Sorry for your loss dude. I've had Cats myself over the yrs & they're family to me. I had one little fella & he had a lot of life situations that he was so determined to pull thru after, that he was a massive inspiration to me when I was a younger skater. Take care & know he's always with you ❤
Sorry to hear about your cat. I feel your pain. I lost my cat a few years ago. I think she was 17 or 18. If your cat made it to 21, that's a pretty long life. I know it hurts regardless, but, at least he had a long good life and had someone that loved him.
Sorry about Winston. I'm a guy that loves his cat too. Really don't know what I'd do without her. Share my setup. 8.5 shop deck, mob grip, venture hollow, X97s The local shop decks are always a very chill shape and nothing is cooler to me than just rocking the local shop deck.
Sorry for your loss brother. My Dachshund lived to almost 14 and was my best friend. Never thought I'd get another but after a few years I saw a bit of him in another pup and rescued it and we've been tight since. Best vibes take care dude!!
Sorry for your loss dude. Genuinely enjoy the mellow vibes of your videos. Ideal setup is an 8.25 - 8.375 gx1000 32.23 long 14.25 wheel base Thunder hollow lights 149 Spitfire classics 52mm Bronson bearings (whatever’s cheapest) Phillips hardware Whatever grip doesn’t matter to me
First, I'm so sorry about Winston. My dog Billy died about 4 months ago, he was 13.5 years old. #120 Shepard x Husky. My only friend at times too. It's still tough. Hang in there. We're here for you. My board setup for sharing: 5' 11" 33" inseam. Size 8.5 shoe. Stance: Goofy footed Flat ground, curbs, ledges, benches, street, and very recently a house with a garage (couple of wood banks/wedges at either end with a box in the middle) so that's been nice for the last two winters up here in the Great White North. *8.25 to 8.38 x 32" with a slightly squared nose that's a bit steep (Habitat or Quasi or Hockey/FA nose) with a regular rounded tail (ie. a tail that's not too short but not too long either, Hockey/FA/Quasi tails can be too short, I like regular length AWS or Habitat tails) *can't stand flat concave, but don't want a tub either. So,... medium? to a tiny bit more than medium? Again, see Habitat/AWS. *can't stand mellow kicks either, I like a slightly steep nose and standard tail *14.25 wheel base *Indy 149s, I prefer the height of Indy forged baseplates (53.5mm height) but the ride on forged plates feels clanky and harsher, so I switch between forged and regular Indy baseplate (55mm height) models (or a hoard of old Theeve standard trucks I have). I was actually surprised by the new Venture (highs?) in the 8.5 width, they ride a lot better that the old Ventures I tried back in the day. So every once in a while I'll throw an Ace, or a Thunder, or an Indy Stage 4 in the mix, just for kicks if my skating is feeling stale, but kind of always come back to Indy 149s. *Truck tension/tightness: factory flush to 1 thread showing, if they squeak or creak then wax in the pivot cup and on the washers *Diamond 7/8" allen hardware *Rails...varied and only occasionally, although somewhat more often lately. *93a to 97a F4 x 53mm (or Dragon or X97, anything that's soft but still slides somewhat reasonably), preferably a bit of a squared shoulder shape in the wheel (but not lock-in shaped) and a bit of a wider contact patch *Bronson G3 *Mob grip. Way too grippy at first, but good and consistent after 2 or 3 sessions. With all the dirt, dust, and crust up here, Grizzly and Jessup feel good for about half a street session, and then feel like you might as well be riding a bare deck with no grip at all. I had a lot of really good skate sessions on repeated purchases of the Bobby De Keyser Habitat shape, and still have a few of those hoarded away. My area has rough ground. And although I've been skating since I was 4 years old, I'm old now (and yet still suck at skateboarding), so the softer wheel with a wider contact patch helps. I do have a beautiful push both regular and switch. I'm like the opposite of Dennis Busenitz. I have a beautiful push, but suck at skating...Dennis Busenitz has a janky weird stabby push, but I love his skating. I also love the smooth power and style of Brian Anderson. The quiet introverted technical genius of Bobby De Keyzer. The long, seemingly casual lines of Ishod Wair.
Sorry for your kitty dude! And my perfect board right now is size is 7.8" WB 14", full concave mid kicks, tensor 5.25 low, 45(now 43mm wheels), ándale Daewon doughnut bearings with spacers and washers, my front truck has doh doh blue 88a bushings and my back truck red 95a, my grip tape is black magic, and my hardware is Shorty's filed down to perfect mesh with the nuts 😅, and I use dooks 1/16 gaskets, my type of skating is slappy on curbs and stuff 1 ft tall, no comply stuff, crooks, some pool ( yes i can even with my tiny wheels) and all around skate park, and freestyle too.
So sorry for your loss. Remember he had a long, good life♥️ My cat is just two years old, but I still fear the day she is gone. They give us so much joy and love, it’s almost hard to describe ♥️ My perfect setup is a Rivington Ludlow 8.5 (a small Norwegian brand with amazing artwork), 14.25 wheelbase, 149 Indy forged hollows and 52-54mm 99a wheels. Skate transition and some street. Trying to learn curbs. I also skate shaped boards to change it up once in a while😊Keep up the good work, Kevin!
I’m so sorry to hear about Winston. I know exactly how you feel. When the time comes you know what you have to do and it’s the right thing to do. Just try to stay positive and remember the good times ❤️
Hey man, hang in there. It's totally fine to feel bad or heavy hearted when your loved one is not doing well. I'm sorry to hear Winston passed away. All the best from Belgium ❤
My go to setup is the 8.06 inch real full se deck. It’s 31.5 inches long with a 14 inch wheelbase. Thunder 147 polished standards. Spitfire f4 50 or 51mm wheels. Bones reds bearings. Diamond hardware. Pepper grip-tape. For reference, I’m 5’6 with a size 8 shoe. I skate flat ground, manual pads, ledges, an occasional stair set, flat bar sometimes , and barely any tranny.
Wow! Your cat had a long life! My wife and I had to put our cat down two weeks ago. It is a hard thing to do, but what can we say, just enjoy your pets while we have them, because they don’t live very long. I hope your recovery goes well. All around skater. 8.38, or 8.5, 149 for now, I’m thinking about jumping up to 159, and 53, or 54, maybe 52. 🫶skating. Prayers for your recovery.
Sorry for your loss ❤ And for the question, my perfect setup ATM, 1year back on a board in prob 7-10yrs is: 8.25” with a 14.25” wheelbase. Not so picky with shapes but have rly been liking the PRod TwinNose from Primitive I ride some Indy Stage 11 Forged Hollows with Bones hard bushings. BUT, i like to ride just abit narrower trucks so i have the 139s on the 8.25” deck. Spitfire F4 93A 52mm wheels with some Super Reds bearings. I had the dragons before but they felt too soft. Mob grip and some random hardware, allen key is a must.
