Picture Copyright's by David Pang
I met my friend Gregory for the first time this summer(2013) at the Chelsea Skatepark in New York City.
He immediately got my attention.. It doesn't happen a lot that u see a guy of his age skating a 10foot deep bowl like its nothing!
Ofcourse i didn't realize he was actually in his late 50's until weeks later when i asked him the question.
We started talking about his setup, he was riding a custom made board from Five Points in Ohio. wich was funny because i just ordered from them as well with almost the same shape and dimensions.
Skating with Gregory is a lot of fun, he is really motivating and stoked if ur shredding.
I was very impressed by his style and him being fearless of going full-speed into the deep-end.
After i found out he just started skating it blew my mind.
I want u guys to hear about his story and hopefully it inspires you.. your never too old for Skateboarding!
Where are u from?
I am from Cincinnati, Ohio, but I have lived in Princeton, New Jersey for the past 28 years.
How old are you?
I am 59 years old, will be 60 in August 2014.
Thats amazing, how old were u when u started skating?
53 Years old.
What did u do the summer before u found out about Skateboarding?
On a regular basis I was downhill mountain biking on Vail mountain, cycling Vail Pass, and hiking the Vail, Arrowhead and Beavercreek mountain areas...just enjoying the mountain air with friends and getting lots of exercise.
Where did u find out about Skateboarding?
I was spending my summer visiting with friends in Colorado.
One late afternoon, returning from a downhill mountain bike session, I was driving down I-70 returning to my friends home when I spotted heads popping out the ground and I immediately thought, wow, I didn't know there was a motorcross area in the town of Edwards, so I drove to the area to see it.
When I arrived I realized it was not motorcross, but some guys skateboarding in what I much later learned was a skate park with a snake run and bowls. I sat there watching these guys skate for probably an hour or more simply mesmerized. I eventually told one of the skaters how amazed I was at what they were doing and asked where I might get a skateboard. They provided me with directions to a skate shop and told me it would probably be closed for the day but I could check it out tomorrow after 10 am.
Did u end up going to the store the next day?
Needless to say I was there at 9:50 am waiting for the shop to open. Once inside the guy running the shop asked how he could help me. I told him I was at the skatepark the day before and as result I was thinking about learning to ride a skateboard.
I told him my age and was wondering if he thought I should consider it. His first question was this…"do you mind getting hurt?"
I said of course I mind getting hurt, as I have been hurt a number of times while downhill mountain biking on Vail and Beavercreek in the past few years but it doesn't stop me from wanting to ride.
When he heard I was downhill mountain biking he immediately said, "No problem, you should definitely learn to ride a skateboard"
He asked what kind of skating I was hoping to do and I said I wasn't sure but I really want to ride the walls in the Edwards Skate Park.
What kind of setup did u get?
He set me up with an 8.0" shop deck, Independent Trucks, with bones 60MM wheels.
I was so happy, and so scared, all in the same moment. I went to the skate park that afternoon and spent most of my time simply watching all the amazing skaters to see if I might be able to pick up some ideas about how to go about riding the skateboard.
As the park got less crowded I started to push around, avoiding even the slightest downhill section of the park, and soon realized this was not as easy as it looked. Eventually I spoke with what I thought was one of the more accomplished skaters and asked for any tips on how I might learn how to ride.
How did that go?
He was kind enough to teach me to how to tick - tack and I was in heaven.
I now had a way of moving the board without having to obtain speed and I was beginning to understand how to control my movement and avoid hitting things as I was trying to move around the park on the flat surface.
I was so happy with my progress, and it was so much fun watching others skate that I quickly realized, despite all the challenges I would obviously face in order to learn to ride the skateboard, it was definitely a lot of fun. I had fallen so many times on my first day my knees and wrists actually kept me from spending as much time as I would have otherwise spent trying to learn.
That sounds like a very classic first day!
I returned to the skate park early the next day, almost before anyone else was skating, and about 10 minutes into my skate a young boy, maybe 10 years of age, showed up with a helmet, wrist guards, knee pads and elbow pads. I was so happy to see this kid.
Until that moment I had not seen anyone skating with any protection. I wanted to know where he got this equipment so I could get some. He told me to return to the same skate shop where I got my board and I left the skate park to see if I could acquire the protective equipment because I knew I would be able to practice skating much longer if I was wearing those wrist guards. When I showed up at the shop the same guy who sold me my deck was in the shop. He immediately asked me how it was going and I told him it was a lot more difficult than it looked, but I saw a young skater who was wearing a helmet and equipment to protect his wrists and knees and I though this equipment would enable me to practice longer if I could avoid landing so hard on the concrete.
He immediately apologized for not thinking to offer to sell me the protective equipment and provided me with what I thought I needed. Again, I was so anxious to get back to the park to try to ride again. I was a bit self-conscious because other than the 10 year old I was the only person in the park who was wearing protective equipment but I didn't care if I looked weird because I was determined to spend more time learning how to ride and I knew this equipment would enable me to do so. I probably spent the next 5 hours skating and I learned how to tic-tac and make crazy 8's in one direction and I was so excited with the progress. I even rode down one of the inclines without falling!
Every day since that day I have wanted to ride and I am so fortunate to have had this opportunity. When I returned to New Jersey in late August I immediately learned of Hopewell Skate Park and I have enjoyed the quest of continuing to develop my skill level.
That's all for now Bernard.
Thanks a lot Greg, u are a really big inspiration for me. and hopefully for others aswell! Skate Or Die!!
Cheers~Greg
