Do you want to know how to be a great skateboarder. Well let me tell you first and foremost that there is a process that needs to be followed to get you to this end product. There are no shortcuts and you must follow this and get the basics right before you can become an exceptional skateboarder.
So this is how to be a great skateboarder from the beginning. This is the short and sweet lowdown.
1. Get your skateboard gear, including skateboard, helmet, knee pads, wrist braces etc.
2. Get used to standing and balancing on your skateboard. Spend a few hours getting comfortable on it.
3. Work out which skateboard stance you feel right with, the goofy or regular. Usually goofy for left footers and regular for right footers.
4. Learn to push off on a skateboard and gathering speed.
5. Learn how to stop your skateboard! Believe me you dont want to miss this one out!
6. Learn how to carve around on the board by using your body weight to turn the board, and bending your knees correctly.
7. Go to a skatepark and learn how to skate over the slopes and ramps, always bearing in mind to keep your weight forward on the board to avoid crashing down.
8. Learn the basic tricks, such as the ollie, the kickturn, the pop shuv it and others.
9. Build on the basic tricks, learn more complex tricks that stretch you.
10. Use your imagination to enhance the tricks and the moves you are doing. Create your own signature mood and embellish others.
You can learn how to be a great skateboarder in 8 weeks or less if you follow the best guide on the internet, just click on Skate Secrets
Tuesday 30 June 2009
Monday 29 June 2009
How To Learn To Skateboard
Hmmm, how to learn to skateboard. A question that has been asked since the dawn of time---OK well maybe not quite that far back but you get my drift.
Let us take this question back to basics, how to learn to skateboard. Well the first thing you need to do is feel comfortable on your skateboard. We are assuming here by the way that you have already bought your skateboard, and it is a reasonably wide and heavy one to start with. And we are also assuming you have got your skateboard gear, such as helmet, knee pads, wrist braces etc, which are essential items mon brave.
So the way to feel comfortable on your board is to practice getting your balance right. Try different ways to get on the board initially, see how the balance changes when you have a wide stance on the board, or you have your legs close together on the board. Practice running at the board and jumping on it, and keeping your balance as long as possible.
You have to know that when you are finding out how to learn to skateboard you will fall off many, many times, and you will hurt yourself, it goes with the territory I am afraid. But faint heart never won fair maiden, or so the saying goes I believe?!
Find out what position on the board you feel most comfortable and balanced. Once you have done this for a while, you can then practice pushing off and getting some speed up. If you build your speed up enough the easier it is to balance and the longer you will be able to stay on your skateboard. Keep going and make yourself go faster and faster, and start to practice swaying your body backwards and forwards to see the effect it has. Bend your knees and lean forward for extra speed.
Practice pushing down hard with your back foot on the board so that you flip the front up, and see if you can stay on the board. Bend your knees forward again so that you dont fall backwards. All this is good practice,and once you have learnt some basic movements you can step up your activity.
Hope this has helped you in how to learn to skateboard. By the way if you want to be an expert in the next 8 weeks no finer guide has been written than the one you will find if you click on SkateSecrets
Let us take this question back to basics, how to learn to skateboard. Well the first thing you need to do is feel comfortable on your skateboard. We are assuming here by the way that you have already bought your skateboard, and it is a reasonably wide and heavy one to start with. And we are also assuming you have got your skateboard gear, such as helmet, knee pads, wrist braces etc, which are essential items mon brave.
So the way to feel comfortable on your board is to practice getting your balance right. Try different ways to get on the board initially, see how the balance changes when you have a wide stance on the board, or you have your legs close together on the board. Practice running at the board and jumping on it, and keeping your balance as long as possible.
You have to know that when you are finding out how to learn to skateboard you will fall off many, many times, and you will hurt yourself, it goes with the territory I am afraid. But faint heart never won fair maiden, or so the saying goes I believe?!
Find out what position on the board you feel most comfortable and balanced. Once you have done this for a while, you can then practice pushing off and getting some speed up. If you build your speed up enough the easier it is to balance and the longer you will be able to stay on your skateboard. Keep going and make yourself go faster and faster, and start to practice swaying your body backwards and forwards to see the effect it has. Bend your knees and lean forward for extra speed.
