Wilbert Rodriguez, Meet My Boards

I have five different boards that are unique to their shape and style. In this writing piece, I’ll keep it simple and write about the three I use most. While I must admit early on that I do have some sort of addiction when it comes to getting more boards.. I genuinely can’t help it! I’ll try to give a bit of information to help you (the reader) understand each one since all three are vastly different from one another.

The traditional skateboard I use is 8.25 inches wide (one on the left), and that’s usually determined by your foot size or what honestly feels the most comfortable to you. Wheel size is also another preferred part that makes a noticeable difference on the ride. I don’t do tricks all that often, but if I were to do tricks then the distance between the ground and the board is something to think about. The wheels for a traditional skateboard are usually a lot harder than cruisers to last since they’ll be sliding against surfaces and what not.

Moving onto the cruisers, I have two coffin style boards. Using coffin to describe the very rectangular/boxy shape of the boards is a bit odd, but it is the technical term for them. I’m not sure about the width of either board in all honesty. Just know that both boards allow my shoes to stand on top of them without them hanging off the edge on either side (I’m a size 10 for reference). The only main difference between them besides aesthetic things are the length, and the wheels of course. One of them is about half a foot shorter than the other, and is also made from bamboo (the one in the middle). It’s extremely easy to ride with how light it is in comparison to the larger maple wood board. The wheels are also smaller which makes it easier to pick up speed. On the other hand, the larger board is just a behemoth in size and it weighs like one too. The wheels are also larger, but the larger board will have a much better time handling the speed between the two. It all comes down to preference at the end of the day, but I generally stick with the bamboo board most of the time.

Now that I’ve showcased these, it’s only fair to give some backstory as to how I managed to get into this. At some point in time, my mom had shown me some footage of Tony Hawk at the X games on tv at home. I remembered seeing what almost felt like him floating in the air doing the first ever 900 on a half pipe (2 and a half spins in the air). Just to give a better idea of the ramp, it’s essentially a large ‘U’ shape which is why it’s called a halfpipe. Besides the fact that he had literally made history in the skateboarding scene, it was the spark I needed to start.

I had started by the time I was eight years old. I remember getting my first skate deck at the old Toys R Us in Manhattan like it was yesterday. It was probably one of the most memorable times of my childhood. I had started out with gear from head to toe as my mom was not happy that I had picked this up as a hobby. Just a reminder, it is her fault for showing me that legendary footage. As years passed, I found that I was mainly attracted to the speed and the movement. I had felt like I was surfing on the sidewalks of the Bronx every time I went out to ride. I could just feel the wind in my face while it went through my hair like water. I used to zoom past people like obstacles on a road course… it was always fun. There were always people yelling at me to “SLOW DOWN”, but where’s the fun in that? Call me an adrenaline junkie if you’d like, but you would need to experience it to understand it. There are dozens of things that deserve to be experienced in life by those who dare, and I think it’s fair to add skating onto that list!

If there’s truly anything that I can suggest from my years of skating.. it’s to pick what you like and be curious. You can go into a shop and pick it all out yourself. Find the size for you, find your style of a design, and everything else you can possibly imagine. Think about it as an extension of yourself if that helps. Even if skating isn’t something of interest to get you moving, I hope the person reading this manages to find something they enjoy!