FACT: While skateboarding has always enjoyed popularity among hardcore enthusiasts, it wasn’t until the creation (and successful marketing) of the X-Games which really drove skateboarders to the forefront. The X-Games introduced skateboarding to a whole new generation of young people, who may not have otherwise seen the amazing tricks and moves and top-notch boarders routinely perform.

FACT: As skateboarding grows in popularity, so does its acceptance among cities and communities as a legitimate athletic activity. More and more skate parks are being built across the country, while at the same time, older parks and playgrounds are being retrofitted to included skate parks and half-pipes. Creating skateboarding areas ensures the safety of riders as they gather to skate and practice their tricks.

FACT: In the United States of America, skateboarding is now the third most popular participant sporting activity. What’s even more incredible is that, the average age of a skateboarding fan is approximately thirteen years old. Yet, as skateboarding climbs in popularity and stature, more and more people, both younger and older than thirteen, are grabbing a deck and trying to skateboard for themselves.

FACT: Many people don’t know this or are unaware, but there are some skateboard decks which are rated towards the weight of the person intending to ride them. If you are new to skateboarding, and want to make certain that the board you purchase is right for you, check out its rating system (or have a skateboard expert help you out). Not having the proper board can be detrimental to your overall boarding experience.

Have you ever wondered who, why and how skateboarding was invented? Well, I will give you a little bit of history on the sport of skateboarding.

This sport started in the 50’s in California when the surfers wanted to bring surfing to the streets. So they got themselves a piece of wood and put some roller skate wheels on the bottom of the board and took surfing to the streets. There is no real proof of who was the true inventor of the skateboard. This has remained a mystery since the first skateboard was used and still remains a mystery.

When the surfers brought this new sport to the streets of course this new sport brought a lot of injuries to the surfers who were experimenting with developing this new and different sport. Skateboard manufactures started to make what is now called a “deck”. The deck is the actual board, now days it is made of fiberglass or pressed wood. This is to make the board lighter for the skater to do tricks.

This sport has come a long ways since the 1950’s. It wasn’t as popular then as it is now. Skateboarding still hasn’t stopped evolving, and skaters are coming up with new tricks all the time.

Boards are also continuing to evolve, as companies try to make them lighter and stronger, and try to improve on their performance. Skateboarding has always been about personal discovery and pushing oneself to the limit.

Throughout the years since skateboarding has been invented, this sport has gone from being popular to taking popularity dives every now and again. No matter what happens I think that skateboarding will always be with us as a extreme sport. This sport is always changing and will continue to change as time evolves.

So now the question remains, “Where will skateboarding go from here?”…Wherever the new age extreme skater takes it!

Skateboarding has become passion of many teens and adults. The thrills and adventures of skateboarding are mind blowing. To keep the adventure going, one needs to have the most durable, flexible and comfortable shoes. Skateboarding is one of the finest sports. So that is why skate shoes are given a lot of consideration. You can find every kind of shoe in the market. But, care should be taken because if the shoes are not chosen correctly you may face bad consequences. An ordinary shoe cannot withstand the stress and constraint of skating. Special shoes are there to meet the needs of player or skater.

Normally, branded skate shoes are expensive; but inexpensive ones are also available in the market. Price of the shoe is mainly decided by the features and the manufacturing cost. If costly materials are used, ultimately price would be high. Latest designs and styles govern the fashion of sports shoe industry. Various features in skate foot wear include; air pockets, lace loops, grip rubber, stash pockets, asymmetric stabilizers, vulcanized soles and thermoplastic toe box. Definitely, when a foot wear is reinforced with so many features the price is going to be high.

You can ride skateboard in streets and can taste the ramps also. Choose your style of skateboarding and get started with your passionate sports along with safety measures. It can rightly be said that shoes are not just the show or pomp of the brands. The skate shoes also classify the safety requirements. If you are wearing comfortable and sturdy footwear you are less prone to injuries and bruises. If you do some market research it will save time, money, effort and energy. Online shopping facilities can also be helpful to find the best skate wear, that suit your style.

Some awesome skate shoes companies help a skateboarder to fulfill their desires with best safety measure. Fallen footwear are enormously famous all over the world for skate shoes manufacturing. High quality shoes are manufactured at Fallen. Vans is another famous skate footwear company which manufactures most comfortable and stylish skate shoes. Globe Shoes is name of excellence and high quality in this industry. You can take advantage of greatly designed and sturdy shoes of this brand to have the ideal experience of skateboarding. DC Skateboarding Shoes, etnies, Osiris, Emerica and Adio are the famous brands of skate wear. You can enjoy the comfort level at peak of excellence and extraordinary strong designs.

Skateboarding is a sport that is never dull or boring and that is just one of the many reasons why people are in love with it. This includes those that take part in it and those that watch it from the sidelines. It seems that skateboarding continues to go in new directions.