So sorry for your loss bro, they are the best friends for sure. Hope you pass through the bad times and remember all the good moments with you friend! Thanks for your videos, you can't imagine how inspiring you are !!
Hey my deepest condolences. Losing a pet is tremendously hard; they are family. It will get easier over time but feel what you need to feel as you go through it. Wishing you all the best and love your videos.
Losing a pet is tough… I feel for you. It’s obvious you loved the little guy and gave him his best life. Thanks for your videos and overall vibe!! Keep pushing!
Bro so sorry for your loss, I went through the same with my dog a few years back, it broke my heart. I recently got a new kitten and couldn’t be happier,your next best friend is out there somewhere brother
Sorry for your loss Kevin, losing a loved pet after 21 years cant be easy for anyone. RIP Winston. Back in early 2000's (my teen years) i skated a lot of 7.75 Black Label and Zero Decks w/ venture/destructo trucks and of course spitfire F4 52mm wheels. Recently got back into skating and got a 8.25 zero w/venture hollows and spitfire F4 OG classics 53mm and love it. I might try the 52mm 93d reynolds next time though.
My condolences on your cat, one if our family dogs just passed a away a few weeks ago too so I can sympathize. I just started skating a couple months ago after an 11 year hiatus, got an 8.25 Habitat deck, Thunder Lights, 54mm Bones X99 wide cuts (chipped on third session so only getting F4 from now on...), some generic bearings, Creature bonesaw rails and mini logo grip. I picked up those ventures based on your videos and am excited to try them out in the future.
A Krooked Cernicky Inferno Deck 8.38, independent hollow 149 trucks and Spitfire Formula Four Conical Full Wheels 101D 54mm. But it can change tomorrow. Remember we skated the 9” decks with the big ace trucks? It was like heaven…
This is my current daily driver, for mainly transition/pool skating and random 80s venice style street stuff Dogtown 8.75 Dressen shaped board Independent stage XI 159 trucks Bones 60mm X99 wheels Commodore V6 bearings Santa Cruz slimline rails Powell Peralta Tailbone MOB grip
Sorry about Winston :( My perfect setup: V-lights 5.6, Chocolate G052 8.25, wheels Bones X-formula 99 V1 52mm. Most elements of the setup I figured myself but crailtap board shape I tried after your videos. In the past I was riding Zero 8.25 with 14.25 wheelbase. I wanted to find something with 14WB and more mellow concave but with quite steep kicks and when you reviewed G052 it looked quite steep on video. I tried it and I love it. It is great set - comfy, it seems to be wider because of low concave, stiff which I like (Zero was also stiff). Maybe I will try other board shapes, but for sure I will stay on V-lights. I tried different trucks but I always go back to Ventures :)
I feel sorry for your loss, I have 2 cats and I can completely understand you. I'm on twin tail Santa Cruz VX 8.25 Maurio McCoy board with MOB black griptape, Venture low V-Hollows, some titanium hardware, Bones Swiss and Reds on 52mn Powell Dragons (street) , nano-cubics (curbs) or Spitfire Formula Four (skatepark)
Sorry for your loss!❤️ I ride Girl, Jeron Wilson deck 8.125, 14” WB. Independent 144 mid truck hollow, 53mm Spitfire Reynolds 93a and rails (pig wheels). Mainly skate street, slappys and mini ramp. Thanks for the video and take care during hard times!
i have 5 setups, each a bit different. my primary/favorite is a real 8", #4 in the stack, 14.25"wb, venture low 5.0, 1/8" risers, prob 20yo 56mm mini logo wheels(prob like a radial shape), DIY deck rails. i actually got the board off marketplace for $40, like new. it came with 139 indy forged hollow chris joslins and bones stf 53mm tablet wheels. i like ventures on 14.25"wb more than i thought i would, it keeps kickflips straighter, but makes rotational tricks a bit trickier. i do mostly flatground low impact stuff and slappies
Sorry for your loss. Perfect set up, mostly ride parks, 49 years old 32.5x9 14.5-14.25 wheel base Mob grip 7/8 Allen ace hardware 166 aces Bronson G3 99a 55m OJ hardlines Currently riding a Ron Whaley 9" VX slick. Love it.
So sorry for your loss and all the best going forwards. Losing a family member is very hard. On a positive note you got to spend many years with him. ❤️ As far as setups go my swiss army knife is 8.5" popsicle, Ace 55's and Spitfire 55mm OG Classics. Feels very comfortable from curbs and ledges to transition.
Sorry for your loss. I have been liking DLX true fit 8.06. 13.88 wb. V-Light 5.2 Venture Lows. 50mm F4 99d classics. Bones Reds, Bronze allen 7/8 bolts and Pepper grip.
My condolences to you on Winston ❤ there will be a hole in your heart for him for the rest of your life, and while it might get smaller over time, it will always be there. On another note, have you thought about asking a machinist to drill holes on the vlights?
Sorry for your loss. RIP Winston. 8.38-8.5 shovel nose shape deck (King or Faces shop deck) w/ 14” wheelbase. 52 mm Spitfire Conicals, Bronson raws and venture V lights 5.6. Pepper XG grip.
Sorry for your loss brother 🙏. I get it. Our cats are a big part of our lives. We have 3 cats right now 22 pound Tigger is 14. Bruce Wayne (all gray and hindes the shadows) is 9. And Michael Angelo is 1 year old and keeps the others young. Mikey found us. Came right up to me a little tiney kitten omin my yard. I had 2 dogs for 16 years each. When they passed l, i didn't get another dog. I will in retirement next year. I want to make sure i am around for her and taker with me when i go places. Again. Sorry brother. RIP Winston 🙏
8.5x32 pop mellow to medium concave, 14 inch WB, titanium 159 Indys, Slappy medium bushings, Acer titanium inverted kingpins, thin as possible shock pads, 52mm 97a Nano Rats, Lil Jawns skinny moths rails, Pepper griptape and Bronson Raws....hardware doesn't matter as long as it's Phillips.
I lost my mom in September and had to put down my 17 year old pitbull in October.. I think about them and miss them every day.. I'm sorry for your loss and I hope you have a blessed holiday season..
Rest In Peace, Winston❤️. I ride a 8.5x 31.68 with a 14” wheelbase from Santa Cruz. I’m 48 years young and like power sliding and kick flips. Keep on pedaling!
