PURCHASING SKATEBOARDS

Here is an overview of what
you should consider before buying your skateboard.
You never want to
skimp on the skateboard that your purchase because you can result in
wheels made of poor material, trucks that are weak, bearings that freeze
up or boards that break. Skateboarding by nature is very dangerous
you do not need to make it even more treacherous.
Skateboards have three major parts. The deck which is the board
itself, the trucks which is the mechanism to which wheels are attached
and the wheels.
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Parts of the
skateboard
Deck: This is the
part of the board that you stand on. Decks are raised at the front
and back ends. The front is called the nose and the back is
referred to as the tail. The deck is also curved up on the sides
this is referred to as the concave of the deck.
Griptape: The sandpaper
like material on the top of the deck which helps the foot to grip the
deck. Griptape comes in sticker-like sheets and is available in various
colors. Black griptape is of higher quality.
Trucks: The metal parts
that connect the deck to the wheels and allow the skateboarder to turn.
Wheels: The part the
rolls on the ground. Skateboard wheels are made from urethane and come
in various degrees of hardness as well as different sizes.
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Skateboards have various characteristics for all types of riding
including slalom, freestyle and speed. Some are rated for the user's
weight. When purchasing a skateboard you have two options either to buy
all parts separate and have it put together or buying a complete
skateboard.
Build a skateboard from scratch
This is
where you buy each of the parts of the skateboards (deck, trucks,
wheels, bearings, etc) and either put it all together yourself or have
someone at a skateboard shop put it together for you. The result
is that you will have the best parts available on the market because you
can pick and choose from a variety of manufacturers equipment.
These
boards will cost you at least $100.
Buy a complete skateboard
Complete
skateboards are all assembled and ready to go. Often this type of
board will have most of their parts from one manufacturer.
There are a lot of good quality complete boards available just do your
homework so that you know about decks, trucks, wheels and bearings so
that you can ask the right questions.
This type of board will cost approximately
$60 to $70.
You can
purchase skateboards at specialty stores or large sporting
goods stores. I purchased my kids at a specialty store and we
built the board from scratch. It cost around $120 when we were all done
and the kids loved it!
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