As a result there are always better tricks, faster riders, and more to take away from it. This is a fast paced sport and one for those that like to be involved instead of waiting around. This sport doesn’t stay the same as the envelope is always being pushed to new limits. This includes what the average person does as well as what the professional skaters have in mind.

The personal growth that a person can experience when they are skateboarding is amazing. Some of them can’t wait to get through with what they need to on any given day so they can get out there and do it. They practice their moves again and again until they master them. In addition to copying tricks that are well known out there they also try some that they have created on their own.

Skateboarding can become a very social activity as well. A group of individuals that share such a common interest can learn a great deal from each other. They can also challenge each other to stay motivated when a hard trick or skill has been taking place within the group. Even so, this sport can also be a way for individuals to express themselves.

There are people of all ages that enjoy skateboarding. With younger individuals, they often love knowing they can do what older skaters around them are capable of. In fact, some of the younger riders are able to do much more due to the amount of time they spend with the sport.

Older riders often find that this sport helps them to feel younger than they have in a very long time. They also enjoy being able to teach other skaters some basic moves or some great tricks. Being able to bring that type of enjoyment to the face of others is very satisfying. Shopping for a skateboard as well as other accessories is plenty of fun as well. There are so many ways to customize a board these days that you don’t have to settle for what is factory made.

Getting enough exercise can become a battle for people, but not when you have a sport like skateboarding that you want to take part in. Many people take part in this sport for that very reason. They can’t motivate themselves to do boring types of exercise every day. Yet they love being able to move around freely on their skateboard. They cover lots of ground to give them mobility and they also keep their body limber.

Sometimes the thrill of doing something that you don’t have to share with your family or others around you can make it exciting. There are many people afraid to ride a skateboard. Therefore they are often in awe of those that do. Being a part of the elite group that isn’t afraid to take a risk on one can give you some great bonus points when it comes to setting yourself apart from the rest of the world.

You may have your own reasons why skateboarding is so enjoyable. That is what fuels your passion for the sport. While not everyone out there understands it, this is yours to embrace so make the most of it. Life is too short not to have fun, and if you find skateboarding to be a way to spend your free time then you deserve all that you can do with it.

Not long ago, I was talking to some architectural designers who specialized in people friendly landscapes, parks, and specifically skateboarding facilities such as giant skate parks. They were trying to figure out how to build something that would be really cool, safe, but different. In discussing this with them, I went to my sketchpad and designed something which looked like a small lighthouse tower, and I called it a skatedrome. Let me describe this innovative concept to you if you have a few moments.

The tower would stick up in the middle of the skate park. You could get to the top of it using an overhead walkway or causeway. This overhead walkway would be fully enclosed so no one could jump off or get hurt. Once they got into the skatedrome itself, there would be holes where they could launch downward into the skate park going any direction as this would give them an abundance of speed to do tricks. They couldn’t hurt themselves because although the first part of the drop would be vertical it would very quickly level out and angle them towards the next set of jumps depending on which direction they were facing.

By doing this all the skaters would go down the skatedrome away from each other, therefore not getting in each other’s way, and work their way out to the edges. This would prevent collisions, and keep everyone going in the same direction outward. On the very far outer edges would be the normal swimming pool like indentations for basic type tricks. This would be out past an outer ring. That outer ring would funnel itself back into one or more overhead walkways or causeway’s back to the skatedrome.

Further, once in the tower they could get a very good aerial view of the skate Park and what their friends were up too as they competed for who could do the best tricks. It would be a great place to film skating tricks, and even a great place for a lifeguard type station to watch over everything to make sure everyone was safe, and no one got hurt. We are talking about a large skate park encompassing over a few acres.

Is the skatedrome a decent architectural fixture and structure for a modern-day skate park? I believe so, and my friends in New York who design these sorts of things enjoyed my sketch and concept, so maybe someday we will see these things around. It would be a lot of fun for kids to practice and hone their skills skateboarding. Please consider all this and think on it.

What is a Vulcanized Sole? Every shoe is actually made from Vulcanized materials, but there is a difference in the methods of how the soles are attached to the shoe. Vulcanization is the process by which rubber molecules (polymers or macromolecules made of repeating units or monomers called isoprene) are cross-linked with each other by heating the liquid rubber with sulfur. Cross-linking increases the elasticity and the strength of rubber by about ten-fold, but the amount of cross-linking must be controlled to avoid creating a brittle and inelastic substance. In simpler terms, A ‘vulc sole’ means the rubber soles are heated so they adhere to the shoe. The process is more durable than gluing.

What is a Cup sole? A cup sole is pre-molded to specifically fit the shoe during the production process. It is glued to the bottom of the shoe as opposed to being cross-linked like a vulcanized sole.

What is better for skateboarding?

