It's easy to say skateboard, but there are dozens and dozens of different models of skateboards and finding your way around longboard, street, cruiser, surfskate is not easy for those who are beginners and are looking to buy their first skateboard.
When it comes to buying their first skate, many go a bit at random, often looking only at the price. Many buy one of those small colored plastic skates (like Penny) because they are cheap and famous and often after a few minutes of use they realize that they have not bought the right skate to do what they had in mind, or they have sensationally wrong size.
In the meantime, I buy a cheap skate, any one, then if I like it I better see which one is right for me. A classic.
The basic idea is right, but you need to read up a little before buying any skateboard and you should at least know what types of skateboards exist and what we plan to do with them, to be able to choose one that will at least entertain us for a while, otherwise the risk is to buy something that is not good even for 5 minutes!
This is why we have written this guide for beginners who want to buy their first skate, for themselves or perhaps for their children.
COMPLETE SKATEBOARD OR TO ASSEMBLE?
First of all let's start by saying that skates can be bought complete or by assembling the different components, decks, trucks, wheels etc ... If you are the first purchase we strongly recommend that you buy a complete skateboard, already assembled .
Because? Because it is really useless to complicate your life by buying the components individually and also if you are not already experienced enough so you risk only making mistakes and maybe buying a truck that is not suitable for your deck. Yes, because it is not that a skate can be assembled at random. One solution might be to rely on a good skate shop and have someone knowledgeable recommend and assemble a skate, but honestly for a first mid or low-range skateboard it's usually not worth it.
So as for the first option, we definitely recommend that you buy a complete and already assembled skateboard, so you save money and above all a lot of time.
In short ... few paranoia: take a skate and go learn!
Ok, now that we have established that it is easier to buy a pre-assembled skate, the best part comes. It's time to choose your skate. Find out which model is best for you based on what you expect to do with it. Yes, because once again, it is easy to say skate ... but it is not at all the same thing to evolve in a skatepark, train for surfing, do kilometers along the cycle paths, go down the hills or simply go around in traffic. of the city.
So let's see what are the disciplines of skateboarding and the characteristics of the different types of skateboards and some tips to choose one to start but good enough not to waste your money .
SKATE STREET - FREESTYLE: THE CLASSIC SKATEBOARD
Traditional skateboarding, jumping and stunts, what most people think of when you tell them skate. We are talking about street skate, also called freestyle. These skates have a deck (the actual board usually made of wood) that looks like a miniature snowboard. The deck is almost symmetrical , with the two raised tips. The length of these boards varies from approximately 28 to 33 inches. Inches? Yes, I know it's annoying, but that's the way it is. Skateboard measurements, like surfboard measurements, are given in inches, not centimeters. Get over it and equip yourself with google converter ... after a while you get used to it.
The trucks are of the Traditional Kingpin Trucks (TKPs) type. Traditional kingpins are the most common skateboard trucks that you find on skate streets and most cruisers.
The wheels are small and hard . This type of skate was created for freestyle, to do jumps and acrobatics (tricks) and to launch yourself on the ramps of a skatepark.
So if your idea of ??
How to choose a street skate?
If you are at your first skateboard it is clear that you do not need the best performing skate on the market, but this does not mean that you have to buy a ciofeca. Buying a kid's skate for € 20 when you are a big boy of six feet by eighty kilos means you could split the board in two on the first drop!
That said, the traditional skate is perhaps the simplest to choose.
Check that the deck is of good Canadian Maple, a nice hard and resistant wood. Usually good quality decks are composed of 7 layers crossed, glued and pressed. This ensures the right strength and elasticity for your jumps.
Measurement of the deck of the freestyle skate
DECK LENGTH The vast majority of traditional skateboard decks have a length between 31 and 32 inches, therefore between 80 and 82 cm approximately. The length should be in proportion to the height of the skateboarder. A child will use a board a little shorter than an adult ...
