[Tom-E]

A new page entry has been added:

Beginners Guide

Ok, so you want to start skateboarding, the first thing you need to do is the gear. Skateboarding is a big sport now and a lot of companies are trying to get noticed, lower there prices is one thing they do, it isn't the best idea to by a Walmart or Zellers skateboard and now a days you can usually get a really good board for a low price. Go to a local skate shop and tell the guy you want to start skating but don't have lot's of money. He will probably point you straight to the decks, the blank decks. I know when you start skating you want pictures but later you will realize it's not a big factor of buying a deck. Look at the deck, now you have to know something to judge if it is good or not. First thing you want to look at the width, it should be big enough so that when you step on it your feet hang out on both sides, I would recommend starting with a 7.5" deck. Most people like that size and keep with it the whole time they skate. Then you should look at the concave, (the dip in the board, it helps you flip tricks and it feels nice) it doesn't matter much at the start, later you will find out if you like them or not as you go through decks and try other peoples boards. If the deck look alright just take it, black decks are usually cheaper then decks with pictures. Now you need some trucks, all trucks pretty much cost the same, but if there is no picture they can cost less. I would recommend starting with something durable, strong and that turns well. Independent's are a good choice. For a beginner all wheels are the same, only the color and picture are different. A good choice of wheels are bullets, they are blank wheels (even though they do have a little picture) and they are really hard, but not too hard. They last forever and don't chip, plus they cost less then most wheels. Next are bearings, you will find that most bearings are rated ABEC 3, 5 or 7., For a beginner 3's are perfect, even for people like me that have been skating a long time ABEC 3's are still good. A good type of bearings to start with are Reds. A lot of people like them, they aren't bad and they don't cost too much. Everything else won't matter as much, hardware, risers and grip tape don't matter a lot. Having skate shoes helps a lot, they are designed to be wide and stable so it is very hard for you to land on the side of you foot and damage your ankle. They are also designed to withstand the way you treat them when you skate. Now since skate shoes are one of the biggest style of shoes you will see lot's of people wearing them and many new companies are coming out. If you go to a sports store and look at some shoes I will pretty much guarantee you that you will find some kind of skate shoe. Sports stores have great shoes, I admit I used to by shoes from there, I find they last longer then some of the more well known companies like DC or Osiris. These shoes that I am talking about (the sports store shoes) are really cheap too, you can get shoes around $30 U.S.D. that will last you up to four months of really tough skateboarding. I once bought shoes for $35 U.S. and they lasted me four months, of skating every day for at least one hour after those four months they just started to rip and they got there first hole. Another time I bought these shoes that I saw advertised in a magazine for about $60 and I put in 3 holes where I drag my shoe for an Ollie in less the an hour of skating. These shoes that I am telling you about the ones for cheap also look nice, some of the shoes that I see at these sports stores you can tell that they are based on shoes that cost tons of money the kinds you see in magazines that cost a lot and look really nice. The cheap shoes look a lot like them. Anyway I HIGHLY recommend buying these cheap skate shoes that you find at sports stores, most of them are around half the price of a running shoe.

[kurious_kittie]

Hey- My name is Elizabeth. I got this page from my friend Sebastian. I really would like to learn how to skateboard but know pretty much nthn about nthn. I was just wondering if you could tell me sum things like the average costs for things and how to just get started. I dont really know wut all the stuff is ur talking about like ABEC 3's means nothing to me-lol.Rite now im pretty much broke but im going to get a job soon hopefully. I'd Appreciate it if you could e-mail me or sumthing...i dont quite have this site figured out yet...if u want to just e-mail me my address is kurious_kittie@hotmail.com. Thank you!

[sk8trgrl1]

Hey I just started skating and wanted to know should I go to a skate park to practice or just do it on the street? Also someone told me that practicing in the grass is a good way to start.