Practice pushing down hard with your back foot on the board so that you flip the front up, and see if you can stay on the board. Bend your knees forward again so that you dont fall backwards. All this is good practice,and once you have learnt some basic movements you can step up your activity.
Hope this has helped you in how to learn to skateboard. By the way if you want to be an expert in the next 8 weeks no finer guide has been written than the one you will find if you click on SkateSecrets
Sunday 28 June 2009
4 Ways To Skateboard
There are 4 main ways that people skateboard here on our planet, so let us have a look at each of them in turn.
1. Street Skating. This is an extremely popular sporting activity, and has blossomed even more with the genre merging with hip hop culture and fashion, and taking on a whole new life.
Street skating can provide endless variations to express yourself and your personality, and can take in skating on to curbs, and up on to rails, ledges and benches, and many other stationary objects found on our streets.
The ollie is used prevalently in street skating.
2. Vert Skating. This involves skating on ramps and other vertical edifices, which have been designed for skating. Vert skating became popular in the 60`s in the California area, and empty pools were commonly used for this at first. Vert skating has taken many of the street skating moves and adapted them for its own use.
3. Half pipe skating. This is a U shaped ramp of really any size. Originally they were just half sections of a large pipe, but as this has evolved they now have an extended flat bottom to them which gives the skateboarder more time and space to develop tricks in.
4. Vert Ramp Skating. This is a half pipe with steep sides that are completely vertical at the top. They are normally around 10 to 14 feet in height. The sheer sides can give skaters a thrilling ride, and can send the board straight up into the air off the top of the vert ramp.
If you want to learn how to be a crack skateboarder within 8 weeks time just click on SkateSecrets
1. Street Skating. This is an extremely popular sporting activity, and has blossomed even more with the genre merging with hip hop culture and fashion, and taking on a whole new life.
Street skating can provide endless variations to express yourself and your personality, and can take in skating on to curbs, and up on to rails, ledges and benches, and many other stationary objects found on our streets.
The ollie is used prevalently in street skating.
2. Vert Skating. This involves skating on ramps and other vertical edifices, which have been designed for skating. Vert skating became popular in the 60`s in the California area, and empty pools were commonly used for this at first. Vert skating has taken many of the street skating moves and adapted them for its own use.
3. Half pipe skating. This is a U shaped ramp of really any size. Originally they were just half sections of a large pipe, but as this has evolved they now have an extended flat bottom to them which gives the skateboarder more time and space to develop tricks in.
4. Vert Ramp Skating. This is a half pipe with steep sides that are completely vertical at the top. They are normally around 10 to 14 feet in height. The sheer sides can give skaters a thrilling ride, and can send the board straight up into the air off the top of the vert ramp.
If you want to learn how to be a crack skateboarder within 8 weeks time just click on SkateSecrets
Skateboard Information
Here we have some skateboard information on yer actual skateboard, including all you need to know on them. Here are a few facts guys and gals, dudes and dudesses:
The skateboard deck, that is the flat surface of the skateboard, is normally made out of laminated maple. How thick the skateboard is depends on the number of layers that the deck is made out of. The less experienced skateboarder should be more inclined to pick a thick skateboard for ease of balance.
For your skateboard information, the wheels are more often than not made out of polyurethane, and can be sized between 39 to 66 millimetres in diameter.
The front of the skateboard is called the nose, which comprises of the front truck bolts to the end of the board.
The back of the skateboard is called the tail, which comprises of the back truck bolts back to the end of the board.
The wheelbase is basically the distance between the front and the back wheels.
Most skateboards come with grip tape on them, or skateboarders put tape on them when they buy their board. The grip tape is stuck to the deck, and has an abrasive surface to give the skateboarder plenty grip to the board, so that they will not slip off so readily.
So theres some skateboard information for your delectation. If you want to learn how to be a top skateboarder in double quick time then this is a must see, just click on SkateSecrets for more information.
The skateboard deck, that is the flat surface of the skateboard, is normally made out of laminated maple. How thick the skateboard is depends on the number of layers that the deck is made out of. The less experienced skateboarder should be more inclined to pick a thick skateboard for ease of balance.
For your skateboard information, the wheels are more often than not made out of polyurethane, and can be sized between 39 to 66 millimetres in diameter.
