Darkstar was founded by Chet Thomas (one of the 4 incredible rubber boys from Powell Peraltas Bones 4 video -steve saiz, eric sanderson, ray barbee and Chet thomas).
ebay has them for $103.99 shipped.
here- $40. - pretty awesome
specs-
TEMPEST RED
SUPPLIED WITH DARKSTAR TRUCKS , ABEC 7 BEARINGS AND 52mm DARKSTAR WHEELS
7.6" x 31.2" deck
Darkstar 5.0 raw/black trucks
Darkstar black urethane 52mm wheels
Buy two, dude! One for each foot :P
lol i hear ya. i was so defeated last time i tried to do a simple ollie. barely got the bastard off the ground, and was out of breath after about 5 goes.
What's the difference between this and say a 15 buck one from K-Mart for a beginner?
Apart from 25 dollars or ~166.6667%
kmart ones break if you "accidentally" happen to jump in the middle of it. i know from experience :p
On cheap Kmart skateboards:
- The grip tape will peel off very easily
- The wheels will get little chips in them
- The bearings are rubbish and struggle to build up speed
- The deck itself is low quality and will snap
You would be much better off paying a bit more money and getting a real skateboard. Even a cheap boardshop deck will do the trick.
This is a great deal for $40.
Hmm for an extra $10 you can get a Dusters Kosher Rasta Cruiser
Serious question, how hard would it be to learn to skate so you could travel say 3.5kms to/from work? (it's generally pretty quiet for cars / decent footpaths)
and am I right in thinking a larger board is better for newb? Like a 40" longboard?
Could it be done in a few weeks? months? I'm curious.
Note: in my 30's - no, I don't think it's lame - it's practical!
a push bike would be safer, faster and more practical
It's only 3kms though - I've got a pushy and the time it takes to unlock it, put on riding pants etc, it's just not worth it. Faster yes but I figure a skateboard can be put under a desk, taken on a tram or train and so on - wheras a bike is much more limiting.
I had the exact same idea as you, but I've found that a bike is almost always better except for the whole size and weight thing.
Skateboards don't go over small bumps very well, are a lot harder to keep control of.
Also why do you need to put on riding pants ? I cycle in my work clothes and I've seen plenty of people do the same thing.
I only skated for a few weeks in high school (like 10 years ago) and just started again.
IMHO it's way easier to learn how to skateboard than how to ride a bike (I got all the basics down within 8 hours over 5 days) but the stacks are EPIC compared to bike stacks.
maybe look into scooters ? you get more control than a skateboard and much smaller than a bike.
Should be fine providing it's not too hilly and you have ok balance. You're correct about a longer board being easier though. A longboard's bigger wheels will roll over bumps and cracks in the footpath much easier. The longer deck gives you greater stability too.
have you ever surfed or snowboarded?
it could be learned. but it would take a while. and street skating on a deck like above is a bit complex due to small wheels, obstacles, cracks in the road/pavement, stuff on the road/pavement, pedestrians, etc and then combining it with having to control your skateboard at the same time.
yeah, a long board would be better. bigger wheels for going over stuff. also the board would be wider and longer as well so more foot room.
certainly a practical idea to skate to work.
I'd suggest a scooter with larger wheels or a long board like this
Never surfed, never snowboarded - thanks for the info though, asked a buddy too, he said longboard easier with bigger wheels but stopping harder?
stopping is determined by your speed. bigger wheels = faster.
A cruiser/ shorter longboard might be your thing:
Skateboards/trick decks/street decks (what you see here) generally run harder wheels which on pavement, feels a lot rougher and bumpier even for just a simple cruise. In addition to this, their trucks which have a traditional kingpin design means you get a lot less turn in comparison.
Because the trucks of skateboards sit lower to the ground, your choice of wheel sizes are more limited since you run the risk of wheelbite (when you turn and the wheel grinds into the bottom of the deck and bucking you off), smaller wheels = slower roll speed, less grip. Harder wheels = less comfortable.