[omgicanskate_876]

Originally Posted by sk8trgrl1

Hey I just started skating and wanted to know should I go to a skate park to practice or just do it on the street? Also someone told me that practicing in the grass is a good way to start.

hey
i just wanted 2 say it is good to train on grass try balancing on the back to wheels like a manuel and wen u startt skating do it on the street until u get better then go to skate back
from stef

[southside]

Wow, I thought girls didn't want to learn how to skate.... I got that wrong...
Anyways, I dont like starting on grass because it's not flat and you can't move, it's really your own choice. My first bearings were abec 5s, I started with a McGill model from Argos, but I snapped it, now I have a fairly decent setup etc, and I still can't kickflip after 7 months of skating, all i've got to say is never give up! Sometimes you might get upset that you hurt yourself or didn't land a trick, don't let that get in the way. And remember all those people, that bully you and say "show us a kickflip, haha" etc, well remember Kurt Kobain's famous words, I woud rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I am not. I train mainly a few hours a day, and I go to wath (nearest good street spot) every sat, i've only been to a few pro parks.... To the point, this is my mega long post, just to say hi to everyone who is in this forum, so... HI!!
Mark

[awelshbum]

all these makes and names r the same in the uk right? sorry if its sounds stupid. but ah well

[spikyboi04]

hey ypu guys well i just got a new board. a foundation.....so i got my trucks and my wheels from my other board i had and put them on the foundation board but there was a problem......when i put the trucks and the wheels on the foundation board and tried skating it, the board instead of moving right when i moved it right, it moved left, and when i moved it left, it moved right, i know it sounds kinda confusing but plz!!! I NEED HELP!!!!!!!!!!!

[JUNIOR6886]

Originally Posted by spikyboi04

hey ypu guys well i just got a new board. a foundation.....so i got my trucks and my wheels from my other board i had and put them on the foundation board but there was a problem......when i put the trucks and the wheels on the foundation board and tried skating it, the board instead of moving right when i moved it right, it moved left, and when i moved it left, it moved right, i know it sounds kinda confusing but plz!!! I NEED HELP!!!!!!!!!!!

Not confusing at alll.... That problem occurs when you put put one of your trucks backwards make sure your trucks are facing each other like this...
http://www.sci.utah.edu/%7Estevec/paint/skateboard.jpg

[Aidzzzzzzz]

Originally Posted by kurious_kittie

Hey- My name is Elizabeth. I got this page from my friend Sebastian. I really would like to learn how to skateboard but know pretty much nthn about nthn. I was just wondering if you could tell me sum things like the average costs for things and how to just get started. I dont really know wut all the stuff is ur talking about like ABEC 3's means nothing to me-lol.Rite now im pretty much broke but im going to get a job soon hopefully. I'd Appreciate it if you could e-mail me or sumthing...i dont quite have this site figured out yet...if u want to just e-mail me my address is kurious_kittie@hotmail.com. Thank you!

Usually blank decks range around $20 to 30 dollars. There is a another type of deck which is made by a name brand company with pros, blind, element etc. Those range you from $40 dollars to $50 dollars, depending on a sale those decks might be lowered to 30 or $35 dollars, the sale I usually see is from www.ccs.com. Big company's like blind, flip, usually have different things built into there decks to make people think their stronger and are the best, some things they say is 8ply, are decks are made with this____ and make are board the lightest. To me their all the same I like and will continue to ride blank decks case they are cheaper and I can sometimes buy 2 for the same price as one of the name brand company's decks.

Decks are made with maple wood case it is the only kind of wood that can take the abuse of skateboarding case no other kind of wood would last when people are flipping el toro or any other really crazy stuff so skateboarders depend on maple wood. Most decks not from walmart are made with layers called ply, ply meaning how many layers of maple is on the deck. The standard ply for a deck is 7ply so deck company's offer 8ply, and even 9ply but don't forget the stronger the board gets the heaver the board gets so it harder to do tricks.

Decks usually last about a month a least, some may break in less than a month it happens there is no way you can tell but not to buy from that company again. Boards break you just have to save up your money to go buy another one.

Abec is how fast the bearings go they rate from abec3, abec5, abec7. Some of them don't have ratings like bones which is a really good bearing company. Buy bones bearings if you have the money. They come in, reds, swiss, super swiss 6 and ceramics.

Abec 3 is ok for beginners but it is really slow and you pobley wont like the feeling when you are trying to push to that store or whatever you want to go. Abec 5 is faster but I don't think you will know the difference in speed since you are first starting. Abec 7 is the fastest and it feels great but usually kind of expensive but if you buy it from the right company it is wroth it.
I suggest reds for beginners case they are the cheap and fastest bearings you can buy in the that price range. Swiss on the other hand is a bit more expensive around the $30 dollar mark but it is wroth it if you want to have bearings that are fast and easy to clean. Now the real good bearings are ceramics their a good $120 dollars and they are wroth it the fastest bearings you can buy and I guarantee you will love them case they are even easier to take care of.

