-1- The Ultimate Skateboard Buying Guide A Complete Guide For Choosing The Right Skateboard And Accessories By Tony Waters
-2- DISCLAIMER Please note that the author and publisher of this book are NOT RESPONSIBLE in any manner whatsoever for any injury that may result from practicing the techniques and/or following the instructions given within. Since the physical activities described herein may be too strenuous in nature for some readers to engage in safely, it is essential that a physician be consulted prior skateboarding. First published in 2008 by Secrets of Skateboarding Inc. 2008 by Secrets of Skateboarding Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from Secrets of Skateboarding, Inc. Distributed by: Secrets of Skateboarding, Inc. First edition Printed in the United States of America
-3- The skateboarding industry is huge. It is growing bigger and bigger by the minute. With so many products out there, how do you know which ones to get? Buying the right board is tough. There are so many to choose from. There is a wide range of prices. You want to get something that s high quality, but at the same time, spend as little money as possible. Unless you have extra piles of cash lying around, it s smart to know a little about the products before purchasing them. This guide covers everything you need to know about buying a skateboard and accessories. Study this information carefully!
-4- Before We Begin, a Reminder: Do not buy cheap boards! In the skateboarding world, cheap means dangerous. Companies that sell these low quality skateboards do not care much about how suitable they are for skateboarding. These boards have absolutely no pop, poor bearings, and crappy trucks. You don t want to skimp on the skateboard and end up with a dangerous product. Cheap boards have wheels made out of poor plastic, weak trucks (often plastic!) bearings that freeze and decks that crack. Where do we find cheap boards? Toy stores, Wal Mart, K Mart, etc. If the entire board is under 30$, chances are it s not a high quality board. Most likely, the deck has Batman or Spongebob on the bottom. These are designed for little kids- if you are even slightly serious about skateboarding, do not ever, buy these kinds of boards. There are a few ways to tell whether or not a board is suitable: - The board has plastic trucks
-5- - Cheap boards have wheels that do not spin well - Good boards have a slight curve down the middle of the board, whereas cheap ones are pretty much flat A good complete skateboard will cost anywhere from $70 to $140 and the investment is well worth it. Skateboard companies that sell these boards actually take time to research and develop them to make them durable and suitable for skateboarding.
-6- The Deck You probably know that there are two types of skateboarding: vert and street. Because there are so many differences in the styles vert and street, you want to be careful when choosing deck that ll work for you. Vert Skaters If you mostly skateboard at the skate park, on ramps, or in pools, you ll want to select a deck that is appropriate for vert. You ll want a board that s a little wider. Choose a board over 8 wide. Street Skaters
-7- If you spend most of your time skating around in the street, you ll want a board that has a lot of pop and is suitable for grinds and flip tricks. Choose a deck that is smaller than 8. My personal preference is 7.5, but pick which ever is most comfortable for you. Anything wider will make it difficult to execute technical tricks. Both If you want do both (which is not a bad idea at all) then you should find a deck that s right there in the middle. An 8 deck is an excellent choice. If you like one better than the other, you might want to consider getting a board that suits that type of skating. Narrow boards make it harder to balance on ramps, whereas wider boards make it harder to do flip tricks. Riding Around If you only want to use your board for transportation, go for a bigger board, which gives you more balance and control. Also, be sure to look into long boards, as they provide more comfort, safety and control. Cost
-8- A good deck should cost anywhere from $20 to $60. Brand name companies, such as Element, Girl, Almost, Toy Machine, etc offer high quality boards for around $49.99. Blank decks are another great option and cost anywhere from $20-$40. If you re new to skateboarding, I highly recommend getting a blank deck, since they are much cheaper yet are very close in quality to brand name decks. Ccs.com is one of the biggest skateboard distributors in the world. They carry every single major brand for reasonable prices. A good starting deck is the CCS blank complete, which you can build at http://www.ccs.com. Reviews Enjoi: I have had great experiences overall with Enjoi decks. The decks are very durable and stable. The board can last up to 3 months of hardcore skating. One feature I love about Enjois are their unique shape. They have a massive concave that takes a while to get used to. The deep concave gives total control over flip tricks.
-9- Enjoi Boards have awesome pop. I ve noticed that their tails and noses are generally longer than the average board, which helps with pop. Popwar: They re not called POPwar for nothing. The boards have as as much bounce and pop as their little bunny logo. I ve noticed that the board is much stiffer, which is why the pop feels so different and cleaner. The shape of the deck varies. Some have deep concaves that are perfect for flip tricks, while others seem relatively flat. It all comes down to personal preference. This deck will score an 8/10 on the durability scale. It should last up to 3 months from regular skating. Alien Workshop: AWS has been around for quite sometime, meaning these people know how to design a quality board. The board has great pop, although the deck doesn t feel as stiff. The shape of board varies by each deck, but they have deep noses and high tails, which take a while to adjust to, but great once you re used to it.
-10- The only problem I have with them is that they tend to wear out quickly. You ll start to notice the layers fade away the more you use it. It ll definitely last more than a month, but I don t know how much more than that.
