Choose a Good Skateboard

Choosing a good skateboard can be tricky, if you're a beginner in the sport. There's a lot that you have to take into account, in addition to the cost. You have to also consider the complete board, the deck, the trucks, and the wheels, whether you're buying a ready-made skateboard or are putting together your own. Once you understand what makes a good skateboard, you'll be hitting up the skate parks in no time.

Steps

Choosing What to Purchase

  1. Decide what you're going to purchase. If you want a good board for less money, you're going to want a complete. If you want a much better board for more money, you're going to want to custom make yours.
    • Keep in mind that choosing custom parts can actually save you money. If you're buying on a budget, get a Mini Logo or blank deck, cheap all-around wheels like Bones 100s, cheap bearings like Spitfire Cheap shots or Bones Reds, and any trucks that you can afford.
  2. Decide whether you want a longboard, a classic or a street/vert board.
    • Longboards can cost from $60-$500. They're good for bombing hills and riding smoothly, but very hard and limiting for tricks. They are great for beginners wanting to learn to skate.
    • Classics can cost from $60-$400. A classic, cruiser, or mini cruiser is good for cruising.
    • Street/verts can cost from $70-$200. They're the typical "skateboard", mostly made for tricks but good for a little bit of everything depending on the wheels.

Purchasing a Complete Board

  1. Be sure to purchase from a reputable source. Buying online might save you a few dollars, but try your local skate shop first. The few extra dollars you spend support the shop and your local skate community. Developing a good relationship with a local skate shop often saves you money in the long run. The completes are not as good as custom made, but you can get them for a lot less money and upgrade any bad components later.
    • A complete can cost anywhere from $50-$200 (USD).
    • A custom made can cost anywhere from $90-$500 (USD).


    2. Completes (from left to right) Price in USD Brand
    Mini-Logo Red $99.00 Mini-Logo
    Classic $149.00 Surf One
    Twisted Dragon $59.00 Powell Golden Dragon
    Sunrise Wave $149.00 Surf One
    Kickflip Red $59.00 Angelboy
    Andy Mac Fist $59.95 Andy Mac

Buying a Custom Board

Buying the Deck

  1. How much money do you want to spend on a skateboard deck? Blank decks, decks with no graphics on the bottom, usually run a lot cheaper than pro decks and ride just as well. But if you fancy having your favorite pro skateboarder's deck and you have enough money, go right ahead.
  2. Buy a quality deck. Decks available at your local department store are usually of low quality and have pictures of cartoon characters on the bottom. If you want an entire board, but don't know exactly what you want, buy a complete skateboard from a company or go to a skate shop and ask the employee about the products. If you want to ride on the streets, get a 7.5 to 8.0 deck, if you want to ride vert, 8.0 and up is probably best. However, it's all personal preference. People street skate all the time with decks over 8.0.
    • Another tip to keep in mind while choosing a board width is how tall you are and also what kind of style you wish to skate. Most technical skaters (the ones who incorporate advanced flip tricks... like Rodney Mullen) tend to favor boards between 7.5 and 7.75 regardless of how tall or small they happen to be. The upper hand of having a thin board allows for quick rotation. The other side of the spectrum is the "go big" skaters (Jamie Thomas is a classic example of a "go big" guy). Most "go big" guys favor size 8.0 and up. The advantage of a wide heavy board feels more stable under your feet while in mid air and while landing (especially those who have big feet). If your a kid you might want to just stick with a 7.66 or smaller.


    3. Decks (from left to right) Price in USD Brand
    SuperLight $37.50 Mini-Logo
    Silver $49.95 Powell
    No Ka Oi Longboard $75.00 Surf-One
    Hill BullDog $62.00 Powell Peralta
    Street Issue $58.00 Powell Classic
    Quicktail $100.00 Powell Peralta

Buying the Trucks

  1. The trucks are the second most important part of a skateboard. When purchasing a truck, you want to look for these characteristics.
    • A length that is no more {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}.
    • A width that fits the deck, so 7.5 trucks on a 7.5 deck.
    • A design that you like.
    • Lightweight.
    • Grinds well.
    • Durable material - You don't want them to snap in half.
    • Pick out a truck that has no design or paint if you are on a tight budget.
    • Design isn't everything - it might look cool, but that doesn't mean it's good quality.