So sorry to hear about your cat. We lost our beloved dog at the end of October. The energy hasn’t been the same in our house and he was my best friends as well. A quote that has been helping me is “it’s better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all”. For your setup question, still trying to dial it in. Just went back to a smaller board that’s: 8.5 grimple stix 14.25 wheelbase 54 bones formula x97 Indy 149 Bone swiss
I'm sorry about Winston man. 21 years is a good run, you definitely did good by him. Loss is so hard, we lost our cat and 2 dogs a while back and it's still tough on me. He will always be with you and you will always be with him. Take your time healing dude, it can't be rushed. Hope you don't feel any pressure to put out these videos (financial or otherwise), we will be here. Take all the time you need. Deck = Santa Cruz/Creature VX decks, 8.5 with 14" wb (but they also have a 8.8 with a 14.25 wb which I love and switch up to from time to time). I'm on Santa Cruz cause they have a fairly steep kick which I like and the VX last me around twice as long... I start feeling bad about waistin wood when i'm ripping through pure 7 ply maple. I tried Powell flights but the kick seemed too mellow for me personally. Trucks = Venture v-light highs (unless I'm on that 8.8 deck I mentioned then its Indys standard). Wheels = Bones x formula 99a 54mm Grip = Mob, though I'm thinking of switching that up. I mostly skate ledge/slappy stuff but I love stairs and gaps. Though these days I don't hit the stair sets like I used to, I have kids now and mostly skate out alone so I try and hold off on hitting big things when I'm by myself, too risky with family that needs me. Peace and love man!
Sorry about your cat man-I lost my first cat unexpectedly a few years ago and it was awful. After a lot of trial and error, I’ve found my perfect setup for the foreseeable future as someone who’s still learning but primarily skates ledges/parks. 8.5” Quasi with a 14.5” WB - PS Stix boards are super mellow so the set up feels light despite the longer WB. The wheelbase helps give me more board to push against and land on since I’m a bit taller. I went through a lot of board shapes to land here. Went with a shorter WB after i tore my meniscus on my pooping foot, but ended up losing confidence in ledge skating even though flip tricks moved easier. Decided I’d rather have a confident ollie than an easier kickflip. Independent forged hollows 149s - shorter and lighter than standard Indy trucks. Bones x99 sidecut shape 53 mm - great all around wheel. It’s not as square as a conical but gives me a bit more riding surface. I’ve debating going to a standard or radial shape to give a lighter pop and easier time getting into a slappy, but the v5 does a good job and I’m afraid to get rid of a good thing. Bolts and bearings are whatever. Usually independent hardware and bones reds.
Sorry for your loss. My cat is my life too. I skate my perfect setup. 8.5 Flight, 54x39mm Dragon 93a, Thunder Team Hollow 151, Bones Reds, MOB Grip. I skate curbs and flat ground
Sorry for your loss man. Props to you for staying strong, I know it's not easy. As for the topic of the video, my perfect setup is pretty similar to yours, 8.38 April Deck 53mm Spitfire 93A Classics Bronson Raws Thunder Trucks
Sorry to hear about your cat.😢 I ride mostly small transition, jersey barriers, and whatevers at my local park, maybe some curbs. I used to ride 8.75 bbs 32.5 long at least 14.25 wb. I can't stand this short wb trend tbh. Same with stumps and footballs. I'm currently riding an 8.75 techne(p.s. stix) full almost square shape. 32.25 long 14.5 wb. Which im pleasantly surprised with. all the ps stix talk is just that, this is an amazing board & strong. 9 inch ace classics (gotta have my trucks wider than my board) ace hard bushings(gotta have hards on) 55mm acid Chem co 101a wheels (asymmetrical lock in shape half round half square) these are the hardest wheels I've ever had btw. A hodge podge of random bearings that work, I'll probably buy big balls soon. Pepper ultra grip (gotta be sticky). Yoacher or black diamond rails both are kinda tall and soft, which I love in rails plus they have 4 holes instead of 5. Finally just generic 1inch PHILLIPS hardware. Anyone that whines about bolts not being flush is a baby, and face facts Allen is the inferior tool.
Ishod's Twin Tail 8.25", Indy Trucks, 54mm Dragon Wheels V4, Bones Super Swiss. Been using this for a while, for park, bowl and street. Modus grip tape and bolts. Starting to get very comfortable with it. Note: I still consider myself a beginner. :) Sorry about your loss.
My deepest condolences 😢 I used to be a cat dad myself for 19 years. There were times back in the days when she was my only friend and the only one happy to see me after work. I can feel you. She passed away in 2019 at the age of 19. She had a good life. That's all that counts. ❤
About the setup: 8.5 Chocolate popsicle with 8.5 Tensor ATG Mags (both axled more than an inch wide from backside slappies), Bones X97 54mm (now less than 50mm), a mixture of Bronson G3 and Bones Reds (bearings don't last too long because I ride lots of crusty streets). Wheelbase is more than 14.25 but less than 14.5 - can't recall the exact measurements. I'm not that happy with it anymore. Everything is pretty worn out and needs to be replaced. I'm going all crazy with my next setup. A Christmas complete so to speak. Mostly stuff I grabbed at sales that have been sitting around for a while. 9.125 egg shaped skateshop board (Skatedeluxe). 5.8 Venture V-Hollows. Spitfire F4 50mm. Bronson Raws. The board is 8.75 where the trucks are. So that might work out. I skate street 90% and 10% park.
My perfect setup is an 8.38 flight with ACE 44s and Bones X 53mm wheels and Bronson G3s. I am running my V8s on an 8.38 in the narrow wheelbase and... Are you ready? 49mm Spitfire tablets 🤣. I am a firm believer in the quiver. The quiver is 47 completes deep.
I feel you buddy, sorry for your loss. Hugs from Germany. As for my setup: I am 6.5 with long legs, thus my setups are around 8.5" 32.6" long 14.75 wb SYS griptape Bronson G3 bearings Polster Trucks(German brand, comparable to thunder) or Indy hollows. As for my wheels, phew, I experiment with those much more than I probably should. I definitely like F4's the most out of any. Dragons are great for street, but I still prefer the spits. For park I have conical 99a 52mm And for street I found the radial full are exceptionally good. However, I currently have the 97a in 56mm and I find them too grippy. Would like to try the radial full in 99a and perhaps 54mm But spits are so expensive, especially around here. 75€ is kinda crazy.
That sucks mate,they become part of the family. I had my little girl CoCo for 12 years and unfortunately I had to have her put down due to fluid on the lungs, I was a complete mess 😢 Animals are amazing and they have so much character and they really do get you through the tough times. RIP Winston ❤
33 y/o here. been skating for 21 years now and basically have ridden the same set up since i was 18. my current set up is my perfect set up. 8.0 Chocolate Venture V8s. i set them to have my WB be 14" Spitfire 99s 50mm bronsons G3s Bronze 7/8 allen key pepper grip bones hard bushings My skating is a bit of everything. i like to flip my board alot and jump down little stuff. i also really like rails.