The front of the skateboard is called the nose, which comprises of the front truck bolts to the end of the board.
The back of the skateboard is called the tail, which comprises of the back truck bolts back to the end of the board.
The wheelbase is basically the distance between the front and the back wheels.
Most skateboards come with grip tape on them, or skateboarders put tape on them when they buy their board. The grip tape is stuck to the deck, and has an abrasive surface to give the skateboarder plenty grip to the board, so that they will not slip off so readily.
So theres some skateboard information for your delectation. If you want to learn how to be a top skateboarder in double quick time then this is a must see, just click on SkateSecrets for more information.
Saturday 27 June 2009
Skateboard Skills
Looking to brush up on your skateboard skills hombre? Let us have a look at how to do real neat sharp turns on your skateboard. We will soon have you skating like a pro!
OK, this is good tuition on how to make those sharp turns, but remember you gotta practice and practice them cos there is no such thing as a free lunch, and all the people who look like a natural to you on their board had to go through the same learning process. They fell off and stumbled and looked useless at one point, and they would have felt like giving up a few times I am sure, but the thing is they didnt, and thats the difference between a good skater with top skateboard skills and a bad one.
Right, so when you push off you have your front foot over the front part of your bolts, and you will have your back foot towards the back wheel of the board. To build up some pace you need to push off a couple of times real hard and try to gather some momentum, and then you put your foot under the tail, twist your shoulders around in the direction you wish to turn, and the rest of your upper body will follow, causing you to make that sharp turn.
So to conclude, you apply pressure with your back foot as you throw your shoulder to make a sharp turn. Trust me you will probably have a few accidents with this as we all do, but you will get the hang of it pretty quickly.
If you want to learn how to skateboard like a pro in less than 2 months click on SkateSecrets
OK, this is good tuition on how to make those sharp turns, but remember you gotta practice and practice them cos there is no such thing as a free lunch, and all the people who look like a natural to you on their board had to go through the same learning process. They fell off and stumbled and looked useless at one point, and they would have felt like giving up a few times I am sure, but the thing is they didnt, and thats the difference between a good skater with top skateboard skills and a bad one.
Right, so when you push off you have your front foot over the front part of your bolts, and you will have your back foot towards the back wheel of the board. To build up some pace you need to push off a couple of times real hard and try to gather some momentum, and then you put your foot under the tail, twist your shoulders around in the direction you wish to turn, and the rest of your upper body will follow, causing you to make that sharp turn.
So to conclude, you apply pressure with your back foot as you throw your shoulder to make a sharp turn. Trust me you will probably have a few accidents with this as we all do, but you will get the hang of it pretty quickly.
If you want to learn how to skateboard like a pro in less than 2 months click on SkateSecrets
Thursday 25 June 2009
Learning To Skateboard
This post is for people who are just learning to skateboard. I will quickly mention the difference between the regular and the goofy stance. The Regular stance is for right footed people and the goofy stance is for us left footers.
Basically with a regular stance you stand with your left foot forward on the board, so that you are controlling the board at the back with your right foot. And obviously vice versa with the goofy stance. This will come naturally to you if you think about it and feel which stance makes you more comfortable and at ease. When you are learning to skateboard it is important to get yourself set right.
For some reason left footers do tend to rely on their left foot almost completely, whereas righty footers are more two footed. I know this from my own experience, as when I play football I cant do a darn thing with my right foot but have to keep the ball on my left foot all the time. Most left footers are the same.
Anyways, more stuff on learning to skateboard. When you get your stance right you then need to push off from a standing position. When you do this make sure your foot on the ground is ahead of your foot on the board, as if it is not your body weight will be all wrong on the board and it is likely that the skateboard will scoot on out in front of you. Dang!! That is so annoying!
So push off, making sure your foot on the floor is in front as you do so, and then as you push off bend you knees so that your body weight is pushed forward on the skateboard. This will give you the impetus to build up some speed and stay balanced on the board. When you are learning to skateboard, there aint no way Jose you are going to stay on that board if you dont build up a little bit of speed.
You can then, as you shimmy along, start driving the board from side to side as you move your body weight from one side to the other. This is generally known as carving and will help you to continue to build up speed on the board.
