1. Skateboard Types
* Street/Trick Boards:
* Shape: Like a popsicle stick – narrow and a bit curved.
* Size: About 28–33 inches long and 7.5–8.5 inches wide.
* What they're for: Street tricks, skateparks, ollies, kickflips, you name it!
* Longboards:
* Shape: Long and wide.
* Size: From 33–60 inches.
* What they're for: Chilling rides, bombing hills, carving turns, getting around town.
* Good stuff: Super smooth and stable, especially when you're going fast.
* Cruiser Boards:
* Shape: Shorter than longboards, often with a kicktail.
* What they're for: Just riding around, nothing crazy.
* Good stuff: Turn on a dime and easy to lug around.
* Old School Boards:
* Shape: Wide in the front, narrow in the back, usually not even.
* What they're for: Pool skating, ramps, and old-school moves.
* Electric Skateboards:
* Shape: Like longboards or cruisers.
* What they're for: Getting around without pushing!
* What's inside: A motor, battery, and remote.
2. The Pieces
* Deck:
* What it's made of: Usually 7–9 layers of maple wood but sometimes bamboo.
* Shape: Curved so your feet grip; different widths for different styles.
* Curve Types:
* Mellow: Easy ride
* Medium: Tricks and riding
* Steep: Best for flip tricks
* Grip Tape:
* What it does: Keeps your feet from sliding off.
* Types: Rough, medium, smooth.
* Trucks:
* What they do: Hold the wheels and let you turn.
* The bits: Baseplate, hanger, axle, bushings.
* Sizes: Gotta match the width of your board.
* Wheels:
* what it's made of: Plastic.
* Size:
* 50–54mm: Street/tricks.
* 55–60mm: Cruising.
* 60+mm: Longboarding/downhill.
* How hard they are:
* 78A–87A: Soft, smooth, great for bumpy ground.
* 88A–99A: Good all-around for street and park.
* 100A+: Hard, best for tricks on slick ground.
* Bearings:
* What they do: Let the wheels spin.
* How good they are: Rated on the ABEC scale (1–9).
* Keep 'em happy: Clean and grease them.
* Hardware:
* What it is: The bolts and nuts that hold the trucks on.
* Size: Usually 7/8 inch or 1 inch.
3. Setting Up Your Board
* Deck Size: Pick a width that feels good with your feet and matches how you skate.
* Trucks: Make sure they're as wide as your board. Tight trucks are better for tricks, loose trucks are better for turning.
* Wheels: Hard ones for street tricks, soft ones for cruising.
* Bearings: Clean them!
4. Don't Forget Your Gear!
* Helmet: Get a skate-rated one.
* Pads: Knees, elbows, wrists.
* Shoes: Flat ones so you grip the board.
* Downhill? Gloves.
5. Skateboarding 101
* Basics:
* Balancing
* Pushing
* Turning
* Stopping
* Tricks:
* Ollie: Jumping.
* Kickflip: The board spins.
* Grinds: Sliding on rails.
* Manuals: Balancing on two wheels.
* Next Level:
* Ramps and bowls
* Bombing hills
* Street stuff
6. Keep It Rolling
* Tighten those trucks and bolts.
* Swap your wheels around so they don't wear out unevenly.
* Clean your bearings.
* New grip tape when yours is done.
* Check for cracks.
7. Picking a Board
* What do you want to do? Tricks? Cruise?
* How good are you? Beginners should get wider, stable boards.
* How easy is it to carry? Get a small one if you need to lug it around.
* Where are you skating? Smooth ground or rough roads?
* Street/Trick Boards:
* Shape: Like a popsicle stick – narrow and a bit curved.
* Size: About 28–33 inches long and 7.5–8.5 inches wide.
* What they're for: Street tricks, skateparks, ollies, kickflips, you name it!
* Longboards:
* Shape: Long and wide.
* Size: From 33–60 inches.
* What they're for: Chilling rides, bombing hills, carving turns, getting around town.
* Good stuff: Super smooth and stable, especially when you're going fast.
* Cruiser Boards:
* Shape: Shorter than longboards, often with a kicktail.
* What they're for: Just riding around, nothing crazy.
* Good stuff: Turn on a dime and easy to lug around.
* Old School Boards:
* Shape: Wide in the front, narrow in the back, usually not even.
* What they're for: Pool skating, ramps, and old-school moves.
* Electric Skateboards:
* Shape: Like longboards or cruisers.
* What they're for: Getting around without pushing!
* What's inside: A motor, battery, and remote.
2. The Pieces
* Deck:
* What it's made of: Usually 7–9 layers of maple wood but sometimes bamboo.
* Shape: Curved so your feet grip; different widths for different styles.
* Curve Types:
* Mellow: Easy ride
* Medium: Tricks and riding
* Steep: Best for flip tricks
* Grip Tape:
* What it does: Keeps your feet from sliding off.
* Types: Rough, medium, smooth.
* Trucks:
* What they do: Hold the wheels and let you turn.
* The bits: Baseplate, hanger, axle, bushings.
* Sizes: Gotta match the width of your board.
* Wheels:
* what it's made of: Plastic.
* Size:
* 50–54mm: Street/tricks.
* 55–60mm: Cruising.
* 60+mm: Longboarding/downhill.
* How hard they are:
* 78A–87A: Soft, smooth, great for bumpy ground.
* 88A–99A: Good all-around for street and park.
* 100A+: Hard, best for tricks on slick ground.
* Bearings:
* What they do: Let the wheels spin.
* How good they are: Rated on the ABEC scale (1–9).
* Keep 'em happy: Clean and grease them.
* Hardware:
* What it is: The bolts and nuts that hold the trucks on.
* Size: Usually 7/8 inch or 1 inch.
3. Setting Up Your Board
* Deck Size: Pick a width that feels good with your feet and matches how you skate.
* Trucks: Make sure they're as wide as your board. Tight trucks are better for tricks, loose trucks are better for turning.
* Wheels: Hard ones for street tricks, soft ones for cruising.
* Bearings: Clean them!
4. Don't Forget Your Gear!
* Helmet: Get a skate-rated one.
* Pads: Knees, elbows, wrists.
* Shoes: Flat ones so you grip the board.
* Downhill? Gloves.
5. Skateboarding 101
* Basics:
* Balancing
* Pushing
* Turning
* Stopping
* Tricks:
* Ollie: Jumping.
* Kickflip: The board spins.
* Grinds: Sliding on rails.
* Manuals: Balancing on two wheels.
* Next Level:
* Ramps and bowls
* Bombing hills
* Street stuff
6. Keep It Rolling
* Tighten those trucks and bolts.
* Swap your wheels around so they don't wear out unevenly.
* Clean your bearings.
* New grip tape when yours is done.
* Check for cracks.
7. Picking a Board
* What do you want to do? Tricks? Cruise?
* How good are you? Beginners should get wider, stable boards.
* How easy is it to carry? Get a small one if you need to lug it around.
* Where are you skating? Smooth ground or rough roads?