..like everyone else - real sorry for your loss. losing a pet/friend.. it's brutal. ok.. as far as set ups go. could not be happier right now. still on my tired 8.25 board (love that thing). ..mostly doing the mellow transition at my local skatepark. and some concrete flat ground there too. running thunder standard trucks (am into them, work great for me anyway) with some krooked risers to bring the height up a little bit. and spitfire f4 54 conical fulls 99a (doing great on those). and some thunder bolts, and jessup grip. oh and some bronson g3s. wouldn't change anything. maybe some of those radial 93s in future (think they'd be good for d.i.ys), and wouldn't mind giving mob a try in the future too. but that's about it really.
Passport board 8.25, mob grip, Thunders 149 with bones hard (bottom)/mediums bushings (top), spitfire classics 101, ceramics bones in them, if I had the money haha hard sounding and quick reaction off the ground my set up is geared towards tech slapping, ledges and flip tricks I'm very sad to hear about Winston, never easy to lose a long time best friend, sending my deepest regards kevin
Sorry for your loss ❤ My setup: FA or Hockey (shape 1) 8.18 14” w.b. Mob grip Thunder Titanium 147mm (stock white 1.5/2 Spitfire 52 or 53 F4 Radials or Classics Bronson Raws (soaked in Windex as needed) Street/ park Love your channel 🔥🔥🔥😎
Been skating an 8.5 Brian Anderson reissue from toy machine lately. Been years since I’ve touched a board that big so I decided to try Indy hollows on it (never thought I’d like Indy’s let alone on an 8.5). Good set up tho tbh. Little harder to flip ig but makes locking in on ledges feel much more consistent and comfortable.
On the setup aspect I also have a setup similar to yours! 8.5 symmetrical deck with lil jawn rails 101 spits and looser trucks for that all around feeling…I’m getting a dedicated curb setup soon 10.25 wide with 97 X-wide nano rats wheels
I’m a lanky dude 180 cm but super light so I feel like I value a bit of heft to my board; I ride aces and spitfires on a shop board from BBS and feel good at 8.5 but with 11.5 shoes, and typically riding loose, I’ve though about going bigger. My cruiser has 8.75 aces and a wide, shaped board which is great for carving around the city. Mostly skating transition and street !
I don't know if this is my perfect setup, but, my current favorite seems to be a Powell 8.75 popsicle deck with a 15" wheelbase, Mini Logo grip, 9" Ace AF1 hollow trucks, Mini Logo bearings, and 88A 60mm Powell Dragon wheels. I mostly just cruise the streets in my neighborhood at this point ollieing and doing manuals and power slides. The wheels and trucks in particular are great. The trucks turn great and the new 88A dragon formula is pretty awesome. The wheels roll over almost anything and are quite fast on asphalt, rough or smooth. I had been using Mob grip, but, it was wearing my shoes out way to fast. So, I switched to Mini Logo which is less abrasive and I'm hoping will wear my shoes down less. Curious to know what the best grip is with regard to not instantly ruining shoes.
As for the setup, I've had 2 "goldilocks" boards: 1- Jamie Foy Deathwish 8.5 x 32 - Thunder 149s - Spitfire Radial Fulls 56mm 97A 2- Jake Reuter Black Label 8.75 - Slappy 8.75 hollows - Spitfire Radials 56mm 93a (though they were wore down to about 54mm) Pretty much both feel great all around, mostly doing slappys and flat ground. As for the bearings I don't remember, but probably Reds or Bronson raws.
I have my trucks down thunder team addition 148 52 mm Reynolds spitfire but my board is 8.5 14 1/2 but I still have board madness but a lot of flat ground curds a ledges
My current set up inspired by your set up is almost deck 8.00 14in wb. venture lo 5.2. Dragon wheels bones big balls and mob m80 grip with girl long neck hardware 7/8s. I decided for the almost deck because it was in sale and also because they single pressed which mean next time I get another almost it has to be same shape.
sorry about your cat. cats are the best! I ride a 8.25 as well april now. anything with 14 wb ... 147 thunders, I cant do the 8.25 trucks. super loose 52 spitfire any wheels is fine mob grip bones reds diamond bolts I mainly do flat ground, ledge, small stairs , etc. haha
Sorry for your loss dude. I've had Cats myself over the yrs & they're family to me. I had one little fella & he had a lot of life situations that he was so determined to pull thru after, that he was a massive inspiration to me when I was a younger skater. Take care & know he's always with you ❤
Sorry to hear about your cat. I feel your pain. I lost my cat a few years ago. I think she was 17 or 18. If your cat made it to 21, that's a pretty long life. I know it hurts regardless, but, at least he had a long good life and had someone that loved him.
Sorry about Winston. I'm a guy that loves his cat too. Really don't know what I'd do without her.
Share my setup. 8.5 shop deck, mob grip, venture hollow, X97s
The local shop decks are always a very chill shape and nothing is cooler to me than just rocking the local shop deck.
Sorry for your loss brother. My Dachshund lived to almost 14 and was my best friend. Never thought I'd get another but after a few years I saw a bit of him in another pup and rescued it and we've been tight since. Best vibes take care dude!!
Sorry for your loss dude.
Genuinely enjoy the mellow vibes of your videos.
Ideal setup is an 8.25 - 8.375 gx1000
32.23 long
14.25 wheel base
Thunder hollow lights 149
Spitfire classics 52mm
Bronson bearings (whatever’s cheapest)
Phillips hardware
Whatever grip doesn’t matter to me
First, I'm so sorry about Winston. My dog Billy died about 4 months ago, he was 13.5 years old. #120 Shepard x Husky. My only friend at times too. It's still tough. Hang in there. We're here for you.
My board setup for sharing:
5' 11"
33" inseam.
Size 8.5 shoe.
Stance: Goofy footed
Flat ground, curbs, ledges, benches, street, and very recently a house with a garage (couple of wood banks/wedges at either end with a box in the middle) so that's been nice for the last two winters up here in the Great White North.
*8.25 to 8.38 x 32" with a slightly squared nose that's a bit steep (Habitat or Quasi or Hockey/FA nose) with a regular rounded tail (ie. a tail that's not too short but not too long either, Hockey/FA/Quasi tails can be too short, I like regular length AWS or Habitat tails)
*can't stand flat concave, but don't want a tub either. So,... medium? to a tiny bit more than medium? Again, see Habitat/AWS.
