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How to Choose a Skateboard

Shrinivas Kanade
Choosing a skateboard that suits your style and needs the best is of utmost importance. Read ahead to know help you out on that.
If you are serious about skateboarding, and you may be hanging with a skateboarders group. Their talk, claims, and denials about the board or tricks must have given you a lot of information, and may have confused you with the difference in opinions. Choosing one for yourself can be solved, after going to the stores and trying various skateboards available.

Selecting the Right Skateboard

General Idea

First of all you should decide whether you want a complete skateboard or a costly custom-made one. If you are a beginner, then most probably you may want to go in for a complete one. You can find knowledgeable as well as helpful people at the store in your area.
It is important to listen to them, because the advice given by them would not be technically biased in favor of any particular skateboard, as that of a practicing skateboarder. What about the skateboard's size? Take the board you fancy off the shelf and stand on it.
Check out whether its length and width matches your height and balance. It is preferable that you try the skateboard while wearing shoes that you are going to use for skating. Remember that the feel of the board under your feet is important, rather than its look.
If you intends to do tricks with your board, then be sure to choose a skateboard that has an appreciable concave and pop. Spend enough money on the quality trucks, good bearings and wheels. All these factors will only enhance your experience.

Deck

Know that thinner decks make it easier to do flips, and choosing a 7.5 to 7.75 inches board can be most appropriate. For transition skaters, a deck size of around 7.75 inches is considered ideal, as it helps in balance and control during any trick.
However, if you have big feet, choose the deck size most suitable for you. If you are going to use the board for tricks and transition skating, prefer the deck close to the 7.75 inches mark.
The truck you are going to outfit your skateboard with should be as close to the width of the deck. If too thin, it may cause an unstable ride, and if too wide, at turns the skateboard will be less responsive.

Bearing

When it comes to choosing the grade of bearing (1, 3, 5, 7, 9), precision and cost increases as you go higher through the grades. Grade 5 bearings will go nicely with your board.

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High truck allows for big wheels to be fitted, and distributes the pressure evenly, while doing tricks. Skateboards fitted with the low truck will be more stable, and will allow a safe.

Wheel

Choose the wheel that you are going to put in your board to match the style of your skating and surface you are going to do it on.

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For street and technical skating, the board is required to be lighter and lower to the ground. For this reason, use small and hard wheels (51mm-55m, 97a-100a). For speedy skating and easy maintenance, opt for large wheels (56mm-60mm, 97a-100a).

Grip Tape

Grip tapes (black) are of high quality, and provide that extra purchase that is necessary while doing tricks and a 360 hardflip.
Remember to try out a number of skateboards before you make a final choice and purchase one.