Getting Your First Skateboard (Podcast)

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IF YOU ARE NEW TO THE WORLD OF SKATEBOARDING PICKING OUT A NEW SKATEBOARD CAN BE A CHALLENGE. THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT FACTORS THAT WILL AFFECT YOUR CHOICES.

THE FIRST THING YOU WILL WANT TO DO IS FIND A PLACE TO BUY QUALITY SKATEBOARD PRODUCTS. IF YOU JUST GO DOWN TO A TOY STORE YOU WILL BE THROWING AWAY YOUR MONEY.

THERE ARE TWO PLACES TO BUY SKATEBOARDS, AN ONLINE SKATEBOARDING WEBSITE OR A LOCAL SKATE SHOP. WHEN YOU BUY YOUR FIRST BOARD I WOULD RECOMMEND GOING TO YOUR LOCAL SKATE SHOP SO YOU CAN PHYSICALLY SEE WHAT YOU ARE GETTING. ONCE YOU HAVE DEVELOPED YOUR OWN PERSONALLY PREFERENCE BUYING ONLINE WOULD BE OK.

YOU WILL WANT TO SELECT A DECK WHICH IS THE WOODEN PART OF YOUR SKATEBOARD. DECKS COME IN SIZES FROM 7.5 INCHES TO 8.5 INCHES. I WOULD RECOMMEND A 7.75 IN BOARD FOR A BEGINNER. ONCE YOU HAVE ADVANCED A LITTLE BIT YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR SIZE PREFERENCE. THINGS THAT WILL AFFECT YOUR DECISION ARE SHOE SIZE, HEIGHT, AND TRICK STYLE.

AFTER YOU HAVE SELECTED YOUR DECK YOU WILL WANT TO PICK OUT A GOOD PAIR OF TRUCKS. THE TRUCKS ARE THE METAL AXLES THAT ATTACH THE WHEELS TO THE BOARD. THESE ALSO COME IN A VARIETY OF SIZES BUT YOU WILL WANT TO MATCH THEM WITH THE SIZE OF YOUR BOARD.

NEXT YOU WILL PICK OUT SOME WHEELS. WHEELS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE IN A HUGE VARIETY OF SIZES AND MATERIALS. SOME ARE SOFTER THAN OTHERS AND THIS IS IMPORTANT DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF TERRAIN YOU ARE SKATING. ALONG WITH THE WHEELS YOU WILL WANT TO PICK OUT A SET OF BEARINGS TO PLACE INSIDE THE WHEELS WHICH YOU WILL THEN ATTACH TO THE TRUCKS. YOU DON’T WANT TO START OUT WITH THE FASTEST BEARING BECAUSE YOU WON’T HAVE THE PROPER BALANCING AND IT WILL INCREASE YOU CHANCES OF FALLING.

AS YOU CAN TELL MOST OF THE STUFF YOU ARE GOING TO PICK OUT IS GOING TO VARY BASED ON YOUR PERSONAL PREFERENCE SO ITS GOING TO TAKE YOU SOME TIME TO GET A BOARD THAT’S JUST RIGHT FOR YOU.

I AM GOING TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE BY USING WHAT I JUST BOUGHT FOR MY SKATEBOARD. I WILL ALSO GIVE YOU THE REASONS WHY I BOUGHT EACH COMPONENT.

I BOUGHT AN 8 INCH ZERO SKATEBOARD DECK I BOUGHT THIS BECAUSE 8 INCHES IS THE PERFECT LENGTH FOR MY FEET WHEN DOING TRICKS. I MOSTLY DO RAIL AND LEDGE TRICKS SO HAVING A BIGGER BASE HELPS ME BALANCE AS I MOVE ALONG A LEDGE.

FOR TRUCKS I BOUGHT A SET OF BLACK TENSOR MAGNESIUM TRUCKS BECAUSE THEY ARE BUILT SOFTER AND LIGHTER THAN MOST OTHER TRUCKS. WHEN GRINDING THE METAL WEARS DOWN FASTER AND THERE IS LESS OF A CHANCE YOU WILL STICK TO A RAIL WHILE SLIDING ACROSS IT.

I GOT A SET OF 42-MILLIMETER WHEELS MADE BY SPITFIRE ACCOMPANIED BY REDS BONES BEARINGS. THE WHEELS ARE A LITTLE BIGGER THAN I USUALLY RIDE BUT THEY WERE ON SALE SO I SAVED A LITTLE MONEY. BUT THEY ARE CLOSE TO WHAT I RIDE WHICH IS USUALLY A 52 MILLIMETER WHEEL. THIS IS A MID RANGE WHEEL AND I LIKE IT BECAUSE THEY ARE BIG ENOUGH TO ROLL OVER TINY ROCKS BUT NOT TO HEAVY TO STOP YOUR BOARD FROM FAST MOVEMENT. THE RED BONES BEARINGS ARE A MID RANGE BEARING AND ARE VERY DURABLE I HAVE BEEN USING THEM FOR 7 YEARS NOW AND HAVE ONLY HAD 3 SETS BREAK AND I HAVE GONE THROUGH A LOT OF BEARINGS. WATER WILL WEAR YOU BEARINGS OUT FASTER THAN ANYTHING ELSE SO AVOID WATER TO KEEP YOUR BEARINGS FRESH. YOU CAN ALSO AD A LITTLE DROP OF BEARING OIL FROM TIME TO TIME TO HELP MAKE THEM LAST LONGER.

SO THAT IS JUST A QUICK RUN THOUGH ON WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN PICKING OUT YOUR FIRST SKATEBOARD. REMEMBER IN THE END IT ALL COMES DOWN TO YOUR PERSONAL PREFERENCE SO GET OUT THERE AND START RIDING TODAY.