*can't stand mellow kicks either, I like a slightly steep nose and standard tail
*14.25 wheel base
*Indy 149s, I prefer the height of Indy forged baseplates (53.5mm height) but the ride on forged plates feels clanky and harsher, so I switch between forged and regular Indy baseplate (55mm height) models (or a hoard of old Theeve standard trucks I have). I was actually surprised by the new Venture (highs?) in the 8.5 width, they ride a lot better that the old Ventures I tried back in the day. So every once in a while I'll throw an Ace, or a Thunder, or an Indy Stage 4 in the mix, just for kicks if my skating is feeling stale, but kind of always come back to Indy 149s.
*Truck tension/tightness: factory flush to 1 thread showing, if they squeak or creak then wax in the pivot cup and on the washers
*Diamond 7/8" allen hardware
*Rails...varied and only occasionally, although somewhat more often lately.
*93a to 97a F4 x 53mm (or Dragon or X97, anything that's soft but still slides somewhat reasonably), preferably a bit of a squared shoulder shape in the wheel (but not lock-in shaped) and a bit of a wider contact patch
*Bronson G3
*Mob grip. Way too grippy at first, but good and consistent after 2 or 3 sessions. With all the dirt, dust, and crust up here, Grizzly and Jessup feel good for about half a street session, and then feel like you might as well be riding a bare deck with no grip at all.
I had a lot of really good skate sessions on repeated purchases of the Bobby De Keyser Habitat shape, and still have a few of those hoarded away.
My area has rough ground. And although I've been skating since I was 4 years old, I'm old now (and yet still suck at skateboarding), so the softer wheel with a wider contact patch helps. I do have a beautiful push both regular and switch. I'm like the opposite of Dennis Busenitz. I have a beautiful push, but suck at skating...Dennis Busenitz has a janky weird stabby push, but I love his skating. I also love the smooth power and style of Brian Anderson. The quiet introverted technical genius of Bobby De Keyzer. The long, seemingly casual lines of Ishod Wair.
Sorry for your kitty dude! And my perfect board right now is size is 7.8" WB 14", full concave mid kicks, tensor 5.25 low, 45(now 43mm wheels), ándale Daewon doughnut bearings with spacers and washers, my front truck has doh doh blue 88a bushings and my back truck red 95a, my grip tape is black magic, and my hardware is Shorty's filed down to perfect mesh with the nuts 😅, and I use dooks 1/16 gaskets, my type of skating is slappy on curbs and stuff 1 ft tall, no comply stuff, crooks, some pool ( yes i can even with my tiny wheels) and all around skate park, and freestyle too.
So sorry for your loss. Remember he had a long, good life♥️ My cat is just two years old, but I still fear the day she is gone. They give us so much joy and love, it’s almost hard to describe ♥️ My perfect setup is a Rivington Ludlow 8.5 (a small Norwegian brand with amazing artwork), 14.25 wheelbase, 149 Indy forged hollows and 52-54mm 99a wheels. Skate transition and some street. Trying to learn curbs. I also skate shaped boards to change it up once in a while😊Keep up the good work, Kevin!
I’m so sorry to hear about Winston. I know exactly how you feel. When the time comes you know what you have to do and it’s the right thing to do. Just try to stay positive and remember the good times ❤️
Hey man, hang in there. It's totally fine to feel bad or heavy hearted when your loved one is not doing well. I'm sorry to hear Winston passed away. All the best from Belgium ❤
My go to setup is the 8.06 inch real full se deck. It’s 31.5 inches long with a 14 inch wheelbase. Thunder 147 polished standards. Spitfire f4 50 or 51mm wheels. Bones reds bearings. Diamond hardware. Pepper grip-tape.
For reference, I’m 5’6 with a size 8 shoe. I skate flat ground, manual pads, ledges, an occasional stair set, flat bar sometimes , and barely any tranny.
Wow! Your cat had a long life! My wife and I had to put our cat down two weeks ago. It is a hard thing to do, but what can we say, just enjoy your pets while we have them, because they don’t live very long. I hope your recovery goes well. All around skater. 8.38, or 8.5, 149 for now, I’m thinking about jumping up to 159, and 53, or 54, maybe 52. 🫶skating. Prayers for your recovery.
Sorry for your loss ❤
And for the question, my perfect setup ATM, 1year back on a board in prob 7-10yrs is:
8.25” with a 14.25” wheelbase. Not so picky with shapes but have rly been liking the PRod TwinNose from Primitive
I ride some Indy Stage 11 Forged Hollows with Bones hard bushings.
BUT, i like to ride just abit narrower trucks so i have the 139s on the 8.25” deck.
Spitfire F4 93A 52mm wheels with some Super Reds bearings.
I had the dragons before but they felt too soft.
Mob grip and some random hardware, allen key is a must.
So sorry for your loss bro, they are the best friends for sure. Hope you pass through the bad times and remember all the good moments with you friend! Thanks for your videos, you can't imagine how inspiring you are !!
Hey my deepest condolences. Losing a pet is tremendously hard; they are family. It will get easier over time but feel what you need to feel as you go through it. Wishing you all the best and love your videos.
So sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing those wonderful pics of him - he was a handsome kitty!
Losing a pet is tough… I feel for you. It’s obvious you loved the little guy and gave him his best life.
Thanks for your videos and overall vibe!! Keep pushing!
Bro so sorry for your loss, I went through the same with my dog a few years back, it broke my heart. I recently got a new kitten and couldn’t be happier,your next best friend is out there somewhere brother
Sorry for your loss Kevin, losing a loved pet after 21 years cant be easy for anyone. RIP Winston.
Back in early 2000's (my teen years) i skated a lot of 7.75 Black Label and Zero Decks w/ venture/destructo trucks and of course spitfire F4 52mm wheels. Recently got back into skating and got a 8.25 zero w/venture hollows and spitfire F4 OG classics 53mm and love it. I might try the 52mm 93d reynolds next time though.
Sorry for your loss. Stay stong and keep skating.
My condolences on your cat, one if our family dogs just passed a away a few weeks ago too so I can sympathize. I just started skating a couple months ago after an 11 year hiatus, got an 8.25 Habitat deck, Thunder Lights, 54mm Bones X99 wide cuts (chipped on third session so only getting F4 from now on...), some generic bearings, Creature bonesaw rails and mini logo grip. I picked up those ventures based on your videos and am excited to try them out in the future.