Each sole type has pro’s and con’s, so ‘what is better’ is purely the skaters preference. Vulcanized soles offer high durability, better ‘board feel’ due to a thinner layer of rubber on the very bottom, and sometimes more grip support, but, vulcanized soles can wear down faster because of the thin bottom. Vulc soles can also be less-comfortable. Cup soles tend to be more comfortable, and have more options with tread designs, and shapes. Cup soles also offer high durability as well. Cup soles are often bulky, and the glue can weaken while skating. The pro’s and con’s can change depending on the shoe style as well. We simply suggest trial and error. Try one style, then a different one the next time, and see which type you prefer.

How much toe room should I have? The general rule is the width of a thumb between the longest toe and the end of the shoe, but this is our preference. We always suggest a little ‘wiggle’ room for your toes.

Why do my skate shoes only last a few weeks? This is a common problem. Just because a skate shoe is designed for skateboarding, does not mean it is indestructible. If you skate everyday, try not to be surprised if your skate shoes don’t last past 4-6 weeks. Griptape easily rips apart the materials of shoes, no matter how durable they may seem. It can get expensive, so it doesn’t hurt to keep around a worn-out pair of shoes to use if you are practicing new tricks, instead of using those $90.00 limited edition Nikes you just bought.

What are some other skate shoe features?

These include but are not limited to:

-Air pockets in the heels

-Shoelace protectors

-Dynamic Grip Technology (DGT)(DC Shoes)

-Super Suede (DC Shoes)

-System G2 Cushioning (Etnies)(Emerica)(éS)

-STI foam (Etnies)(Emerica)(éS)

-Lace Loops that “hide” shoelaces

-‘Action Leather’

-Thermoplastic Toe Box Reinforcement

-EVA Mid Sole

-Fusion Grip Rubber Outsole

-Asymmetric stabilizer

-Silicon Rubber makes shoes last longer (SiRC)

-Stash Pockets (under sole)(DVS)

Skateboard wheels are available in a variety of colors, sizes and degrees of hardness. Skateboards have two stats, there is the diameter of the wheel which means how tall the wheel is and durometer which means how hard the wheel is.

When making the choice of what kind of wheels to get, most skaters are happy with wheels from 52mm to 54mm diameter, with a hardness of 99a. But, if you want to give it a little more thought, then make sure you ask yourself what kind of skateboarding you will be doing. There is a few varieties of skateboarding and the type of wheel that you have on your skateboard really depends upon the type of skateboarding you are looking to do.

Transition/Vert Skateboarding

Larger skateboard wheels roll a lot faster, and if you are riding ramps then this is what you want. You will want a wheel that is between 55-65mm size Even though many ramp skateboarders will use even larger wheels if you are just learning you will want to try something like a 60mm wheel first, with a hardness of 95-100a.

Street/Technical Skateboarding

Skateboarders who like doing flip tricks often like smaller wheels, this is because the smaller wheels are lighter and closer to the ground. This makes some skateboarding tricks easier and faster. When doing this type of skateboarding, you will want to try between a 50-55mm skateboard wheel, with a hardness of 97-101a.

Both / All Terrain Skateboarding

If you are doing this type of skateboarding you will want a wheel that is somewhere in the middle of the wheel scale, with slightly softer skateboard wheels. You will want to try a wheel size of 52-60mm, with 95-100a hardness. This will give you a balance between speed and weight.

Cruising Skateboarding

Cruising wheels are much larger for speed the wheel size is usually between 64-75mm and much softer. This is for riding over rough terrain the wheel hardness should be between 78-85a. There is other wheels available for the cruising style of skateboarding, these types of wheels are huge dirt wheels with knobs, this type of wheels are not recommended for skateboards. They are more recommended for long boards or dirt boards.

If you skateboard you realize the importance of jumping high in order to land more difficult tricks or grind higher rails.  Learning how to jump higher for skateboarding will separate you from other skaters that get as high as you.

If you take skateboarding seriously then you will be just like all other athletes and hit the gym in order to increase performance on you board.  You might be surprised to know that you can increase your vert by a few inches in a month by doing plyometric workouts.

Plyometric exercises are workouts designed to increase your fast twitch muscles which will make you jump higher. 

Let’s look at some exercises that you can do anywhere.  First, we will take the jump squats.  These are one of the best exercises for skating because all of your jumps will be standing jumps which means you never take an approach.  With feet shoulder width apart you will jump as high as you can and land in a squat.  Squat down until your knees make a 90 angle.  This does mean that your thighs will necessarily be parallel with the floor because your shins will go forward slightly.  From the squatted position you will explode back up into a jump.  You are only going to do these in sets of 8 reps because you want to learn power not endurance. 

Just think of how many more tricks you could do with 6 inches of extra vertical leap under your belt.  The possibilities would be endless and you would start getting recognized more.  It’s time to take your training to the next level.