DECK WIDTH The width of the deck should be chosen according to the size of your feet. The standard width for skate decks is 7.5 "- 7.8" which corresponds to 19 - 20 cm. Decks of this width are good for most people and most conditions. However, if you have very large feet then a deck that is at least 7.8 or 8 wide is better.
Another factor to consider is the intended use for skateboarding. To use the skate in ramps, skate parks, bowls, a deck that is a bit wider and therefore between 7.8 - 8 inches is better.
How much does a decent skate cost?
The traditional “jumping” skates, that is to say to make evolutions and go to the skatepark, are among the most widespread. This means that they can really be found for every taste and every pocket. Generally for a first skate you don't want to spend a lot, but the advice is not to buy a toy that can break or make you give up learning because it is unsuitable. Forget complete skates for less than € 50. The problem in too cheap skates is usually mainly the deck not sturdy enough but also the rest of the components ... trucks, wheels, bearings ... between squeaks and creaks usually not worth it.
A good quality skate is easily found in specialized shops with a few tens of euros more and with less than 100 € you can take home a traditional high quality skateboard with which to have fun and progress for a long time. Then of course it is also possible to spend more on better performing skates ... but generally for a good street skate a budget of € 80 is not bad. For example, if you want to buy your skate online, take a look at our skate street assortment on our skate shop. They are skates built in Spain, not in China, complete and of good quality.
CRUISER SKATEBOARD
Cruisers are skates suitable for moving around the city, although nothing prevents you from using a traditional skate to move around the city, with a cruiser going around is a little more comfortable, due to the larger wheels. Quite small, agile, light and easy to carry. If your idea of ??
The skate cruisers have decks with a directional shape and therefore a pronounced tip and a cropped tail.
It is a shape that often resembles that of a miniature surfboard. Some models are closer to the characteristics of the longboard, so much so that they are miniature longs, others to skate steets so as not to disdain some stunts in the park.
Used Trucks are almost always Traditional Kingpin Trucks (TKPs)
The wheels are large and soft enough to offer comfort and speed. Cruisers are all-rounders. You can use them to get around and to do some tricks, even in the park.
For some years they have been largely supplanted by surfskates. A little larger and with specific trucks that allow you to turn more easily and move forward without having to push your feet ... but we'll talk about these later.
Measurement of the deck of a skate cruiser
Cruisers generally range between 27/28 inches and 33/34 inches long.
To satisfy even more the needs of portability but especially for children there are the Mini-Cruisers . Small 22-inch long Cruisers, of which the most famous and iconic is the Penny Skate with its plastic deck and all the variants that have invaded the strata since the 1980s.
It is good to know that such small skates are suitable for children rather than adults. Of course, even an adult can use a 22 Cruiser, if he is good, but if you plan to learn with such a small skate, know that it is not easy at all and that you are complicating your life unnecessarily. Mini-cruisers like the Penny are not adult beginner skates, because they are really small and you just need to get out of balance just to end up on the ground. For an adult who wants to learn much better, a larger, approximately 30-inch deck that offers more support and a little more margin for error.
But if you want to simplify learning and have fun right away, really abound on your skate and get yourself a nice longboard or better still a surfskate.
How much does a decent Cruiser cost?
Cruisers typically cost a little more than a traditional skate but, again, they are found at all prices. A decent cruiser with a quality wooden deck typically costs between € 100 and € 150 . Of course it is also possible to spend a lot more ... it all depends on what you want. And obviously even less ... Plastic Cruisers usually cost about half and plastic mini-cruisers even less, even if the now famous Pennies are not that cheap!
LONGBOARD SKATE
Longboards are large, fast, stable boards made for long distances and more. Longer board and softer and larger wheels than a traditional skateboard and cruiser, allow longboards to glide quickly on the road and absorb the roughness of the terrain, making them very comfortable to use.
On the other hand, being much more bulky and heavier, a longboard will not be suitable for turning in the park and performing tricks ... even if you would be surprised to see what you can do with a longboard ... do a search on you tube to make yourself a idea of ??