A Krooked Cernicky Inferno Deck 8.38, independent hollow 149 trucks and Spitfire Formula Four Conical Full Wheels 101D 54mm. But it can change tomorrow. Remember we skated the 9” decks with the big ace trucks? It was like heaven…
This is my current daily driver, for mainly transition/pool skating and random 80s venice style street stuff
Dogtown 8.75 Dressen shaped board
Independent stage XI 159 trucks
Bones 60mm X99 wheels
Commodore V6 bearings
Santa Cruz slimline rails
Powell Peralta Tailbone
MOB grip
Hey Kevin. Sorry to hear about Winston. ❤
RIP to the kitty! Much love Kevin, keep it up!
Sorry about your loss my friend! I lost my cat unexpectedly in February and I’m still reeling from the blow. Thanks so much for the content!
sorry for your loss my brother.. nothing can replace them.
My heart goes to you bro❤ peace and love to your boy Winston🙏
Sorry about your loss
Sorry about Winston :( My perfect setup: V-lights 5.6, Chocolate G052 8.25, wheels Bones X-formula 99 V1 52mm. Most elements of the setup I figured myself but crailtap board shape I tried after your videos. In the past I was riding Zero 8.25 with 14.25 wheelbase. I wanted to find something with 14WB and more mellow concave but with quite steep kicks and when you reviewed G052 it looked quite steep on video. I tried it and I love it. It is great set - comfy, it seems to be wider because of low concave, stiff which I like (Zero was also stiff). Maybe I will try other board shapes, but for sure I will stay on V-lights. I tried different trucks but I always go back to Ventures :)
I feel sorry for your loss, I have 2 cats and I can completely understand you.
I'm on twin tail Santa Cruz VX 8.25 Maurio McCoy board with MOB black griptape, Venture low V-Hollows, some titanium hardware, Bones Swiss and Reds on 52mn Powell Dragons (street) , nano-cubics (curbs) or Spitfire Formula Four (skatepark)
Sorry for your loss!❤️
I ride Girl, Jeron Wilson deck 8.125, 14” WB. Independent 144 mid truck hollow, 53mm Spitfire Reynolds 93a and rails (pig wheels). Mainly skate street, slappys and mini ramp. Thanks for the video and take care during hard times!
sorry to hear about winston. my cat is an old man too, he's 17.
i have 5 setups, each a bit different. my primary/favorite is a real 8", #4 in the stack, 14.25"wb, venture low 5.0, 1/8" risers, prob 20yo 56mm mini logo wheels(prob like a radial shape), DIY deck rails. i actually got the board off marketplace for $40, like new. it came with 139 indy forged hollow chris joslins and bones stf 53mm tablet wheels. i like ventures on 14.25"wb more than i thought i would, it keeps kickflips straighter, but makes rotational tricks a bit trickier. i do mostly flatground low impact stuff and slappies
Current set up: 8.5 Blood Wizard, 14.25 wheelbase, Ace 8.5 Trucks with hard bushings, Spitfire FF 99a 53mm. Bronson bearings
Much love Kevin! Just subscribed and your cat is looking down on you man he misses you more than you kiss him I’m positive!
Sorry for your loss.
Perfect set up, mostly ride parks, 49 years old
32.5x9
14.5-14.25 wheel base
Mob grip
7/8 Allen ace hardware
166 aces
Bronson G3
99a 55m OJ hardlines
Currently riding a Ron Whaley 9" VX slick. Love it.
sad to hear and so sorry for your loss..all love and strength for you
So sorry for your loss and all the best going forwards. Losing a family member is very hard. On a positive note you got to spend many years with him. ❤️
As far as setups go my swiss army knife is 8.5" popsicle, Ace 55's and Spitfire 55mm OG Classics. Feels very comfortable from curbs and ledges to transition.
Sorry for your loss.
I have been liking DLX true fit 8.06. 13.88 wb. V-Light 5.2 Venture Lows. 50mm F4 99d classics. Bones Reds, Bronze allen 7/8 bolts and Pepper grip.
Much love kevin! Hang in there brother.
My condolences to you on Winston ❤ there will be a hole in your heart for him for the rest of your life, and while it might get smaller over time, it will always be there. On another note, have you thought about asking a machinist to drill holes on the vlights?
Sorry for your loss. RIP Winston. 8.38-8.5 shovel nose shape deck (King or Faces shop deck) w/ 14” wheelbase.
52 mm Spitfire Conicals, Bronson raws and venture V lights 5.6. Pepper XG grip.
I’m sorry about your loss. Time will heal all wounds, but for now remember the good times and learn to smile again.
Animals are a blessing and a huge life enhancer. Sorry to hear about your cat, and thank you for still putting out some videos.
Sorry for your loss brother 🙏. I get it. Our cats are a big part of our lives.
We have 3 cats right now 22 pound Tigger is 14. Bruce Wayne (all gray and hindes the shadows) is 9. And Michael Angelo is 1 year old and keeps the others young. Mikey found us. Came right up to me a little tiney kitten omin my yard.
I had 2 dogs for 16 years each. When they passed l, i didn't get another dog. I will in retirement next year. I want to make sure i am around for her and taker with me when i go places.
Again. Sorry brother. RIP Winston 🙏
8.5x32 pop mellow to medium concave, 14 inch WB, titanium 159 Indys, Slappy medium bushings, Acer titanium inverted kingpins, thin as possible shock pads, 52mm 97a Nano Rats, Lil Jawns skinny moths rails, Pepper griptape and Bronson Raws....hardware doesn't matter as long as it's Phillips.
I lost my mom in September and had to put down my 17 year old pitbull in October.. I think about them and miss them every day.. I'm sorry for your loss and I hope you have a blessed holiday season..
Rest In Peace, Winston❤️. I ride a 8.5x 31.68 with a 14” wheelbase from Santa Cruz. I’m 48 years young and like power sliding and kick flips. Keep on pedaling!
RIP Winston 😿 So sorry for your loss.
For the tech skating
So sorry to hear about your cat. We lost our beloved dog at the end of October. The energy hasn’t been the same in our house and he was my best friends as well. A quote that has been helping me is “it’s better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all”.
For your setup question, still trying to dial it in. Just went back to a smaller board that’s:
8.5 grimple stix 14.25 wheelbase
54 bones formula x97
Indy 149
Bone swiss
I'm sorry about Winston man. 21 years is a good run, you definitely did good by him. Loss is so hard, we lost our cat and 2 dogs a while back and it's still tough on me. He will always be with you and you will always be with him. Take your time healing dude, it can't be rushed. Hope you don't feel any pressure to put out these videos (financial or otherwise), we will be here. Take all the time you need.