If you want to learn as quickly as possible how to be a tip top skateboarder, then click on SkateboardSecrets
This will give you all the info you need to know to become an expert skateboarder in 2 months flat.
Basically with a regular stance you stand with your left foot forward on the board, so that you are controlling the board at the back with your right foot. And obviously vice versa with the goofy stance. This will come naturally to you if you think about it and feel which stance makes you more comfortable and at ease. When you are learning to skateboard it is important to get yourself set right.
For some reason left footers do tend to rely on their left foot almost completely, whereas righty footers are more two footed. I know this from my own experience, as when I play football I cant do a darn thing with my right foot but have to keep the ball on my left foot all the time. Most left footers are the same.
Anyways, more stuff on learning to skateboard. When you get your stance right you then need to push off from a standing position. When you do this make sure your foot on the ground is ahead of your foot on the board, as if it is not your body weight will be all wrong on the board and it is likely that the skateboard will scoot on out in front of you. Dang!! That is so annoying!
So push off, making sure your foot on the floor is in front as you do so, and then as you push off bend you knees so that your body weight is pushed forward on the skateboard. This will give you the impetus to build up some speed and stay balanced on the board. When you are learning to skateboard, there aint no way Jose you are going to stay on that board if you dont build up a little bit of speed.
You can then, as you shimmy along, start driving the board from side to side as you move your body weight from one side to the other. This is generally known as carving and will help you to continue to build up speed on the board.
If you want to learn as quickly as possible how to be a tip top skateboarder, then click on SkateboardSecrets
This will give you all the info you need to know to become an expert skateboarder in 2 months flat.
Thursday 18 June 2009
Skateboard Moves
Skateboard moves to die for part 1! Let us have a look at the Laser Flip. The Laser Flip is kinda one of the more complicated skateboard moves. They tell me this particular trick was invented by a dude going by the name of Rodney Mullen.
Well Rodney, much respect is due cos you did the world a great favour.
Do you have any idea how to do the Laser Flip? OK, well if the answer was in the negative you may want to read a little further while I describe the trick for you. As I mentioned it is a bit complex but once you get your head and your feet around it you will be fine mon brave.
Place the front foot behind the back bolts and also towards the heel side edge of the board, and place your back foot near the side pocket of the boards tail.
What you need to do is scoop the tail inwards, while at the same time brushing the board in a heelflip motion. These movements have to be done in one sweep for the flip to rotate properly.
The board rotates similar to a heelflip. There is no doubt that it does take practice to get these skateboard moves right but it is well worth the effort once you have mastered them. Once you are shooting lasers with this trick you will be one happy skateboarder. It will probably feel like a work in progress for quite some time but aint that the case with most skateboard moves?
You have to remember Rome was not built in a day. It took those Romans, with a little help from a few thousand slaves grafting away you understand, a long time to put together that great city. But it was a labour of love I figure. Anyway, you get the drift, now get out and practice!
Well Rodney, much respect is due cos you did the world a great favour.
Do you have any idea how to do the Laser Flip? OK, well if the answer was in the negative you may want to read a little further while I describe the trick for you. As I mentioned it is a bit complex but once you get your head and your feet around it you will be fine mon brave.
Place the front foot behind the back bolts and also towards the heel side edge of the board, and place your back foot near the side pocket of the boards tail.
What you need to do is scoop the tail inwards, while at the same time brushing the board in a heelflip motion. These movements have to be done in one sweep for the flip to rotate properly.
The board rotates similar to a heelflip. There is no doubt that it does take practice to get these skateboard moves right but it is well worth the effort once you have mastered them. Once you are shooting lasers with this trick you will be one happy skateboarder. It will probably feel like a work in progress for quite some time but aint that the case with most skateboard moves?
You have to remember Rome was not built in a day. It took those Romans, with a little help from a few thousand slaves grafting away you understand, a long time to put together that great city. But it was a labour of love I figure. Anyway, you get the drift, now get out and practice!
Wednesday 17 June 2009
Skateboard World
This skateboard world blog is going to have a look see at a few interesting facts and other stuff about skateboarding. This is for all you skateboard afficionados out there who take mucho interest in the sport as I do.
