21 Skateboarding Essentials: Decks, Wheels, Shoes, Bags, Helmets, Pads (2022) Leave a comment

You would possibly suppose carrying a helmet will make you appear like a poser, however the actuality is skaters do not really care when you’ve obtained one on. There’s truthfully no purpose to be self-conscious about this. Get a skate helmet from Triple Eight, which inserts oval-shaped heads greatest ($60 on Amazon, (*21*)). For rounder heads like mine, attempt a helmet from Pro-Tec or S1. Make a degree to place it on anytime you exit for a session, have enjoyable, and preserve your self from a doable traumatic mind damage. Pay the small further charge to get an ASTM 1492-certified mannequin, which ANSI designates particularly for skateboarding security.

Pad Up

If you are a brand new skater, you are going to fall … and when you’re an skilled skater, you are going to fall. Like helmets, a set of pads might help preserve you out of pressing care. If you’ve gotten a day job utilizing your arms (at the same time as a keyboard jockey), it is sensible to slide in your elbow pads and, perhaps much more importantly, wrist guards. Knee pads are key too. It feels nice to drag myself off the bottom after a failed trick try (or 5) and stroll away with no throbbing in my arms or joints. 187 Killer Pads makes an excellent pad set. Get it for $59 from 187 Killer Pads, or for $73 from Amazon. Pro-Tec’s $43 option is nice too, and a bit of cheaper for youths.

Beginners can also wish to sport a set of padded shorts ($50 and up) beneath their pants; they’re going to actually save your ass.

Quarter-Pipe Kit

1 / 4-pipe (even a small one which’s not fairly a full quarter) is a whole lot of enjoyable for all skaters. My recommendation is to dig up some plans, ask properly for wooden scraps at a development website, and get constructing. But if you wish to make sure you’ve obtained a high quality setup, you would possibly go for a ramp equipment that provides CNC-cut, predrilled plywood and lumber, metallic coping, a metal sheet for the brink, and all the mandatory fasteners—you simply want a driver to pop all of it collectively.

OC Ramps gives a whole lot of equipment choices; I’ve their 3-foot quarter-pipe ramp ($389) and my very own DIY micro-quarter ramp linked along with some masonite in my storage to make a cool, mismatched mini ramp that is a ton of enjoyable to skate on wet days. Keen Ramps is one other high quality ramp equipment producer to contemplate.

Park Spotting

The Skatepark Project app by the Tony Hawk Foundation (iPhone solely, Android customers can use the functionally comparable Smap app) gives an almost full itemizing of parks with consumer pictures, 3D aerial maps, and iconography for park options. Don’t see a favorite spot on the app? The database is consumer generated, so you possibly can add it your self. I simply did precisely that with a park close to my of us’ home, in actual fact.

If cruising road spots is extra to your liking, the ShredSpots app covers the steps, curbs, ditches, and ledges that many skaters think about skateboarding’s pure terrain.

Totes Magotes

When you do head out to skate totally different locations, you will most likely simply toss your board and helmet within the trunk of your automobile. Add your pads and stuff and it is good to have a bag to hold all the things. I exploit a type of huge blue Ikea luggage for my gear—it is big, has hand and shoulder straps, and costs only 99 cents. Requires no pondering, simply toss issues in and go.

When I’m doing one thing a bit of fancier, I exploit a $60 skateboard carry bag by OID. I can put on it like a backpack, as a sling, or carry it like a duffel bag. There are some cheaper variations on Amazon, however the ones I’ve tried are typically undersize and liable to snagging. In reality, nonetheless, you do not see many skaters utilizing these.

Vacation/enterprise journey tip: Most airways will really allow you to carry in your board and retailer it within the overhead compartment. I discover it extra handy to stash mine in my oversize suitcase as checked baggage. The board matches diagonally (I wrap it in an outdated towel or use that OID bag to maintain the grip tape from scuffing my slacks); my helmet and skate sneakers go subsequent to that, and there is nonetheless loads of room for my day-to-day garments. Use your skate park app to scout out some spots close to your vacation spot and plan for an early morning or later-evening session. So a lot tidier than lugging your golf golf equipment with you—and a lot cooler too.