24. November 2009 by ZachPlay.

If you know anything about skateboards, you will know that having a skateboard free of any sort of graphic design simply is not a modern skateboard at all. To this end, you and everyone else has world industries skateboards to thank for that. Read the rest of this entry »

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24. November 2009 by ZachPlay.

The Girl Skateboard Company was started in California in 1993 by four people when they began producing Girl skateboard decks. Since its small beginning, they have now become one of the largest producers of skateboard decks and have blossomed out into a large cooperation that now includes the production of clothing, footwear, toys and videos, just to mention a few. They are now known as Girl Skateboard Distribution.  Many of their products are marketed as separate items, such as Chocolate Skateboard, Royal Trucks, Fourstar Clothing, and others, but it is remarkable in that all of their products can be seen in the various, separately marketed videos. Of interest is their clothing line which includes unique designs in Tees and trousers, clothing that will take you through each season of the year.

The Girl skateboard decks have now become extremely popular. The design of these decks are truly different in their design and color.  There are many beautiful decks to choose from and designs to fit your own personality. Again, their clothing is as exciting as their deck designs, not to mention the various the wheel designs available to you. Along with their decks, they provide any accessories you may need for your deck to better enjoy yourself, of course with safety in mind. The design of the wheels are truly amazing and add so much to the deck.

Some of the Girl skateboard decks include the Big Girl, Girl Malto, Girl Carrol Beauty/Beast deck and two of my favorites, Wild Thing and Kapow.  The different styles are just to numerous to mention, but all are exciting colorful designs. If you are looking for hoodies, belts, bracelets and the like, you can also find these items in Girl. If it has anything to do with skateboard decks and/or accessories,  you can find it online at their Girl Skateboard site. When you begin your journey into skateboarding, you will be ready with all you need. From the skateboard itself to the ring on your finger, you will be a skateboarder. All you need to do is check online and all these items will be right at your fingertips. Most importantly, they are affordable.

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24. November 2009 by ZachPlay.

Skateboarding has become an increasingly popular hobby especially in teenage and young adult circles. Skateboarding has began to define a whole section of teenage circles that identify themselves as skaters. Skateboarding has become much more than a hobby, but rather, a lifestyle. This lifestyle is completely comprehensive down to the music the skaters listen to and clothes they wear. Even skaters speech and slang terms can be completely different from other popular circles. Within the past decade skateboarding competitions have become so popular that they are now being televised and viewed worldwide. The sport is definitely growing. The skateboard is truly inspiring an entire group of young adults that may have not fit in with other social circles in their age group.

The skateboard itself is actually a very complex item that most people do not realize how much actually goes into the making of a skateboard. In particular the skateboard deck itself is much complicated than it may originally seem. The deck usually is about seven to nine ply thick of wood. The most popular used wood is Canadian Maple, although certainly other woods are used in the process of making a skateboard deck. A typical deck is about 7 to 10.5 inches wide and 28 to 33 inches long. Grip tape is placed on the top of the deck to help the skater’s shoes stick to the deck while riding. On the underside two trucks are placed on the deck to place the wheels on. Usually on the underside the company paints their logo and name for promotion.

In particular, element skateboard decks come in a variety of styles. Element provides the basic skateboard decks that most skaters today use, as well as long boards, cruisers, and other specialty shapes such as their coffin style element skateboard decks. The specific lines of element skateboard decks include the pro board series, logo boards, completes (decks including trucks and wheels), fun shapes, travel well, and pro boards. With six full lines of element skateboard decks, it takes Element above the rest of skateboard companies because of the variety of board types offered through the company.

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24. November 2009 by ZachPlay.

When it comes to building your own custom skateboard, nothing can be more important than picking the right deck. And it is true; deciding on wheels is the easy part.

But when you pick the deck, you need to be right first time. You have to think of the material; will it be plastic, or will it be a simple wood? Will you build the deck yourself, doing a bit of skateboard DIY job, or call the experts? What is your budget? How much can you afford to pay? Maybe you are on a shoestring budget and you have to constrain yourself to $50-$60… it all depends on what you have in mind. I was lucky; when I started with skateboards, I was building them myself. I would go and find the best piece of olive wood and go to the carpenter of my neighborhood, show him the design and tell him ‘do it’. Then I would glue the anti slippery paper on the top of the deck, buy my Cryptonite wheels, put them on and off for the road!

There is more choice nowadays; you take your pick from a wide selection of skateboards decks, tell them to send it home, and you can take it from there. It is also cheaper than it used to be in my days, but hey the buying options were fewer.

I still do skateboards for my nephews and I pick my skateboards decks and wheels online; I find this great, all I have to do is just glue things together and that’s it! I am happy to test them first. Can you imagine someone who is 40+ going on the road with skateboard gear, up and down on slippery pavements-at nights? (too embarrassing to test them during the day, what will the neighbors say?)