Originally Posted by sk8trgrl1

Hey I just started skating and wanted to know should I go to a skate park to practice or just do it on the street? Also someone told me that practicing in the grass is a good way to start.

Part of the enjoyment of skateboarding is you can do it anywhere you like all you got to do is step out your front door and find anything ride able and you just skate on it. You can partice anywhere also that is why I love skateboarding.

No once you get used to staying stationary, case lets face it your still when you are trying things in the grass. It is harder to break that habit and I suggest just to start learning tricks at a comfortable Pace and work your way up faster.

[Jacob_tha_Junkie]

It's good to practice in the grass, but not for too long. You should practice in the street just as much if not more. I practiced in the grass and never in the street, now I can do 360 flips in the grass, but barely do a kickflip on the concrete. I don't have that much experience on the concrete. I'm always afraid that the board will fly under me (which it has). Since skateboarders generally skate on concrete, it would be a good idea just to practice in the grass if your a beginner or just tryin a new trick.

[duncan_uk]

i wud advise no skating on grass at all.none
this is because wen u do go back to concrete u wil be scared cos it wil feel reeli hard beneath u
also tricks will be harder to control cos the pop is beta on concrete
so just go on concrete all the time is my advice-grass confuses most peoples balance and ability
trust me im only 14 but i started skatin at 6
bye

[caza]

hi im 13 and im wondering my sk8board is relly thick and it has no dip is it supposed to have a dip and is it bad if its thick? i want to know if it would be a problem to ollie and stuff whith my board if its thick and has no dip.

[Misterhamper]

Dip? What do you mean?
By the way, it probably is harder to do an ollie if your board is thick.

[Wonderskater]

Hey, i am just in the process of learing how to do an ollie, and teh one problem is i cant seem to get my back foot to come up to level the board out. Is there a trick to help my back foot to come up and how long does it usaully take to learn an ollie

Thanks

[WISk8er]

It took me like 2 days to do the ollie. And wonderskater what are u talking about using your back foot to level out the board? You have to use your front foot. Slide your front foot up then level out your board.

[Wonderskater]

So, u use your frount foot to level it out? How do u solve the problem when the frount of the board comes up and the tail only comes up a little so its on an angle like this /. When u said 2 days, you could do it all to time or sometimes, nad if you got as high as you wanted to.

[2010Sk8r]

Hey there, ive been skating for about 2 or 3 months now.. and i didnt start out with beginners board at all. I have a Green ATM, Destructo trucks (freaking heavy), Red bearings (i think thats it.. and they needa be cleaned), and then a local shop's wheels. I am ok at manualing.. but i cant seem to get a good pop when i ollie. I can do an ollie but.. i slam down the front of the board (Thats what my friends said atleast). Any tips on how to not slam down the front?

[necrid]

Originally Posted by kurious_kittie

Hey- My name is Elizabeth. I got this page from my friend Sebastian. I really would like to learn how to skateboard but know pretty much nthn about nthn. I was just wondering if you could tell me sum things like the average costs for things and how to just get started. I dont really know wut all the stuff is ur talking about like ABEC 3's means nothing to me-lol.Rite now im pretty much broke but im going to get a job soon hopefully. I'd Appreciate it if you could e-mail me or sumthing...i dont quite have this site figured out yet...if u want to just e-mail me my address is kurious_kittie@hotmail.com. Thank you!

my name is Necrid, i have the same problem. i dont know what they are talkin about when they say ABEC 3's.

[trumpetplaya4eva]

hey i just got a skateboard on sat. august 5th because i wanted 2 learn to skateboard because it looked fun, so i asked my dad 2 buy me a skateboard he said he would thik about it and we were @ the BX and my i was in the bike section and i saw these nice skateboards so i asked my dad could i get one and he said yes , until he saw the prices and the regular sized boards were about $30-$40 and my dad was like no so then the lady showed us a smaller board that was $20 and she said theey would b better for beginners so we bought it and i think its too small bcuz whjen i stand on it the wheels push out to the side and i have trouble keeping my balance because the board tilts back and forth and ive tried 2 do manuals and ollies but they dont seem 2 work and i think i shouldve just went up 2 the skate shop instead ... so do i need 2 get a new skateboard? ... and i dont know which brand of skateboards 2 get, is there a good kind for beginners?

