This article was written by Chip "Old School" McDonald (cmcdonald@sunbelt.net).

You know you're Old School when ...

• You once thought Sims Pure Juice Wheels RULED
• You actually took Bennet trucks up on their "unbreakable baseplates" promise - numerous times.
• You actually took Kryptonics up on their "unbreakable fibre/ foam core/ski construction" board promise.
• You had to explain to non-skaters why your board had "AWA" written on it.
• You thought a "real fast" vert ramp had patches made out of panelling that you actually RODE OVER.
• You had two sizes of coping: large and small broomstick handles.
• You remember when boards were skinny *before* they were fat.
• "Dogtown" was the Holy Land of all things Pool-like.
• You thought the Krypto ad with the Cylon Raider toy was cool.
• You actually skated more than one concrete park.
• You knew not to buy a green Norcon helmet because it was hot.
• "Pizza grip" is responsible for a random act of scarification on one of your legs.
• You often wonder "what ever became of the giant pipes in Arizona?".
• You think Tony Alva could still maybe shred Hawk.
• You had a set of Tracker Full Tracks.
• You know what Gull Wings are.
• You know how big UFO downhill wheels were.
• You thought Tunnel Rocks were fast.
• You walk in a bowling pro shop, only to have the scent of urethane remind you of actual skateboard-only shops.
• You once had an all-fibreglass board.
• You had a set of Road Rider 4's.
• You thought Z-Flex had a cool logo.
• You actually skated the Pepsi plexiglass half pipe.
• You know why Inouye carved grooves in his wheels.
• You could tell the difference between AZF's and neoprene bearings by listening to someone skate.
• You broke a set of die-cast trucks.
• Hardcore hadn't happen yet and you didn't like punk, so you skated to tapes of Ted Nugent or Van Halen played at 45 RPM.
• You knew the Guiness Book of World Records barrel jump record holder, and skated his ramp.
• You remember that it was a picture of Tony Alva getting backside air in a kidney pool that was the first shot of a pig in a magazine (and it was complete with a Darth Vader Star Wars bubble gum sticker).
• You once could do more than 15 360's in a row.
• Urethane technology was such that you once melted the core on a set of wheels.
• You thought Gyro's were the best.
• "Green CX-66's" meant something to you.
• You know the story about how fat boards happened.
• You once saw a movie called "Skateout".
• You know that a Jim Muir Dogtown board was the narrowest board they made.
• These names meant something: Upland; Highroller.
• You know what "Rad-pads" are.
• You know you're REAAAAALLY old school when you remember frontside/backside meant the opposite of what it does today.
• AND..You were a poser if you were born before 1970 and don't get any of this.

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