If you are interested in skateboarding, you are eventually going to have to buy a skateboard. It is usually a good idea to talk to people you know who already skateboard to see what they like and do not like about certain brands. Chances are you will be given the opportunity to try out your friends’ skateboards if you ask them. This will give you a good idea as to what your own personal preferences are for skateboards.

The board part of the skateboard is called the deck and it is usually made of plywood. You can also find cheaper skateboards that are made of plastic. Plastic skateboards are all right to start out with, but if you really love skateboarding you will want to buy a wooden, fiberglass or carbon board as these will last longer, however they will cost you more too. The average skateboard is eight inches wide, but you can get wider boards that make it easier to learn how to skateboard. The wider the board, the more stable it becomes. However wider boards make skateboard tricks more difficult. If you want to be able to rotate a board, you will want one that is 8 inches wide or less.

Your skateboard should come with a sandpaper-like material glued to the surface of the board. This is called griptape, and its entire purpose is to help your shoes grip onto the board as you skate. You will be able to buy the griptape from the skateboard shop that you buy your skateboard from. It comes in various sizes and can be cut down to the correct size for your board. Your griptape needs to be replaced periodically as it wears off the more that you use the skateboard.

Most skateboards have raised nose tail and sides, which is called the concave. The deeper the concave is, the more dramatic tricks can be achieved by the skater. If you are an aggressive skater, you will want a deeper concave. Beginning skaters will need a shallow concave until they really learn how to skate and then can move on to a board with a deeper concave.

The wheels on your skateboard are made of hard plastic, though you can still find old models that have metal wheels, however the metal is not recommended. The plastic wheels are made in different sizes and hardness. The most common level of hardness is one that is 90a. The harder the wheel is, the more pop you can get out of them. Pro skateboarders use wheels with 100a hardness. 97a hardness is good for ramp riding and skateboard parks. The smaller the wheels are in diameter the easier it is for you to perform some skateboard tricks. Smaller wheels will put your skateboard lower to the ground, but when you are starting out you want to have the larger wheels.

Do not get stuck on name brands! You can buy blank boards that have no brand names on them at all. It does not mean that they are bad boards, in fact, many skaters prefer the blank boards to the name brands. You can then customize the skateboard anyway that you would like to and the price is much less than you would pay for a brand name board.