-11- Wheels Wheels come in all different sizes, hardness and colors. Picking the right size and hardness of your wheels is important. Wheels are measured by the diameter and durometer. Diameter is the size (length) of the wheel and durometer is the durability or hardness of the wheel. Again, choosing the right wheel depends on what type of skateboarding you re into. Vert Skaters
-12- You ll want a lot of speed when riding up ramps. Thus, you should have some large wheels since they roll faster. Try 55-65 mm size wheels. The wheels should have a hardness of 97 to 100a. Street Skaters Street skaters want smaller wheels since they are lighter and closer to the ground, allow the board to flip faster and more smoothly. Try 50-55mm wheels with a hardness of 97-100a. Both If you skate both vert and skate, you ll want a wheel in the middle, with a size of 52-60mm and a hardness of 95-100a. This balances out the speed and weight. Riding Around Wheels designed for cruising are larger, so you can roll faster, and softer, so you can ride over rough terrain. Try something with a diameter of 64-75mm and a hardness of 78-85a. Reviews: The wheels I ve had the most success with are Ricta and Spitfire.
-13- Ricta wheels are more expensive than normal wheels, but they re worth it. Many pro skaters use them since they last a long time, grip nicely and spin smoothly. Spitfire has always been known as the most popular wheel company. They re products certainly deserve it. Spitfire wheels are fantastic, especially since they are durable yet cheap. They also grip very nicely.
-14- Trucks One of the most important parts of the skateboard, trucks are the metal part that connects the deck and wheels. Three important areas to consider when buying trucks are height, bushings, and axel length. Truck Height The general rule with truck height is: the lower the truck, the more stable and easier your board will flip. Low trucks go well with smaller wheels and are idea for street skating.
-15- Higher trucks allow you to use larger wheels, which is great for vert and skateboarding at higher speeds or longer distances. Bushings The little rubber donut inside of the truck is the bushing. It supports and cushions the truck when it turns. The harder the bushing, the more difficult it is to turn and the more stable the skateboard. Likewise, the softer the bushing, the easier it is to turn. If you re getting a brand new board, I highly recommend getting stuff bushings. They will break in and become softer over time. Seasoned skaters should use medium bushings, since they are already adjusted. Soft bushings should only be for skaters who spend most of their time cruising and carving, as they made the board turn rapidly and requires a lot of control.
-16- Axle Length The axle length of your trucks should depend on the size of your board. You want your trucks to match the size of your deck. Ideally, the width of your trucks should be to within ¼ of the width of the deck. Reviews Fury: Fury trucks are very light and turn smoothly. They come with glued on risers and are available in plenty of colors. The only problem I have with them is that the bushings they come with aren t the best and you ll probably want to replace them. Grind King: Grind King has a reputation of making extremely strong and light trucks. However, when I tried them, I found that the metal wore off really quickly. After grinding a couple of times, my trucks wore down a lot. They are very light, but the axles tend to bend. Another problem I had with mine was that they would never stay tight. The allen head kingpin was always loose, no matter how much I screwed the trucks in. Independent:
-17- Independent is one of the oldest truck companies and there is a good reason why they ve been around for so long. Independent trucks grind very smoothly and are very tough. One very minor thing I ve noticed is that they don t turn as well.
-18- Bearings Bearing are what makes your wheels spins smoothly. They are the little metal rings that are inside of your wheels. You ll want bearings that are both smooth and durable. The ideal bearing for a skateboard is a ABCE 3 or ABCE 5. These are smooth enough, but won t break when you ollie. A good idea is to read some reviews about which bearings work best. Bearings are sold within a wide range of prices. It is not a good idea to go straight ahead and buying the most expensive bearings out there. Ask friends and other skaters for which bearings work well.
-19- I suggest getting some Bones Red or Lucky s. They are reasonably priced and work very well.
-20- Accessories Accessories are mainly personal preference. It is really hard to tell the difference between different brands. Just go for something you like that s has a decent price. Grip Tape Grip Tape is the sand paper like sheet that covers the deck. It allows friction between your feet and the deck so you stay on it easier and do tricks on it. Personally, I don t see much of a difference between different brands of grip tape.
-21- Risers Risers help prevent wheel bite and relieve stress from the trucks when you drop from a height. In other words, they help prevent your board from cracking when you land and the wheels from touching the deck when you make a hard turn. Most risers are 1/8 high, which is a good height. If you have larger wheels (greater than 60mm), you should also get higher risers. On the other hand, if you have smaller wheels (52mm) you may not need risers at all. Hardware Hardware is the nuts, bolts and screws that hold everything together. They isn t really a difference in different brands. Just get something that s relatively cheap.
-22- Resources CCS CCS is probably the best mail order skateboarding resource. They have a wide selection of products, great prices and excellent customer service. Shipping for orders over $30 is usually free. Be sure to sign up for the newsletter, since they have many seasonal clearances. http://www.ccs.com Active Mailorder Another great mail order website. They have a wide product selection and reasonable prices. http://www.activemailorder.com