Cruisers/ shorter longboards (pretty much anything that's not a trick deck) are more suited to long distance pushing for a number of reasons:
- a longer deck allows for more real estate to step on and is much easier for beginners, with longer longboards allowing a surfing style stance which means a more fluid turn.
some cruisers are flexible since they are made up of a few layers of wood and maybe some fibreglass which contributes to this flex (you could jump on them and it would sag down, like a trampoline) meaning you get a very nice energy return from each pumping (turning) motion.
some cruisers have wheel wells/ wheel flares which allow for greater wheel clearance and that equates to you being able to use a larger wheel than a regular skateboard = generally slower but a lot more gripper roll speed than your regular skate wheel.
I've tried to fill you in on the basics of board structure and their characteristics. If you've got any more questions, I'll try to answer them as best as I can. I've been skating longboards for the past 3 years or so :)
Forgot to add: longboards are usually set up with reverse king pin trucks which are a lot more lively in regards to turning than traditional kingpin trucks.
I use the words "generally" and "usually" lightly because although you can run skateboard trucks on a longboard, you wouldn't. There's absolutely nothing stopping you from putting skateboard wheels on a longboard but there's no good reason to.
You bring up some great points - so a softer and lager wheel for cruising - I also note that the wheels are sometimes perfectly cylindrical others seem to have rounded edges?
So somthing defined as a cruiser sounds best then?
In my opinion, cruisers/longboards are easier to get into if you're a complete beginner to this boardsport due to the reasons above.
The lip of the wheel you are referring to is only important if you are really going to get into the different disciplines of longboarding: downhill, slalom, freeride or cruising/freestyle. As such, if you're only going to be skating from A to B then any cruiser wheel should do and lip shape shouldn't be as big of an issue. I'd suggest something with a wide contact patch (the part of the wheel thats in contact with the ground) for good grip + a soft durometer (measured in 'A', which determines the hardness of the wheel) around the 78A-80A mark for that cushiness and the comfort of rolling over every little bump along the sidewalk.
In street skating, the shape of the lip isn't important and as such, all lip shapes are almost identical.
This link tells you all about the different types of longboard wheel lip shape: http://lushlongboards.com/workshops/longboard-wheel-guide/
In short, if all you're doing is just cruising from A to B, then lip shape won't matter, the same applies if you're going to buy a street deck. Wheel durometer and lip shape only matters if you're keen on getting into longboarding.
I bought my first skateboard (36" longboard) when I was 24. Never having skated/surfed etc before. Very difficult at first, but it ended up being easier than I thought. It did take a bit of time though (for me, months rather than weeks). You need somewhere quiet to practise. I used to finish work late and would practise afterwards in a car park when there was nobody around. I would say a longboard is better for your purpose. skateshop.com.au have had longboard deals in the past. There's also skateboardexpress.com.au. Though this deal for $40 seems good too, and it's not a lot to lose if you decide skateboarding is not for you. 3.5kms is fine as long as it is flat.
I have 3 skateboards in the boot of my car (Penny style board, 32" cruiser and 40" longboard) and wish I had more opportunities to practice.
It doesn't take long to pick up if you dedicate some time to understand the fundamentals on how to turn, keep your balance and go over bumps. A 3.5km ride to work sounds like a great way to practice (once you have some basics down).
If I were to pick one of my 3 boards to commute, I'd choose the longboard because it's the most stable and smooth ride.
However, like someone else said, a big wheel scooter is easier to learn and more manoeuvrable (<- is that really how you spell that word?!) if practicality is your thing. But doesn't have that retro cool feel about it and there's less satisfaction in learning to ride it because it's easier.
Bought one the last time they were on sale. Great board
I see your Schwartz is as big as mine!
(no wait, that's Lonestar)
Which skate board would u recommend out of the 2 on special. Dusters kosha or darkstar tempest? I (34 yo) son 8(yo) want to learn skateboarding.
You're a cool dad. Making a few assumptions here on your needs, but Darkstar for tricks (your son), Kosher for cruising (you).
I would get the Darkstar for both of you to learn on. Your son can keep it long term to practice tricks and you can get a dedicated cruiser later if you decide you love it.
Thanks mate!
already have a toymachine deck with thunders, but for the price…
Great price. Just makes me wish I was young and skinny again so I could actually ride these things