r/classicskateboarding • u/Upper_Ad8129 • 15d ago

Grinding curbs

Strictly slappy

As I kid I learned how to grind sidewalk curbs with a metal cooping on it. Today I see skaters grinding on almost anything.

Does the wax really reduce the friction between concrete and steel trucks? Wax was unheard o when I was skating as a kid back in the 80’s.

4 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

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4

u/Royal-Illustrator-59 15d ago

Wax was definitely a thing in the 80’s and earlier. We always waxed curbs where we frequented.

4

u/jefftatro1 14d ago

Yup, Mr. Zoggs, and mom's candles

1

u/funkympc 14d ago

We stole alot of gulf wax from our local grocery stores.

2

u/mossman 14d ago

100% we did. However I was a red curb connoisseur myself.

1

u/Royal-Illustrator-59 14d ago

Ah, the red curbs. Nothing better than industrial paint. Until it chipped off. Rails and copers were cool except when they popped off. Then there were Tracker trucks with “built in” copers. Funny thing, I liked using rails to grab when doing aerials and copers for grinding, but I wasn’t above making fun of the kids who showed up with skid plates and nose guards.

2

u/Natas-LaVey 11d ago

In the 80’s the local skate shop sold a skate wax that was round like a hockey puck, I remember the melting logo but not what it was called. We mostly used candles taken from home though.

1

u/Upper_Ad8129 14d ago

Anyone know who was the first to do wax?

1

u/Upper_Ad8129 10d ago

We didn’t wax curbs when I was skating. Maybe other areas of the city where I’m from. I didn’t hear about waxing till maybe the late nineties.

Anyway I carrry candle wax now but feel like it’s cheatin. But there’s not a lot of sidewalk curbs with metal cooping so it helps to carry some.