So this is why I made this quick blog; I want to use my experience in skateboard building and pick up a few decks and skateboards that I have used, or know that they are great, so that you know from now on where to turn your attention. You can then take it from there; just remember skateboards decks are like helmets: they have an expiration date. They get fatigue from this entire skateboard dancing and rolling, and you need to change them frequently. I would say if you ride a lot, once a year would be your best choice. Don’t forget that.

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16. November 2009 by ZachPlay.

Skateboarding is an easy and fun way to get some exercise, meet a lot of people, and in some sense, to look cool. Some may view it as a fairly risky activity, but a lot of youngster would still prefer to get into it because of its benefits. Majority of skateboarders in the world are 18 and under and this translates to around 10 million young skaters worldwide.

If you are someone who is interested in skateboarding, then read along for some basic guidance on how to start.

Protective Gears

The first things should always come first. Before you go ahead and try to do some stuff using a skateboard, you need to have some protective gears with you. A helmet, a couple of elbow pads and knee pads should do the job. You can borrow some gear from your friends if you are not sure if you’ll push through with skateboarding on the long run, just make sure that they would fit properly on you.

A lot of kids today disregard the fact that safety is a real issue in skateboarding. They think that wearing protective pads and helmets don’t look cool and so they skate without them but suffering from grave injuries from skateboarding is not so either, huh?

Meet your new friend: your skateboard

After putting on your protective gear, the next thing that you need to do is to get acquainted with your skateboard. Skateboards come in different sizes and designs. It is advisable that you borrow a skateboard first so that you can assess what kind of skateboard you would like to have in the future.

Before you hit the streets with your skateboard, you must find some time to be able to get properly acquainted with it. You should try standing, jumping and moving your feet on the skateboard for some time before you actually make any movements. This will prevent you from being too surprised with the “feel” of the skateboard.

Stance

Another important thing that you need to do before you start skateboarding is to determine your stance. If you like the feel of having your left foot forward, then do so, otherwise, put your right foot in front. You can determine which foot goes where by kicking a ball. If you kick a ball with your right, then you should put your right foot at the back of the board and vice versa.

Movement

You already know your preferred stance on the skateboard, what do you do next? You push your back foot to get some movement going on. Remember to relax your body while you start off and bend your knees if you have to. The first movements may feel a little bit weird but you’ll definitely get the hang of it.

Please try to do your initial practice in a place where you have ample space and little disturbance such as vehicles and people. A flat surface is also preferable than sloped ones.

Halt!

Another basic thing that you need to know is how to stop. There are different kinds of methods used for stopping a skateboard, however, we would recommend the use of the back foot to stop to stop the movement for beginners. All you have to do is to get your back foot on the ground and use the friction to stop your skateboard.

These are some of the basic things that beginner skateboarders need to master before they get to the tricks and the stunts. Always remember that safety comes first, and that building sound fundamentals is one’s best weapon to avoid accidents while skateboarding. Enjoy!

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13. November 2009 by ZachPlay.

Selecting a skateboard deck can be a mind-boggling undertaking. There are umpteen parameters that must be taken in to account when beginning the job of buying a cheap skateboard deck. When purchasing a skateboard deck you need to look at 3 main categories. These factors are the width of the deck, concaveness, and the look of the skateboard deck. Here is some basic info to get you started.

Width is one of the large aspects of buying a skateboard. The width of a board takes into account whether you are a beginner or have been skating for a long period as well.  For example, if you are going to use the skateboard for tricks as well as how comfortable the skateboard feels to you. If you are a beginner or have poor balance, then a larger skateboard deck will help you maintain your balance and help you feel more at ease. If you are an advanced skateboarder, than a skinnier deck will most likely suit you better. Do not be concerned that you should buy a slimmer deck just because a pro-skateboarder has one. Numerous lead skaters have thinner decks. This is because they have been skating for many years and have good balance.

Another choice and one that is based on your personal taste is the concaveness of a skateboard deck. Concave refers to the way that the board bends up at its edges, front and tail. The amount of concave will depend on your skate flair and what feels good to you. There are three levels of concave. Mellow concave on a skateboard deck is very light and virtually flat. If you have a flat-footed skate style then this would work out best for you. At the other end of the spectrum of concave is a steep skateboard deck. A steep concave will make you feel like your feet are really gripped to the board. If neither of these feels right for you there is a third choice. A medium concave deck uses from both styles to develop a perfect middle. When you go into a skate shop ask to try the boards of different concaveness to see what seems best to you.

Finally, there is what you want your skateboard deck to look like. You desire your board to be you. This is all about personalized preference and what you feel looks right on a skateboard deck. There are several styles that are available from full board to partial, color, design, wording etc. You can visit many shops to find the top look. Many manufacturers now have the option of making your own design to place on your deck.

Many options go into finding the best, cheapest, and perfect skateboard deck for you. By remembering these tips and spending the time, you will be able to get the right skateboard deck that fits you.

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