Deck = Santa Cruz/Creature VX decks, 8.5 with 14" wb (but they also have a 8.8 with a 14.25 wb which I love and switch up to from time to time). I'm on Santa Cruz cause they have a fairly steep kick which I like and the VX last me around twice as long... I start feeling bad about waistin wood when i'm ripping through pure 7 ply maple. I tried Powell flights but the kick seemed too mellow for me personally.
Trucks = Venture v-light highs (unless I'm on that 8.8 deck I mentioned then its Indys standard).
Wheels = Bones x formula 99a 54mm
Grip = Mob, though I'm thinking of switching that up.
I mostly skate ledge/slappy stuff but I love stairs and gaps. Though these days I don't hit the stair sets like I used to, I have kids now and mostly skate out alone so I try and hold off on hitting big things when I'm by myself, too risky with family that needs me. Peace and love man!
Sorry about your cat man-I lost my first cat unexpectedly a few years ago and it was awful.
After a lot of trial and error, I’ve found my perfect setup for the foreseeable future as someone who’s still learning but primarily skates ledges/parks.
8.5” Quasi with a 14.5” WB - PS Stix boards are super mellow so the set up feels light despite the longer WB. The wheelbase helps give me more board to push against and land on since I’m a bit taller. I went through a lot of board shapes to land here. Went with a shorter WB after i tore my meniscus on my pooping foot, but ended up losing confidence in ledge skating even though flip tricks moved easier. Decided I’d rather have a confident ollie than an easier kickflip.
Independent forged hollows 149s - shorter and lighter than standard Indy trucks.
Bones x99 sidecut shape 53 mm - great all around wheel. It’s not as square as a conical but gives me a bit more riding surface. I’ve debating going to a standard or radial shape to give a lighter pop and easier time getting into a slappy, but the v5 does a good job and I’m afraid to get rid of a good thing.
Bolts and bearings are whatever. Usually independent hardware and bones reds.
I just got a pair of those ventures. Can't wait to try out the shorter wheelbase
So sorry for your loss ❤
So sorry for your cat. I understand your pain.
Sorry for your loss. My cat is my life too.
I skate my perfect setup. 8.5 Flight, 54x39mm Dragon 93a, Thunder Team Hollow 151, Bones Reds, MOB Grip. I skate curbs and flat ground
So sorry for your loss Kevin. I know it all too well. Winston was loved and I'm quite sure he knew it too. Hope you see your friend again some day. 😥
Sorry for your loss ✌🏽 sending peace your way .
Sorry for your loss Kevin.
So sorry about Winston ❤️🩹
Sorry for your loss man. Props to you for staying strong, I know it's not easy.
As for the topic of the video, my perfect setup is pretty similar to yours,
8.38 April Deck
53mm Spitfire 93A Classics
Bronson Raws
Thunder Trucks
My condolences to you. Sending love and positive energy✨💫 Return In Power Winston ❤ 💫
R.I.P Winston. Sending my love bro
Sorry to hear about your cat.😢 I ride mostly small transition, jersey barriers, and whatevers at my local park, maybe some curbs. I used to ride 8.75 bbs 32.5 long at least 14.25 wb. I can't stand this short wb trend tbh. Same with stumps and footballs. I'm currently riding an 8.75 techne(p.s. stix) full almost square shape. 32.25 long 14.5 wb. Which im pleasantly surprised with. all the ps stix talk is just that, this is an amazing board & strong. 9 inch ace classics (gotta have my trucks wider than my board) ace hard bushings(gotta have hards on) 55mm acid Chem co 101a wheels (asymmetrical lock in shape half round half square) these are the hardest wheels I've ever had btw. A hodge podge of random bearings that work, I'll probably buy big balls soon. Pepper ultra grip (gotta be sticky). Yoacher or black diamond rails both are kinda tall and soft, which I love in rails plus they have 4 holes instead of 5. Finally just generic 1inch PHILLIPS hardware. Anyone that whines about bolts not being flush is a baby, and face facts Allen is the inferior tool.
Ishod's Twin Tail 8.25", Indy Trucks, 54mm Dragon Wheels V4, Bones Super Swiss. Been using this for a while, for park, bowl and street. Modus grip tape and bolts. Starting to get very comfortable with it. Note: I still consider myself a beginner. :)
Sorry about your loss.
My deepest condolences 😢 I used to be a cat dad myself for 19 years. There were times back in the days when she was my only friend and the only one happy to see me after work. I can feel you. She passed away in 2019 at the age of 19. She had a good life. That's all that counts. ❤
About the setup:
8.5 Chocolate popsicle with 8.5 Tensor ATG Mags (both axled more than an inch wide from backside slappies), Bones X97 54mm (now less than 50mm), a mixture of Bronson G3 and Bones Reds (bearings don't last too long because I ride lots of crusty streets). Wheelbase is more than 14.25 but less than 14.5 - can't recall the exact measurements. I'm not that happy with it anymore. Everything is pretty worn out and needs to be replaced.
I'm going all crazy with my next setup. A Christmas complete so to speak. Mostly stuff I grabbed at sales that have been sitting around for a while.
9.125 egg shaped skateshop board (Skatedeluxe). 5.8 Venture V-Hollows. Spitfire F4 50mm. Bronson Raws. The board is 8.75 where the trucks are. So that might work out.
I skate street 90% and 10% park.
i miss the venture golden hardware with red logos on polished hangers era
My perfect setup is an 8.38 flight with ACE 44s and Bones X 53mm wheels and Bronson G3s.
I am running my V8s on an 8.38 in the narrow wheelbase and... Are you ready? 49mm Spitfire tablets 🤣.
I am a firm believer in the quiver. The quiver is 47 completes deep.
Is your garage just full of skateboards?!?! Hahaha
@@KevinNiceTry my daughter got her own place so I took over her room.
@AdventuresInSkateboarding 😂
R.I.P Winston
I feel you buddy, sorry for your loss. Hugs from Germany.
As for my setup: I am 6.5 with long legs, thus my setups are around
8.5"
32.6" long
14.75 wb
SYS griptape
Bronson G3 bearings
Polster Trucks(German brand, comparable to thunder) or Indy hollows.
As for my wheels, phew, I experiment with those much more than I probably should.
I definitely like F4's the most out of any.
Dragons are great for street, but I still prefer the spits.
For park I have conical 99a 52mm
And for street I found the radial full are exceptionally good.
However, I currently have the 97a in 56mm and I find them too grippy.
Would like to try the radial full in 99a and perhaps 54mm
But spits are so expensive, especially around here.
75€ is kinda crazy.
That sucks mate,they become part of the family. I had my little girl CoCo for 12 years and unfortunately I had to have her put down due to fluid on the lungs, I was a complete mess 😢 Animals are amazing and they have so much character and they really do get you through the tough times. RIP Winston ❤
33 y/o here. been skating for 21 years now and basically have ridden the same set up since i was 18.
my current set up is my perfect set up.