    Trucks (from left to right) Price Brand
    Unit Phantom II Truck (White) $17.99 Phantom
    Grind King The Low Truck (Silver) $16.99 Grind King
    Thunder Creepy Crawl Truck $16.99 Thunder
    Randal 180 $24.00 Randal
    Tracker 184 $24.95 Tracker Trucks
    Tracker 129 $14.99 Tracker Trucks

Buying the Wheels

  1. Pick out wheels for the kind of skateboard that you have and what you mostly want to be doing.
    • Long boards use big and soft wheels.
    • Street boards use small and hard wheels.
    • It doesn't matter what brands your other parts are. Get the best brand for each individual part depending on what you're doing.


    2. Wheel (left to right) Price (USD) Brand Diameter
    S-3 Black $16.80 Mini-Logo 50mm
    Strobe Gold $32.00 Powell 53mm
    Wave Black $33.00 Surf-One 65mm
    Mini Cubic $35.95 Powell Peralta 64mm
    Ripper $32.00 Powell Classic 56mm
    G-Bones Blue $32.00 Powell Peralta 64mm

Buying the bearings

  1. Bearings are very important if you want to keep rolling without pushing constantly, especially while street skating. They're typically rated with the ABEC (Annular Bearing Engineering Committee) scale. The ABEC scale only measures the precision of the bearing, not how well it rolls or how long it lasts. It's a common misconception that the ABEC scale refers to how fast the bearing rolls. Anything above 1 is precision and will perform fine for skateboarding, but it's recommended to go above a 3.
    • The ABEC ratings for skateboard bearings are 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9.
    • If you keep your bearings clean and well lubricated, they'll last for much longer.
    • If you have the money for them, bearings with ceramic balls instead of steel ones will last longer and won't need to be lubricated as often. Ceramic balls also won't absorb as much heat as steel balls, which helps performance when they get hot from friction at high speeds.


    2. Bearings Price in USD Brand
    Bones Red Bearings $6.99 - $18.00 Bones Bearings
    Bones Ceramic Bearings $48.99 - $140.00 Bones Bearings
    Bones Swiss Labyrinth $37.99 Bones Bearings
    Bones Original Swiss Bearings $34.99 - $55.00 Bones Bearings
    Bones Super Swiss Bearings $39.99 - $58.00 Bones Bearings
    Mini-Logo Bearings $8.99 Mini-Logo



Tips

  • Before you buy any deck, take it off the shelf and stand on it to make sure that it is a good width and length. Wear the shoes you plan to skate in, so you can tell how it will feel.
  • Don't buy a board just because it looks cool, get one that has good feel to it.
  • The best thing to do when getting a new board is to go to your local skate shop and talk to the people there -- they are usually very helpful. The guys at the shop will be able to tell you what board will be good for your skating needs. Keep in mind different people have different opinions on board brands. People say Plan B's are good, but I know others that say it's not. Some like DGK boards, some don't. Just test the board out and see how it suits you. You may want to double check this if you are being extremely careful with your selection.
  • A few good wheel brands are Spitfire, Ricta, Bones, and Autobahn.
  • If you are in it for the tricks, you'll need a skateboard that has a good concave and pop, good trucks, quality bearings, and smooth wheels. If you just want to cruise look into getting a long-board.
  • Some skate shops sell blank decks that usually have good pop and will last a long time. These are also less expensive than brand-name boards.
  • Before you buy a new board, make sure you are going to skateboard a lot; otherwise it's not worth it to spent $100+ on a setup that you will not end up using.
  • Buy some grip gum if you don't want to mess up your grip tape. They are expensive, at $14 or more.
  • If you want a great design on your blank deck, just spray it on. A stencil will work perfectly. If you choose this option it's all your style on the deck and you can make it look how you want.
  • Grind King, Independent, Krux, Thunder, and Silvers are probably the best trucks on the market.
  • Skating does not require the precision of a machine spindle or mill, so you may never need the higher ABEC numbers for your bearings. Some companies, such as Bones, do not even rate their bearings. As a general rule with bearings, you get what you pay for, and quality costs money.
  • Bones, Flip HKD, Black Panther, and Speed Demon are some of the better brand bearings.
  • Most decks you buy are going to be about $50-$70. That difference isn't in quality, its in brand and what they sell for. Hi-tech decks usually last longer and are on the more expensive end but your basic 7-ply will do the same job. The average complete will cost form $140-$200. Try to get the best board possible if you are a beginner because you want it to last a long time.
  • If you want to pay a little extra cash for your hardware (bolts) then go for Lucky hardware. I suggest Shorties if you want it to hold up for a long time.
  • Some good decks include Flip, Zero, Baker, Almost, Plan B, Girl, Chocolate, Alien Workshop. Any big name brand will work because they are all made pretty much the same.
  • If you are trying to buy a second board, and you are getting to the point where you think, "Do i want to be street or vert?", here is a recommended combination:
    • Deck: Either a Chocolate, Girl, Almost, or Flip. 7.75" (7.75 is the basic size for a combo of street and vert.)
    • Trucks: Royal, Thunder, Independent, or Grind King. 7.75"
    • Bearings: FKD, Element, or Destructo. ABEC 7. ABEC is a rating for the accuracy of the cut of the bearing. 3 is the lowest, 9 is the highest. I suggest 7 for a combo of street and vert.
    • Wheels: Any 52mm-54mm of any brand. I suggest 97 hardness so bumps and pebbles in the road aren't felt to strongly.
    • Hardware: Shorties of any kind. Theirs holds up the best.
    • Griptape: Any that you like. I suggest that you avoid colored grip tape because it picks up dirt and starts to look ratty and terrible over time.
  • A great deck combo if you want to street cruise (but don't want a longboard) is:
    • Deck: Any Powell-Peralta board (old-school style) preferably 10 by about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}. You can get those at powell-peralta.com.
    • Trucks: 9.5 inch (169mm) Independent trucks.
    • Wheels: 90a or 85a Rat Bones wheels. For a street cruiser, you don't want hard small wheels (hard is about 92a and up, small wheels are under 60mm). Soft wheels don't trip up on cracks, and 90/85a wheels are still dense enough to go fast.
    • Bearings: any Bones bearings, just get Reds if you don't have a lot of money.
    • Griptape: MOB IS TIGHT!
  • If unsure about board size go 8.0 and adjust to your needs from there. Remember, smaller boards flip better but larger boards are easier to land on and are more comfortable to ride on.

