Skateboards, Skateboard Decks, and Gear

Skateboards, Skateboard Decks, and Gear

Skateboarding is one of the cheapest and most exiting ways of getting around. While walking might be more cost effective, it is slow and boring. At $2 a bus ride it wouldn’t take long to get the worth out of any skateboard. There is not a shortage of people willing to teach skateboarding either, it is the sixth most popular sport in the world and out of all those millions of riders half of them are in California, the birthplace of many extreme sports.

Skateboards evolved into what they are today largely because of the surfing movement in southern California during the sixties. Back then it was called sidewalk surfing and the skateboard deck was much smaller at first, then became short and fat with an upturned tail in the early eighties, and finally evolved into its more streamlined, symmetrical version that people ride today. A complete skateboard today can cost between $25 and $150 although a longboard may cost more than that.

Another interesting fact to know about skateboards is that they cause over 100,000 injuries that require medical treatment every year. That doesn’t include the standard scrapes and bruises and overwhelmingly consists of wrist injuries followed closely by head injuries so it is important to wear a helmet. Due to the injuries, Norway actually banned skateboarding from 1978 until 1989 when their riders finally learned some skills and stopped falling down all the time. Now they worry about trespassing and destruction of property, the main crimes that have been attributed to skateboarding.

Once the skills are learned the fun begins and even a cheap skateboard can produce the ride of a life. The main piece of the board is the deck which is made from at least seven pieces of maple plywood tightly pressed together to form one cohesive piece that can have curves and form. The blank skateboard then receives its paint job which can vary greatly from company to company and board to board. Holes are drilled for the skateboard trucks before they are tightened into place and after the wheels and bearings are installed it is ready to ride. Throw on some skateboard shoes and hop on.

One of the best ways to learn how to ride is from friends who already know how, but learning new tricks can be a little bit more difficult. Skateboard videos, which are in high supply at any skateboard shops, are some of the best tools for learning how to perform complex tricks. They can be studied in slow motion before taking that knowledge to the streets or parks for practicing the real thing. Many riders take their style from these pros, buying their overpriced skateboard clothing and skateboard gear in truckloads. Skateboarding is for people of all ages with plenty of kids skateboard lessons and even a pretty pink girl skateboard. The clothing a person wears shouldn’t really matter.

One of the newest trends with skateboards is the longboard skateboard which really goes back to skateboarding’s roots, surfing. They are much longer boards, hence the name, but also have wider trucks and bigger, softer wheels. This combination allows the rider to carve the board much like they would do on a wave or while snowboarding down a mountain. They aren’t designed for the skateboard ramp, preferring well paved mountain roads.

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Skateboards

Skateboarding is one of the cheapest and most exiting ways of getting around. While walking might be more cost effective, it is slow and boring. At $2 a bus ride it wouldn’t take long to get the worth out of any skateboard. There is not a shortage of people willing to teach skateboarding either, it is the sixth most popular sport in the world and out of all those millions of riders half of them are in California, the birthplace of many extreme sports.

Skateboards evolved into what they are today largely because of the surfing movement in southern California during the sixties. Back then it was called sidewalk surfing and the skateboard deck was much smaller at first, then became short and fat with an upturned tail in the early eighties, and finally evolved into its more streamlined, symmetrical version that people ride today. A complete skateboard today can cost between $25 and $150 although a longboard may cost more than that.

Another interesting fact to know about skateboards is that they cause over 100,000 injuries that require medical treatment every year. That doesn’t include the standard scrapes and bruises and overwhelmingly consists of wrist injuries followed closely by head injuries so it is important to wear a helmet. Due to the injuries, Norway actually banned skateboarding from 1978 until 1989 when their riders finally learned some skills and stopped falling down all the time. Now they worry about trespassing and destruction of property, the main crimes that have been attributed to skateboarding.

Once the skills are learned the fun begins and even a cheap skateboard can produce the ride of a life. The main piece of the board is the deck which is made from at least seven pieces of maple plywood tightly pressed together to form one cohesive piece that can have curves and form. The blank skateboard then receives its paint job which can vary greatly from company to company and board to board. Holes are drilled for the skateboard trucks before they are tightened into place and after the wheels and bearings are installed it is ready to ride. Throw on some skateboard shoes and hop on.

One of the best ways to learn how to ride is from friends who already know how, but learning new tricks can be a little bit more difficult. Skateboard videos, which are in high supply at any skateboard shops, are some of the best tools for learning how to perform complex tricks. They can be studied in slow motion before taking that knowledge to the streets or parks for practicing the real thing. Many riders take their style from these pros, buying their overpriced skateboard clothing and skateboard gear in truckloads. Skateboarding is for people of all ages with plenty of kids skateboard lessons and even a pretty pink girl skateboard. The clothing a person wears shouldn’t really matter.

One of the newest trends with skateboards is the longboard skateboard which really goes back to skateboarding’s roots, surfing. They are much longer boards, hence the name, but also have wider trucks and bigger, softer wheels. This combination allows the rider to carve the board much like they would do on a wave or while snowboarding down a mountain. They aren’t designed for the skateboard ramp, preferring well paved mountain roads.