Now this is a little known fact, but they reckon that upwards of 100,000 people a year around the world get injured on skateboards. And the most common injury? Y`know I would have figured the knee or maybe the ankle, but it is infact the wrist! All the more reason to wear wrist braces guys and gals.
Skateboarding is more popular than you may think. It is infact the third most popular sporting activity in the US of A. And the average age of a skateboarder is just 13 years old. Ahh, I remember those days! There was a lull in its popularity a few years back when a lot of the skate parks went bust and interest waned a little, but now it is back with a vengeance. It has reclaimed its street cred and cool, if it ever lost it, and is massively influential in areas as diverse as clothing, music and attitude.
Skateboarding sits in an overall 6th position in the world regarding its sporting popularity. When you think that many of the sports at the top, like football/soccer, have been around for a few hundred years, and skateboarding has been around for only around half a century it just shows the impact the sport has made on global consciousness. It really should not be such a surprise, I mean what other sport can you get such an adrenalin rush from time after time after time?
As we know skateboarding is an offshoot of surfing, kinda like its runt of an offspring! And terms such as frontside and backside come from surfing. As frontside means when your body faces the wave in surfing, so in skateboarding this means your body is facing the ramp or obstacle.
Now this is a little known fact, but they reckon that upwards of 100,000 people a year around the world get injured on skateboards. And the most common injury? Y`know I would have figured the knee or maybe the ankle, but it is infact the wrist! All the more reason to wear wrist braces guys and gals.
Skateboarding is more popular than you may think. It is infact the third most popular sporting activity in the US of A. And the average age of a skateboarder is just 13 years old. Ahh, I remember those days! There was a lull in its popularity a few years back when a lot of the skate parks went bust and interest waned a little, but now it is back with a vengeance. It has reclaimed its street cred and cool, if it ever lost it, and is massively influential in areas as diverse as clothing, music and attitude.
Skateboarding sits in an overall 6th position in the world regarding its sporting popularity. When you think that many of the sports at the top, like football/soccer, have been around for a few hundred years, and skateboarding has been around for only around half a century it just shows the impact the sport has made on global consciousness. It really should not be such a surprise, I mean what other sport can you get such an adrenalin rush from time after time after time?
As we know skateboarding is an offshoot of surfing, kinda like its runt of an offspring! And terms such as frontside and backside come from surfing. As frontside means when your body faces the wave in surfing, so in skateboarding this means your body is facing the ramp or obstacle.
Thursday 11 June 2009
Skateboard Trick
Here we got information on a skateboard trick called a heelflip. Listen up to what this ole trick entails, then get out there and give it a go!
The heelflip is not a direct descendant of the ollie if ya know what I mean, but is the opposite of a kickflip as the board spins towards the toes, rather than away from them. I hope that this is clear! Well it will be as we continue.
Now here is what we call the regular, standard, basic, and any other word that may come to mind, heelflip:
OK, the front foot should be placed towards the heel side edge of the board not too far forward, and the back foot must be placed right on the tail of the board, but at a slight angle.
So with the first move you are popping the tail of the board with your back foot, and jumping up into the air.
With the same movement slide your front foot out diagonally so the board starts spinning as you lean over the board.
So with your front foot over the top bolts you kick so the deck spins fully and you get your feet out of the way as it spins around.
You then catch the board and roll away. If you can stop the board spinning while your feet are still in midair then all the better too.
So that folks is the basic heelflip, which with a little bit of work on your part is a pretty damn cool trick to know. There are a host of variations on the heelflip, but I am saving them for a rainy day!
These include the double heelflip, triple heelflip, varial heelflip, 180 heelflip, 360 heelflip and many more.
Get the basic one right and then you can graduate to a few of the many variations of this.
A great guide to skateboarding tricks and how to become an expert on them can be found at SkateSecrets
The heelflip is not a direct descendant of the ollie if ya know what I mean, but is the opposite of a kickflip as the board spins towards the toes, rather than away from them. I hope that this is clear! Well it will be as we continue.
Now here is what we call the regular, standard, basic, and any other word that may come to mind, heelflip:
OK, the front foot should be placed towards the heel side edge of the board not too far forward, and the back foot must be placed right on the tail of the board, but at a slight angle.
So with the first move you are popping the tail of the board with your back foot, and jumping up into the air.
With the same movement slide your front foot out diagonally so the board starts spinning as you lean over the board.
