My first pair of skates were hand-me-downs. Wheeled metal grips that clamped to the sides of my sneakers. They were tightened with a skate key. They were difficult to skate in. I don't know if it was because I was in kindergarten when I had them or if they were just a bad design. I'm thinking the latter...
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My second pair of skates were a variation on these sort of patriotic-looking things. There were two color motifs put out by this company, from what I recall. The white boot with red and blue accents and a blue boot with red and white accents. I had the blue boot skates for a time. I don't know what happened to them.
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| At Valle Vista, Hayward, CA. 1981 |
That's me in the above photo skating with a lolly-pop in my mouth. My buddy, Danny, is there in the foreground. I'm rolling on my third pair of skates. A white leather boot with bright orange wheels and a really fat stopper. I skated around on those bad boys for the my entire adolescence.
I just recently picked up these teal beauties at a local skate shop--
The suede boot still needs to be broken in a bit. My ankle bone is none too happy after a long session around the park.
The wheels are a bit wider then what I'm used to, so I switched them out for a narrower pair lifted from my old skates. So far, so good.
I remember those skates. I'm not sure if I had a pair (I was a paranoid skater; I never did much of it) or if I borrowed from someone else.
ReplyDeleteRight?! Those skates were ubiquitous for a time.
DeleteThe skates I had (decades ago) fitted onto normal shoes. I never had built in wheels, and can't remember seeing them here.
ReplyDeleteWere yours comfy? Mine were not.
DeleteThose are some pretty rad skates. Love the color. Hope they treat you well, Bea. Happy skatin'.
ReplyDeleteThanks, man!
DeleteI skated around the neighborhood on ill fitting clamp on skates. I had to go several streets away to find sidewalks; there were none on my street and adjacent streets. By high school I moved up to boot skates. My girlfriend was am amateur skater dancer. So long ago. Have fun with your find!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Joanne.
DeleteOooh, I'd love to roller boogie. There are tons of people in the park who dance on skates. It's a real treat to watch.
My mother always told me never to skate with a lollipop in my mouth. Actually her precise words were 'Never run with a sword', so I learned a trick from an old Samurai and now run with the sword held behind me.
ReplyDeleteGood work.
DeleteI'm so old that we had skate that you put on your shoes and tightened with a key. They always came loose.
ReplyDeleteThose old skates were not very fun.
DeleteWhen I was a child I had skates that attached to my shoes. I broke my front theeth and jaw skating with those. However, it didn’t stop me from loving to skate. Then one Christmas I got skate boots and was ecstatic. It was the best present ever.
ReplyDeleteSkating is such a joy. I haven't chipped a tooth, knock wood, yet. I do have wrist guards that I wear in order to prevent a break should I fall with my arms outstretched.
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