Longboard disciplines
Exactly ... It's easy to say longboard, but the disciplines in longboard are many and very different from each other.
CRUISING The most common cruising is simply going around with your longboard.
DANCING / FREESTYLE Dancing involves taking steps while the board flows, from the simplest of surf derivatives such as cross steps and similar to real dance steps. And if speaking of dance it occurs to you that it is a girlish discipline ... take a ride on youtube and then we'll talk about it!
A variant of Dancing is Freestyle, where in addition to performing dance steps on the board, jumps are also performed and the board is rotated in the air and tricks such as those of traditional skate are also performed.
CARVING In carving you face flat or slightly sloping paths by curving and maybe pumping ... if this is your goal you should probably take a look at the surfskate
FREERIDE / DOWNHILL The specialty that involves tackling descents with your long skate is called freeride, and if you are thinking of trying it, know that the asphalt is hard and the protections are never enough! When freeride gets extreme it becomes Downhill… and it is absolutely not bread for beginners!
Naturalmente per ciascuna di queste specialità sarà necessario scegliere un tipo di longboard specifico, con misure e caratteristiche di deck, truck e ruote adatte a quel che vuoi fare. Certo è però che chi è alla prima esperienza e sta per comprare la prima longboard, difficilmente cerca un mezzo super specifico che performi in una singola disciplina. Generalmente chi è principiante si orienta verso longboard polivalenti, che permettono di fare un po' di tutto, e soprattutto andarsene in giro, fare delle belle carvate eventualmente su leggere pendenze e magari qualche passo di dancing
Tipi di longboard
Misura e forma del longboard sono le prime caratteristiche da valutare.
LUNGHEZZA DEL DECK: Gli skate longboard misurano in genere fra i 36 ed i 46 pollici. In linea di massima una tavola più lunga è più stabile ma meno maneggevole di una più corta.
WHEELBASE: un altro fattore fondamentale da considerare per capire il comportamento di uno skate longboard è il suo wheelbase che è definito, quasi sempre, come la distanza fra i fori interni dei trucks anteriore e posteriore. Un whellbase ampio rende lo skate più stabile, anche quando la velocità aumenta. Di contro un wheelbase stretto lo rende capace di curvare più stretto.
COSTRUZIONE: gli skate tradizionali migliori sono realizzati quasi sempre in acero canadese che è un legno resistente e rigido, perfetto per resistere ai violenti atterraggi ed ai colpi cui sono sottoposti. Nei longboard è richiesta oltre alla resistenza la flessibilità in modo che quando si imprime una spinta al deck questo risponda con una spinta contraria. Ecco perchè i deck molto spesso usano combinazioni di legni diversi fra cui oltre all'acero il più flessibile bamboo. Inoltre spesso sono aggiunte laminazioni con fibre di vetro o altri componenti.
In generale una tavola più flessibile è più piacevole in conduzione perchè assorbe meglio le vibrazioni ed è adatta al Cruising, meno alla velocità che richiede al contrario una tavola molto più rigida
TRUCKS: Reverse Kingpin Trucks (RKPs). I trucks dei longboard sono invertiti rispetto ai trucks tradizionali ed infatti prendono il nome di Reverse Kingpin Trucks.
Top Mount vs Drop Through Longboard Trucks. Nei longboard, a differenza che in qualsiasi altro tipo di skate i truck possono essere montati sia nella maniera tradizionale che Drop Trough cioè attraverso il deck. In pratica attraverso dei tagli nel deck i trucks vengono montati a metà del deck con il risultato che lo skate sarà molto più vicino a terra. Se pensate che sia solo un dettaglio, vi sbagliate. Uno skate più vicino a terra è più facile da spingere, più stabile ma meno reattivo e girerà con minore agilità.
RUOTE: tipicamente le ruote da longboard sono grandi e abbastanza morbide perchè devono assorbire le vibrazioni ed offrire una buona tenuta anche ad alte velocità.