So with your front foot over the top bolts you kick so the deck spins fully and you get your feet out of the way as it spins around.
You then catch the board and roll away. If you can stop the board spinning while your feet are still in midair then all the better too.
So that folks is the basic heelflip, which with a little bit of work on your part is a pretty damn cool trick to know. There are a host of variations on the heelflip, but I am saving them for a rainy day!
These include the double heelflip, triple heelflip, varial heelflip, 180 heelflip, 360 heelflip and many more.
Get the basic one right and then you can graduate to a few of the many variations of this.
A great guide to skateboarding tricks and how to become an expert on them can be found at SkateSecrets
Skateboard Decks
Skateboard decks are an extension of your personality, and it is important you start out with the right one from the get go for yourself.
First up, if you are a newbie, lets look at the width of the board. You want to have a board that is quite wide without too much curvature, as these sort of skateboard decks will give you more stability than a narrow one. One plus about a wide deck is that you can carve a whole lot easier on it.
With a narrower deck you will find it easier to do fliptricks and to ollie, as it stands to reason that a lighter deck will afford you to flip it and spin it better.
You have more control and options with what you can do with the deck but you do not have the same stability that a wider deck will give you, so start with a wider deck and progress to a narrower one when your skateboarding skills mean you have grown out of your first deck.
Deck sizes go from 7.0 up to 10.0 normally so there is quite a big difference between the smaller and the larger decks.
You also need some good quality grip tape to grip the skateboard decks up so you are not skidding around on the deck. Most decks will come with some free grip tape but if it doesnt ask them to throw some in for free!! It pays to be cheeky doncha know!!
There are differences in the ply depth of skateboard decks too. Again the more ply, in other words layers of compressed ply, in the skateboard, the thicker and heavier it will be.
If you are a newbie I would suggest that you go for a relatively heavy deck as this will also give you more stability.
If you want to learn to skateboard like a pro in double quick time have a look at this terrific guide to everything you need to know. Just click on SkateSecrets
First up, if you are a newbie, lets look at the width of the board. You want to have a board that is quite wide without too much curvature, as these sort of skateboard decks will give you more stability than a narrow one. One plus about a wide deck is that you can carve a whole lot easier on it.
With a narrower deck you will find it easier to do fliptricks and to ollie, as it stands to reason that a lighter deck will afford you to flip it and spin it better.
You have more control and options with what you can do with the deck but you do not have the same stability that a wider deck will give you, so start with a wider deck and progress to a narrower one when your skateboarding skills mean you have grown out of your first deck.
Deck sizes go from 7.0 up to 10.0 normally so there is quite a big difference between the smaller and the larger decks.
You also need some good quality grip tape to grip the skateboard decks up so you are not skidding around on the deck. Most decks will come with some free grip tape but if it doesnt ask them to throw some in for free!! It pays to be cheeky doncha know!!
There are differences in the ply depth of skateboard decks too. Again the more ply, in other words layers of compressed ply, in the skateboard, the thicker and heavier it will be.
If you are a newbie I would suggest that you go for a relatively heavy deck as this will also give you more stability.
If you want to learn to skateboard like a pro in double quick time have a look at this terrific guide to everything you need to know. Just click on SkateSecrets
Wednesday 10 June 2009
Skateboard Clothing
Skateboard clothing has had a massive influence on streetwear all over the world. It is impossible to deny that this is the case when you go down any city street and look at what the kids are wearing.
I live in England in the UK and most kids now dress in a hip hop skateboard style, and the trend is here to stay as this has been the look, more or less, for many years now.
Hoodies are de rigour wherever you go now, and skateboard clothing has fused with hip hop and streetwear to rule the clothing market.
Beanie hats and caps are everywhere, along with baggy jeans and skate trainers. Baggy jeans developed from skateboarding as the extra room in the jeans makes it easier to move and be flexible in them when you are on the board.
All the colours and graffiti style designs on the t-shirts and tops that are around have been derived from the skateboard scene. Now skateboard culture borrows from hip hop culture, and hip hop culture borrows from skateboard culture, so that both groups are pretty inter-changeable now.
So why has the skateboard clothing influence been so strong on streetwear?
I think it is simply because of two factors.