Warnings

  • Do NOT expose your board to elements such as water or extreme heat. The board will start to separate and you will be out a board.
  • Try to wear long pants, because your ankles are going to get beat up if you do spin tricks with shorts on.
  • Retail board bearings are the worst bearings in the world and can come off easily in a few weeks even after tightening them to the hardest. Its cheaper but if you wanna become a professional skater you gotta get a pro board.
  • Practice every day at least 1 hour.
  • Skateboarding is a dangerous sport. Especially if you're going to be trying crazy tricks and gaps, a helmet is recommended to avoid brain damage, and pads are recommended if you want to have elbows and knees when you are through.
  • Don't ever leave the trick if you can't do it.
  • Boards bought at any retail store are really bad and are not good for skating and are called poser boards by dedicated skaters. The best place to get a good board is your local Skate Shop. The Second best place to buy a board is a chain store like Zumiez or Vans. Also BlackHoleBoards has every brand you name.
  • Skateboarding takes time and lots of practice. Don't do any extreme trick like Hardflips or 360 Front Flips until you learn the basics: The Ollie, Kickflip, 10 sec Manual, Boardslide and Heelflip.
  • Remember don't get those cheap skateboards from Walmart. They won't hold up to any skating and can break from a single ollie that is landed improperly. I know they are cheap, but 2 cheap boards a week for a few weeks adds up to the price of 2 or 3 expensive boards. These boards are also heavier and slow which makes them much more difficult to do tricks on.
  • Don't get into skateboarding if you don't want to spend the time, or the money. You will usually go through a board every five or six months and if you don't want to go through that, find another sport.
  • Remember, no skateboard lasts forever. Each board has different lifespan, regardless of the brand. Flip tends to break the easiest if you skate a lot. Almost and Girl boards usually have the longest life span. If you want a board that lasts really longer and you have the money, go for the Uber boards. Almost has three Uber boards signed by Mullen and usually start at $70 just for the deck, and completes range from $150-$250 just for the basic. If you want the perfect board, then you are talking a lot of money.
    • Uber boards are pro boards, so if you are beginner do not get one until you have been skating at least one year and you got the feel of a regular pro board. Uber boards are actually two boards inside another board, so it's whole lot smoother, and you will need to balance!

Things You'll Need

  • Skate Shoes - Vans, Globes, DC, Etnies, Fallen
  • Helmet
  • Local Skate Shop
  • Local skate park or street
  • Skateboard
  • Pads
  • Budgets
  • First aid kit
  • Crew
  • Grip Gloves (optional)

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