haven’t had a chance to play it yet (I’m currently knee-deep in a Mario collection on Switch), but from what I’ve heard, it’s a true return to form.
Week Three – Higher, Further, Faster
I’ve primarily been skateboarding as a way to exercise and build up strength. I’ll go on long stretches of pushing hard and skating fast with little stops for tricks. As such, the main hurdle continues to be my front leg quad, which gets sore and heavy very quickly.
I’m like the guy that always skips leg day at the gym, or you know, all days at the gym. What if strengthening my quad gives me one giant leg? Rick and Morty fans know what I’m talking about.
Because of my gradual improvement, I did tighten my trucks. I’m still able to carve with ease, and my board is now more responsive. It requires a little more balance on my part and is less forgiving of sloppy tricks, but the prior looseness was giving my deck wheel burn. And God forbid I get hit with the dreaded speed wobble. I’d gladly sacrifice a bit of maneuverability for tighter stability.
I took my first decent fall, too. Slipped and landed on my wrist, the one without a guard, of course. It happened right in front of an old man who walked by and gave me the “punk kids” stink eye. It took all my willpower not to say, “Screw you! I’m nearly 40. Maybe I wanted to fall, huh?”
Pro Tip – Don’t skate through a blanket of pine needles while blinded by the sun.
Man, my recovery time is not what it used to be. I’ve been skating on Tuesday/Thursday/Sunday and definitely need the days off. On Friday, I was hobbling around the house like Quasimodo with a gimpy calf, quad, and foot arch. My swollen wrist even made me whimper when flushing the toilet. Let no one say that skateboarders aren’t tough. I was still sluggish on Sunday, but there could’ve been other factors at play.
Pro Tip – Save the all-day pizza and margaritas for the day after skating.
I’ve talked a lot about the physicality of skateboarding, but it’s also an important mental cleanse. For a half hour I don’t have to worry about Trump and the downfall of America, elections, COVID, and all the other 2020 anxieties bouncing around in my head. It’s just me, my board, and my wife enjoying the outdoors. Dodging the occasional biker or dog lunging at our wheels. Balance of body and mind.
What about my progress this week? I’ve upped my ollie game and started landing them while on the move. Doing a trick stationary is good and all but ultimately useless. However, there is a formula with speed and the chances of eating pavement. I think it’s something like velocity x skill ÷ confidence = intensity of busting your ass, with a remainder of two.
Hey, I’ll take what I can get. Three weeks ago I didn’t have the stones or skill to even attempt an ollie. “That’s right, he can be taught!” (Bonus points if you can name that quote). If anyone else is trying to turn back the clock and land some tricks, hit me up in the comments. We’re in this together. Thanks for reading!
