45 at 45 Tour
Action obsession or middle age madness?
Rich Sayers skated 45 different Northern California skateboard parks in twenty
days of skating to celebrate his 45th birthday. This is also a showcase of the
many public skate parks we now enjoy. Rich learned how to skate vert
at age 40; getting back on a skateboard after not having skated
for almost 20 years. There were bumps, sprains, bruises and
scrapes -- but the thrill of zooming around on concrete walls,
grinding coping and doing handstands to fakies
was too alluring to stop!
Five 0 Carve Grind in Sunnyvale Skate Park Big Bowl. Photo by Tony B.
This tour was not about great skateboard skills, because I'm not very skilled! The focus was
on staying young at heart, having fun and keeping in shape. Four years after I started skating again,
I realized time was running out. Northern California has many skateparks, but I had only skated twelve.
At 44 years old, how much longer could I safely skate concrete bowls?
So a plan was made to visit 45
skateparks around my 45th birthday in October 2007. Training started in February 2007 and the 45at45.com
site launched in March. Tracker Trucks, Z Sports Distribution and Purple Skunk were early sponsors. Powell, Bones and S One gave generous product flow as well.
The tour was challenging and fun. I found the best group
of skateparks near Sacramento. Folsom has an awesome quad bowl. Citrus Heights has smooth flowing transitions. Natomas blends fast lines and perfect coping. Granite offers great variety --pool coping, metal
coping, tall walls, smaller bowls and over vert.
I met many cool skaters along the way. Guys over 40
who still rip and a lady that learned to skate at 48! It was inspiring to get so much support
from my wife, fellow skaters and sponsors.
Although the tour is over, new adventures await!
California's largest concrete park will open in San Jose by this spring 2008.
Grinding the clover bowl at Tanzanite Skatepark in Natomas Oct. 5th. Photo by Tim Metz.