I Want to get a Freestyle Board

Pic via Pinterest, Unknown

Let me just get straight to the point of this blog post. I want to get a freestyle board. 

There I said it, damn it. Wow. That felt great to say. 

​As I inch closer and closer to my 46th birthday, I've come to the realization that I will most likely NOT have a mid-life crisis. I think I'm in the clear. Maybe. Well, that is unless I do live to 100 and might possibly face one in the next 6 years. Odds are I am in the clear though. Whew. 

With that being said, over the past few years I've had the sudden desire to own a freestyle board. 

I've only ever ridden one maybe once or twice over the past few decades. It just was never a thing back in the day and my core crew never got into it either. In fact, I don't recall ever meeting a freestyle rider in the wild. Like never. Not one. 

I only ever saw footage of Primo, Harris, Per, Mullen, etc. from the old Powell videos. And, more often than not, I would simply fast-forward past any freestyle (and vert -- that's changed over the years) footage on skate videos. No disrespect to the riders, I just wasn't into it, but I kind of am now. 

Back in it's peak I was just too busy riding popsicle style boards and shredding all over town. 

However, with nostalgia being such a hot thing these days it was only a matter of time until we started seeing all of the boards we loved and broke over the years make a return via reissues - including freestyle boards. And I want one. 

I think I want to go with the Rodney Mullen, but am curious to see what's out there these days. I know there are some available and freestyle riders do exist. 

How does one go about buying a freestyle board? I'm pretty sure the local shops aren't stacking inventory of them. Maybe only online? 

Freestyling looks fun. And hard. And silly at the same time. 

Rodney Mullen made it look so easy back in the day. He is/was so good that he was able to transition into regular size boards with no problem at all. Check out Rubbish Heap to see what I mean. The guy is a freak of nature and helped invent many of today's staple tricks. 

What about you? You into freestyle? Have any tips or board recommendations? Am I having a mid-life crisis after all?

Please don't answer that last question. Not yet at least.