Shopping for a Skateboard

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Shopping for a Skateboard

Finding the right skateboard can sound like quite the complicated process. Sure, you can pick up the pre-made units at just about any department store, but for a truly customized experience, sometimes you want to pick the individual components yourself. Many enthusiasts choose to take this route, just as tennis players pick their own strings, string tension, and grip, for example.

You don't need to be Tony Hawk to have a good time on a skateboard -- cast those stereotypes aside (although a recent study by American Sports Data found that 80% of skateboarders are under 18, and 74% are male) -- but you do want to buy a skateboard that suits you the best. Keep reading about each of the individual components, including the deck, wheels, bearings, and trucks.

The Deck

Simply put, the deck is the actual board you will be standing on as part of your skateboard. While you may be tempted to simply pick up the deck with the coolest design -- I'm not stopping you from picking up a rad looking 'board -- it is a good idea to consider what kind of skateboarding you plan on doing.

For those of you more interested in jumps, vert ramps, and rail riding, a wider board would suit you the best. The rule of thumb would be something around 8 1/4 or 8 3/8 inches.

For those you more interested in kickflips, grinds, and other "street" tricks, a narrower board will make it easier for you to perform those more technical tricks. Aim for something narrower than 8 inches.

If you don't plan on doing any "tricks", and are just using the skateboard to get yourself around campus or around town, you should look into getting bigger boards because they provide the most stability, balance, and control. For sheer cruising, a long board is best.

The Wheels

There are two main factors when considering what set of wheels (they act just like the tires on a car) to choose for your skateboard: size and durability. The width of the wheel -- the part that actually touches the ground -- is fairly universal, but the diameter can vary substantially. For higher speed, you'd want bigger wheels. This is ideal for cruising and for travelling up ramps; for vert tricksters, you should look for something around 60mm. By contrast, flip trick artists prefer smaller wheels because they are closer to the ground; they typically prefer wheels that are 50-55mm.

As far as durability, most wheel manufacturers use what is called the "a-scale", with a higher number representing a harder wheel. Most people look for something in the 95-100a range, whereas those travelling rougher terrain while cruising -- dirt paths and the like -- prefer softer wheels (around 80a).

The Bearings

Just to confuse things, the bearings are like the alloy wheels on a car; they fit inside the skateboard wheels (which are like the tires of a car). Bearings are made of metal. The more precise the bearings are, the more fragile they are; the more durable the bearings are, the more "sloppy" they can be. The only rating system available is ABEC. Most skateboarders opt for bearings that are rated 3 or 5 on the ABEC scale. Keep in mind that bearings, like wheels, are wear items and will be abused.

The Trucks

The trucks are the metal parts that fit on the underside of the deck, and are where the bearings and wheels are mounted. They serve the same function as axles on an automobile. In this way, the trucks should be roughly the same width as the deck, preferably within a 1/4-inch.

The bushings found inside the trucks act like shock absorbers. If you choose trucks with soft bushings, it takes less effort to turn, and thus it is more difficult to control. By contrast, stiff bushings are much more stable. Unless you're doing a lot of carving, stick to medium or stiff bushings.

Much like the wheels, the height of the trucks depends on what you usually do with your skateboard. Shorter trucks mated with smaller wheels make kick flips the easiest, but taller trucks allow for bigger wheels, and thus faster speeds.