8.0 Chocolate
Venture V8s. i set them to have my WB be 14"
Spitfire 99s 50mm
bronsons G3s
Bronze 7/8 allen key
pepper grip
bones hard bushings
My skating is a bit of everything. i like to flip my board alot and jump down little stuff. i also really like rails.
Feeling for you man. Going thru something with my dog right now. Hang in there. ❤️
Sorry to hear that, stay tough for your buddy. ❤️
RIP little dude.
I’m sure you have 18 years of wonderful memories with him.
..like everyone else - real sorry for your loss. losing a pet/friend.. it's brutal.
ok.. as far as set ups go. could not be happier right now. still on my tired 8.25 board (love that thing).
..mostly doing the mellow transition at my local skatepark. and some concrete flat ground there too. running thunder standard trucks (am into them, work great for me anyway) with some krooked risers to bring the height up a little bit. and spitfire f4 54 conical fulls 99a (doing great on those). and some thunder bolts, and jessup grip. oh and some bronson g3s.
wouldn't change anything. maybe some of those radial 93s in future (think they'd be good for d.i.ys), and wouldn't mind giving mob a try in the future too. but that's about it really.
Passport board 8.25, mob grip,
Thunders 149 with bones hard (bottom)/mediums bushings (top),
spitfire classics 101, ceramics bones in them, if I had the money haha
hard sounding and quick reaction off the ground
my set up is geared towards tech slapping, ledges and flip tricks
I'm very sad to hear about Winston, never easy to lose a long time best friend, sending my deepest regards kevin
Sorry for your loss ❤
My setup:
FA or Hockey (shape 1) 8.18 14” w.b.
Mob grip
Thunder Titanium 147mm (stock white 1.5/2
Spitfire 52 or 53 F4 Radials or Classics
Bronson Raws (soaked in Windex as needed)
Street/ park
Love your channel 🔥🔥🔥😎
Sorry buddy! I know how your feel. My longest lived cat was 23 and it hurt a ton. May Winston’s soul and spirit carry on.
8.25 Anti Hero Eagle Deck(Gray) Jessup Grip 8.25 Slappy Trucks 54m Dragons, Bones Red's Shields off. Bang....🔥
Been skating an 8.5 Brian Anderson reissue from toy machine lately. Been years since I’ve touched a board that big so I decided to try Indy hollows on it (never thought I’d like Indy’s let alone on an 8.5). Good set up tho tbh. Little harder to flip ig but makes locking in on ledges feel much more consistent and comfortable.
8.125 Primitive, Venture low 5.2 with V8 baseplate (only back truck in the new holes), spitfire conical full 52mm!
Please accept my condolences, Kevin. 💜
Love cats. I feel same way. It's hard
On the setup aspect I also have a setup similar to yours! 8.5 symmetrical deck with lil jawn rails 101 spits and looser trucks for that all around feeling…I’m getting a dedicated curb setup soon 10.25 wide with 97 X-wide nano rats wheels
10 x 33 shaped deck, 10" Bullet trucks, Ricta 99a 54mm wide wheels, ABEC bearings, 1" hardware, Black Diamond grip
I've waited decades for it to finally appear. But 9.0 SC Ron Whaley vx everslick, 159 Indy's & 56mm spitfire 93's
I’m a lanky dude 180 cm but super light so I feel like I value a bit of heft to my board; I ride aces and spitfires on a shop board from BBS and feel good at 8.5 but with 11.5 shoes, and typically riding loose, I’ve though about going bigger. My cruiser has 8.75 aces and a wide, shaped board which is great for carving around the city. Mostly skating transition and street !
I don't know if this is my perfect setup, but, my current favorite seems to be a Powell 8.75 popsicle deck with a 15" wheelbase, Mini Logo grip, 9" Ace AF1 hollow trucks, Mini Logo bearings, and 88A 60mm Powell Dragon wheels. I mostly just cruise the streets in my neighborhood at this point ollieing and doing manuals and power slides. The wheels and trucks in particular are great. The trucks turn great and the new 88A dragon formula is pretty awesome. The wheels roll over almost anything and are quite fast on asphalt, rough or smooth. I had been using Mob grip, but, it was wearing my shoes out way to fast. So, I switched to Mini Logo which is less abrasive and I'm hoping will wear my shoes down less. Curious to know what the best grip is with regard to not instantly ruining shoes.
Sci-fi symmetrical 8.25, ace 8.5 trucks, spitfire classics 54mm, reds bearings, mob grip, lil jawns rails. Skate mostly curbs and ledges
As for the setup, I've had 2 "goldilocks" boards:
1- Jamie Foy Deathwish 8.5 x 32 - Thunder 149s - Spitfire Radial Fulls 56mm 97A
2- Jake Reuter Black Label 8.75 - Slappy 8.75 hollows - Spitfire Radials 56mm 93a (though they were wore down to about 54mm)
Pretty much both feel great all around, mostly doing slappys and flat ground. As for the bearings I don't remember, but probably Reds or Bronson raws.
For me, it would be a 8.5 fa board, ace 55 trucks and hardware, mob grip tape, Bronson raw bearings and spit fire conical full 56 mm 😊
I have my trucks down thunder team addition 148 52 mm Reynolds spitfire but my board is 8.5 14 1/2 but I still have board madness but a lot of flat ground curds a ledges
My current set up inspired by your set up is almost deck 8.00 14in wb. venture lo 5.2. Dragon wheels bones big balls and mob m80 grip with girl long neck hardware 7/8s. I decided for the almost deck because it was in sale and also because they single pressed which mean next time I get another almost it has to be same shape.
Powell flight 8.5 with Indy's and hardcore bushings 96@ and ricta 78@ 54mm with bones swiss bearings.
sorry about your cat. cats are the best!
I ride a 8.25 as well april now. anything with 14 wb ...
147 thunders, I cant do the 8.25 trucks. super loose
52 spitfire any wheels is fine
mob grip
bones reds
diamond bolts
I mainly do flat ground, ledge, small stairs , etc. haha
8.5 deck (violet, girl pop secret, limo)
14.25 or 14.5 wheelbase
Venture V8s
52mm wheels
Great for Boston streets
8.5 deck. bronson ceramics. 56mm spitfires 99. thunder trucks... set up.
8.18, 14wb Girl
147 thunders
52mm bones x99
Jessup
Bronson Raw… setup suites my 5’8” Mexican person, skate ledges n flatground mostly
Sorry for your loss. Current perfect setup, 8.25 primitive deck with 149 Indy's and 56mm dragon 88 wheels.