[YEAHISK8]

can someone teach my brother how 2 ollie

[Gassy Emu]

Alright, I've been skating for 6 years now. That doesn't mean I'm good (I still have trouble with kickflips). The main reason for that is that I was scared I was going to be made fun of for being a begginer or poser or something. Anyway, I can help answer most of your questions. For the kid who asked if he should get a new board, YOU NEED TO GO ALL OUT!!! Get together about $100 bucks. You aren't going to buy a new board every month. My board has lasted for at least 4 years. All boards are really the same (other than size). If your like me and your only 14 but 6 foot 1, you need an average sized board if not bigger. If your like 5,4 to 5,8 you want a mini board (yes that's what it's called). The whole ABEC 3, 5, and 7 thing, that determines speed of your BEARINGS. Moast people who don't skate, or are begginers, don't knw what bearings are. This is OK. They are little metal circles that fit on the wheel. Abec 7's are for experienced sk8ers who like speed. Unless you are 9-10 years old and under, you probably want ABEC 5s for begginers. Get trucks (the big metal things that hold the bearings and wheels) that are sturdy but not heavy. IF YOU ARE UNSURE ABOUT ANYTHING ABOUT THE ACTUAL SKATEBOARD, GO TO A SKATE SHOP. DO NOT BE AFRAID TO ASK THEM!!!!!!!!!!! I can't stress this enough. They will answer any and all questions about the skateboard. If you ask them how to ollie, they will just laugh. Which brings me to the next thing,...OLLIES! This (and kickflips) is one of the most frustrating tricks EVER! When everybody was debating on whether or not to do it on grass, they all kind of lead to the same point. Starting out, try ollies on the grass or in a crack or something. DON'T PRACTCE EVERY NEW TRICK ON GRASS! Someone described what happened to me, they practiced everything on grass first, and then couldn't do it on concrete. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN SKATEBOARDING,...EVER!!!...IS NOT BEING AFRIAD OF TRYING SOMETHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just go for it. Even if you know 100% for sure, that you are going to get hurt or break a bone, go for it. If you get a gash on the side of your leg for doing a certain trick, you will probably won't want that to happen again so you should look at it, like you are in school. Find out what you did wrong. Think to yourself: "why did [this] happen at [that moment]. As cheesy as that sounds, it works. If you fell backwards, lean forward next time, etc. Anyway, back to ollies. To start out, just practice jumping on the board on concrete. Stand on the screws at each end and jump up and land roughly in the same spot on the board. If you can do that with out the board moving too much, you can move on to the next step. Stand about 2 feet away from the board and slam down on it with your foot, hitting it behind the screws. You will notice that the board goes up, but either flips, or goeas straight up and down, etc. The point is that it goes up. The other foot you didn't slam the board with is going to guide that board. I'll have to finish this later in another post hold on...

[j0nny]

I need help cuz im not that much of a beginner cuz i can kickflip ahd heelflip in regular and fakie.........but thats not important i keep razortailling my boards and i need to know how to stop that sooooo help me please!!!!

[j0nny]

Originally Posted by caza

hi im 13 and im wondering my sk8board is relly thick and it has no dip is it supposed to have a dip and is it bad if its thick? i want to know if it would be a problem to ollie and stuff whith my board if its thick and has no dip.

it kinda just matters on how heavy it is cuz it might be harder on a heavier board but i like light decks.....Atms are pretty good you should try that first

[thinkbloo]

Yeah well i had a skateboard that my parents bought me for christmas but i never new how to do any tricks never looked into it.... i could do a manual but thats about it.....i think my mom acidently threw away my skate board or gave it away by accident and i am going to buy one like said hear (blank deck and all)(before i had a birdhouse one really cool about 100$ i think) i excpect to spend about 100$ and i was wondering if it is hard to put together?

[lastinline287]

hey i'm new at skateboarding, i have a board but need to loosten trucks but unsure how to do it right-i dont wanna mess it up somehow! and so basically all advice is welcome what i've been looking for is info about the BASIC BASICS for example, how and where to have my feet when pushing and riding, thanks