Choosing a Board

Picking a board is not really all that complicated but you have to know a few things before you start. Below are a few simple guidlines that will help you out.

1. Are you going to be skating at the skatepark, vert ramps or pools? Most of this type of skating uses a wider board. Wider than 8 inches like (8.25" or 8.38" would be good).
   
   
2. Do you think you'll be skating around a school playground or on the street a lot? Most of this type of skateboarding involves flip tricks or grinds. With this type of boarding, one is usually most comfortable with a deck 8 inches wide or smaller, like (7.5", 7.75"). Anything much wider can make it hard to do technical tricks.
   
   
3. Of course, if you feel you might be doing a little bit of each of these styles, which most people probably do, then you should consider a board that's right about in the middle. That of course would be the 8 inch deck. If you find yourself leaning one way or the other, you might actually want to consider a separate board for each style. This way you will be assured to perform to your ability at it's best.
   
   
4. If you thik you might be just doing a lot of cruising, with your board mainly a means of transportation, then the bigger the board the more balance and control you'll have. You might even want to look at getting a long board.
Skateboard Safety

5. You should buy a pair of skate shoes. You can skate in regular shoes, but it will be a lot harder and even sometimes dangerous. Skate shoes have a large flat bottom. This grips the board better for one thing. They also have reinforcement in areas where you'll likely wear the shoe down.
   
   
6. A helmet is a MUST. You might see skaters not wearing helmets, and worry that wearing one will make you look stupid, but don't worry about it. Even the professionals wear helmets. They wouldn't consider boarding without one and they can tell you why from experience. It's a requirement at most skateparks to wear helmets, and it's just plain smart, especially when you're first starting out and you will have plenty of spills.
   
   
7. Wearing other protective pads can be good too. It does depend on where you are at and what you are doing. If you are trying to do tricks in your driveway, elbow pads would be a good idea. You really only need knee pads if you are skating on a ramp, or trying some pretty crazy tricks. Wrist braces can be nice, but be careful not to get too used to using your hands to catch yourself when you fall.

Adjusting to Your Board

Before you try anything crazy, you need to get comfortable with your board. If you borrowed it, or if you went to a shop and bought a complete board already built, there's a chance that there may be some things about it that you might find uncomfortable. Set the board either in some grass, or on the carpet in your living room, and try standing on it, jumping on it, balancing and whatever. Try balancing only on the front or back wheels. Stand on the board, move your feet into different positions. Get used to the feel and size of your board.



If you get really good you can do lots of different things like grinds on rails. There is a ton of equipment that one can buy to perform and practice various skateboard skills. Some things will come easy while others will seem quite hard. Patience and persistence is the key to learning. If you really want to try something different, they now have gas powered skateboards which look like a blast but, one must be real careful if using anything motorized. Now you have the lowdown on the basics of skatbaords. There are lots of links on this page that you can explore and find many of the things you need to get started. Be careful, have fun and enjoy.

Related Sites / Links

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