First off, Happy Go Skateboarding Day. You have at least two hours left to celebrate.
Second, there's no mention of LATCH adapters for them, but from this article in the coolhunting trend rag known as USA Today, it sounds like longboards may be the solution to your minivanophobia:
Parents aren't a visible component of trick skating, but Gasperini says longboards are giving the sport a cross-generational boost. "In longboarding, you now have parents who used to do vert riding skating with their young kids," she says. "This is the first time that has happened."Longboarding: The latest trend among adults (the 'gnarly dads' title is from the print edition) [usatoday via dt reader and gnarly minivan driver jjdaddy]
The GF Hurley Drifter (above) is currently sold out at Extreme Outdoor Supply. [extremeoutdoorsupply.com]
Related: Little Ruler, skategear by skaters for skakers' kids
{update: If you haven't read the comments yet, DT reader and skater Anna's calling BS about five different ways on the "longboards=the latest trend for dads!" story.]
I got a Sector 9 Teahupoo longboard skate for my 37th last month. Regression rules. Or should I say rulez? Too 80's?
[nah, sounds like growing up to me -ed.]
That article REALLY pissed me off! The "latest" trend?!? Please! Did this idiot have her head in a hole in the ground for the last two decades and just came out? I guess the street skaters who have kids are less prone to pussy out and buy a longboard than the vert skaters? Maybe it's because many vert skaters really aren't up to par on the flat (Gator anyone?).
Almost every skater kid I know has either owned or borrowed a longboard at some point. And they didn't have to have a kid to do it. They're comfortable, they have a nice flow, and they're a lot of fun carving hills. I had one when I lived in Boston because it was a lot easier getting to class on it rather than a standard deck because it's made for cruising streets.
It's also like to point out that at the last contest at True East in Boston, there were at least a half dozen Dads competing, and they weren't doing kickflips on a longboard.
AURGH!
I got my Sector 9 Teahupoo at 37 too! 40 and still carving! Keep riding!