Questo per quanto riguarda i dettagli più importanti e tralasciando ulteriori caratteristiche che approfondiremo in altri post.
Quanto costa un longboard decente?
Qui è più difficile dare un prezzo unico perchè come abbiamo visto le tipologie sono molte... Diciamo che per un longboard decente è abbastanza difficile spendere meno di 130€ / 150€ mentre è facile spendere oltre 300€
SURFSKATE
If what you are looking for is the surf feeling then there are specific skateboards that are more suitable than a longboard. We are talking about the Surfskates.
Surfskates are skates whose main feature is to have a truck that allows much tighter curves and above all to generate speed through pumping. With this type of skate, you don't need to push yourself with your foot to advance , but accelerate by pumping with a movement practically identical to what surfers do to accelerate on the wave.
If you are a surfer looking for a skate to surf training in between sessions, this is the skate you should buy. But not only. Even if you are not a surfer but you like the idea of ??Yes, because surfskates are probably the easiest of all the ones we've seen to get started.
A surfskate is certainly a lot easier than a street skate, but many find it easier than a skate cruiser and longboard too. With a surfskate, even those who have never been on a skateboard learn to turn and advance in a couple of hours.
Too easy to be fun too? No. The progression is fast but the most radical maneuvers require commitment, like any other discipline. And once you are familiar with the basic pace even in the surfskate there are disciplines to orient yourself towards. And even with a surfskate it is possible to go to the park, bowl, tackle ramps, artificial waves, etc. ... in short, there is something to get hurt!
TRUCKS: There is not just one model of surfskate trucks, but many, each with specific characteristics and able to give a different feeling. The topic is quite long and complicated so I suggest you to deepen it by reading some specific posts such as this our guide to the surfskate .
DECK: Surfskate decks generally have measures that are halfway between a cruiser and a longboard. A little longer and above all a little wider than a cruiser deck, a little shorter than a long one. Typically a surfskate has a deck with a length between 30 and 34 inches and a width of 9.5 inches,but it is also possible to find smaller ones as well as longer ones ... even real longboards with surfskate trucks.
The length of the deck should be proportional to the height of the user, as well as the intended use of it. The rule also applies to surfskates that a larger deck offers greater stability.
WHEELBASE The wheelbase, on the other hand, is what influences the character of the skate. The tighter it is, the tighter the skate will turn and it will be responsive but less suited to speed.
How much does a decent surfskate cost?
Even for surfskates there are many types, and therefore also the prices ... In general, for a decent surfskate it is quite difficult to spend less than € 180 while it is easy to spend € 200 and even well over € 300
As already mentioned I suggest you, if you are thinking of buying a surfskate, to deepen the subject a bit before buying a surfskate by reading our guide to buying a surfskate and possibly take a look at our reviews on the best surfskate models. surfskate that you can find around, to understand which one may be more suitable for you.
Conclusions: which skate to buy to start
Summarizing and simplifying, at the cost of seeming a little too simplistic, here are some final considerations for choosing your first skateboard:
Are you a gritty kid (or girl) who has jumps and stunts in mind? A traditional skateboard is the one for you. Have a look in our skate shop to buy a model that already has excellent value for money
Do you live in a big city and are you looking for a small means of transport to put in your backpack if necessary? A Cruiser is the right skate for you, but if you're not a kid and you've never skated, it's okay not to buy a mini-cruiser!
Are you looking for a way to move with style over fairly long distances , slide and carve on the asphalt, even if you are no longer a kid, you feel like trying your hand at a skate, maybe to spend some time with your children or because you Did it occur to you that as a kid you had tried one a couple of times? Check out the longboards .
Are you a surfer who wants to keep fit between one storm and another or have you simply never surfed but would like to try that feeling out of the water? Go Surfskate !
Are you looking for a skate for small children ? A plastic penny mini-cruiser can do as long as they're around 4-5 years old. After that, something a little bit bigger and more stable is better for them too.
Pubblicato il 14 settembre 2021 | Blog > Equipments: SURFSKATE