G & S Mark Heintzman 1991

While in California last month I got stoked on all of the folks I saw using their skateboards as transportation. Especially the ones riding regular size skateboards with big wheels.

I don't want to bag on long boards, but the simple fact is that much like the music of Bob Marley, college kids have ruined them for everyone.

Well recently, a friend of mine bought a house in the neighborhood and I've been using my old skateboard to get between our houses and through that action have discovered the joys of having Baroo pull me around as well.

Here is my old setup:

1991 Mark Heintzman Gordon & Smith


I got this in fourth grade for Christmas, though I had the wheels on my old Santa Cruz, the deck, Bridgebolts, rails, risers, and trucks were new

Sidebar: these are unmarked trucks with a dagger on one (in the metal) and a snake on the other, anybody know what the heck these might be?

The board is big with a lot of concave and a big nose and tail, however my neighborhood cruising has been sucky since the wheels on it are Powell T-Bones ramp wheels which are hard as shit.


Enter some new parts into the mix to make this old schooler a neighborhood ruler

Lucky ABEC 7 Bearings and Gravity Burner wheels 66mm and a super soft 74a



This parts swapping also gave me the opportunity to bust out one of my all time favorite tools

An old school Fix Stix. It's got a bearing press, and sockets for the truck mounting hardware, kingpin, and wheel bolts.


Just busting this out reminded me of how the night of a sleepover we'd all take our boards apart and clean and lube the bearings in preparation for the next days epic sesh.

And this is the finished product.


I'm now officially monster trucking and the soft wheels ride like a freaking dream.