Abraham Lincoln once answered the question: “How long should a man’s legs be?” by saying “long enough to reach the ground”. This applies to how young a beginner skateboarder can start to learn – and it is not a wise guy answer. Several factors are involved. First of all, you need to judge their physical and mental maturity. Does your kid have a good sense of balance? Is he coordinated and does he have good depth perception – by this I mean the ability to judge distances and heights? This is necessary to help avoid running into things, and as he gets more advanced, to know when to jump up onto a ramp. Ideally, he should have good judgment, but given the fact that the rational faculties in the pre-frontal cortex of the brain don’t really fully develop in males until they are in their 20s, this may be too much to ask.

Perhaps the most important criterion in determining the age of a beginner skateboarder is Mom’s threshold of pain. Your child will fall, will cry, and will get banged up. Our son broke his wrist 3 times in his first year. In the 8 years since then, he has not had anything more serious than cuts and bruises. There are things you can do to reduce the frequency of injury. Statistics indicate that about 50% of all injuries occur in the first week of learning to skateboard. This suggests that you get him a coach for the first 7 to 10 days of actual skateboarding. A coach can be a responsible neighborhood kid, or a “semi-pro” skater. And a lot of the learning can take place on a level and paved driveway. Eventually, you will want to consider a skateboard camp such as one of the Woodward skateboard camp once he masters some of the basics – starting, braking, stopping, turning and then ollying,

Another way of reducing injuries is to get your child the proper safety gear. Do not get him gear from a toy store. Go to a real skate shop or on-line skate shop and get real equipment, starting with a good board. The absolutely necessary companion to a good board with good wheels and trucks, is a helmet. Not a bicycle helmet, or a football helmet, but a real skateboard helmet that fits him NOW. Don’t get a helmet that is too large on the theory that he can grow into it. If it doesn’t fit him properly now, it won’t protect him properly now. Spring for the extra money to get a good helmet that fits him now, even though you know he will outgrow it fairly soon. Wrist guards, elbow pads and knee pads are a very wise precaution, particularly for beginners. You may find it difficult to keep him in the pads and guards as he gets older, but you must, must, must insist that he wears the helmet every time he gets on his skateboard.

So, that’s the complicated answer to a simple question “how old should my child be when starting to learn skateboarding?” Sometimes as young as 3 or 4, and under normal circumstances, certainly but 5, 6 or 7. Rather similar to the guidelines for learning how to bicycle.

Skateboard shops have become quite common nowadays as the young generation of today is crazy about the various extreme sports items, especially skateboarding. And if you wish to browse for them and purchase them without leaving your house, you can do that with so many of the stores extending their business to the Internet as well. Skateboarding is a sports item that lets the boarder create a cool and trendy image for himself or herself. The element of risk in it makes the sports even more exciting and makes many adolescents and teenagers go crazy about it.

Skateboards are so much in demand today as skateboarding is a free style sports item that you can practice anywhere, be it inside your home, courtyard, parks, footpaths, etc. All you need is a skateboard and you can practice it very easily. There is no need for a special court, costume or any other equipment. While it is easy to find a skateboard shop, it is not as easy to find the right kind of skateboard for you. For this, you need to have some information regarding skateboards and skateboarding.

While shopping for skateboards, you’ll find that often the online skateboard shops are better than the offline ones. Besides the comfort in buying from your home, here are a few other reasons for this:

Customer feedback

What the previous customers have to say about a shop plays a very important role in your purchase decision. While it is not very easy to find the previous customers of a real shop, you can easily check out the comments of the customers in their testimonials section, comments for each products or product review forums. Most online stores have their own accounts in the social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. You can take a look at these before purchasing, and often they help you decide whether to buy or not.

International brands

Online stores tend to have products from international brands than the local shops next to your house. Besides, you always have the choice of going right to the brand website and purchasing from there instead of checking out the retailers. If you are a fan of a particular brand you could just visit their showroom, check out the products and make your purchase, even if the store is outside your country. You might end up paying more, including the delivery charges, but you get the best product from the brand you’ve always wanted.

Best promotional offers and discounts

Compared to offline stores, online skateboard shops provide more offers and discounts, especially to their repeated customers. As you can guess, it is easy for online stores to keep track of their customers as they are provided with login details that give information to the shop owners about who visited the store when and purchased what. Besides, by subscribing to their notifications and alerts you are one of the first to know when there is a discount or an offer.

Finding the better skateboard shops online, that too within your own locality, is easy. All you need to do is search in Google for “skateboard shops” along with the name of your locality. This makes it easier for you to get in touch with them through phone and collect information. With the online skateboard shops, purchasing skateboards has become quite simple and a better option in terms of the quality of the item you buy as well as the money you pay.