1. The style of clothes are so damn comfortable and easy to wear that people wear them and become hooked on the style, and wearing anything else just doesnt feel as good.
2. They really are a very cool line of clothing!! Hoodies, trainers, baggy jeans, graffiti style tops and great colours make the look pretty unbeatable.
I live in England in the UK and most kids now dress in a hip hop skateboard style, and the trend is here to stay as this has been the look, more or less, for many years now.
Hoodies are de rigour wherever you go now, and skateboard clothing has fused with hip hop and streetwear to rule the clothing market.
Beanie hats and caps are everywhere, along with baggy jeans and skate trainers. Baggy jeans developed from skateboarding as the extra room in the jeans makes it easier to move and be flexible in them when you are on the board.
All the colours and graffiti style designs on the t-shirts and tops that are around have been derived from the skateboard scene. Now skateboard culture borrows from hip hop culture, and hip hop culture borrows from skateboard culture, so that both groups are pretty inter-changeable now.
So why has the skateboard clothing influence been so strong on streetwear?
I think it is simply because of two factors.
1. The style of clothes are so damn comfortable and easy to wear that people wear them and become hooked on the style, and wearing anything else just doesnt feel as good.
2. They really are a very cool line of clothing!! Hoodies, trainers, baggy jeans, graffiti style tops and great colours make the look pretty unbeatable.
Skateboard Gear
Skateboard gear is something you kinda cant do without unless you want a busted head or a damaged knee. When you take a fall the only thing you want to hurt badly is your pride! And hey falling is part of the job description, lets not forget about that.
If you want to be good at this sport you have to stretch yourself, and when you stretch yourself you are going to take a few tumbles and knocks, its all part of the fun guys and gals.
So what sort of skateboard gear do you need? You need a skateboard helmet when starting out, if you dont make this an essential purchase you gotta be insane. Some people dont think it cool to wear a helmet, well I dont think its cool to spend the rest of your life being spoon fed and a drip hanging out the side of your mouth so get a helmet. And make sure the helmet is a good fit and does not jerk around on your head.
Another essential piece of skateboard gear is the knee pads, as the knees are the area that takes most of the pounding and the strain when you are on the board. Make sure you get a pair with plenty of padding to prevent the jarring and bangs to damage your knees.
It is also a good idea to wear elbow pads and wrist braces too as these will protect these areas from scrapes and cracks. It isnt smart to be constantly getting bandaged up, and besides it is going to mean time away from your skateboard everytime you come to grief.
Skateboard shoes can also be bought, and these differ from a normal shoe in that they have a large, flat bottom that gives you better grip on the board, and they are strongly built so as to take the wear they are going to get.
If you get these pieces of skateboard gear you can skate with more freedom and invention, knowing that if you do make a few mistakes they aint gonna be on the catastrophic scale for you!
If you want to be good at this sport you have to stretch yourself, and when you stretch yourself you are going to take a few tumbles and knocks, its all part of the fun guys and gals.
So what sort of skateboard gear do you need? You need a skateboard helmet when starting out, if you dont make this an essential purchase you gotta be insane. Some people dont think it cool to wear a helmet, well I dont think its cool to spend the rest of your life being spoon fed and a drip hanging out the side of your mouth so get a helmet. And make sure the helmet is a good fit and does not jerk around on your head.
Another essential piece of skateboard gear is the knee pads, as the knees are the area that takes most of the pounding and the strain when you are on the board. Make sure you get a pair with plenty of padding to prevent the jarring and bangs to damage your knees.
It is also a good idea to wear elbow pads and wrist braces too as these will protect these areas from scrapes and cracks. It isnt smart to be constantly getting bandaged up, and besides it is going to mean time away from your skateboard everytime you come to grief.
Skateboard shoes can also be bought, and these differ from a normal shoe in that they have a large, flat bottom that gives you better grip on the board, and they are strongly built so as to take the wear they are going to get.
If you get these pieces of skateboard gear you can skate with more freedom and invention, knowing that if you do make a few mistakes they aint gonna be on the catastrophic scale for you!
Monday 8 June 2009
Skateboarding Tricks
Skateboarding tricks can generally be broken up into 5 separate groupings, and this is what we are going to mosey on down to take a gander at here.
OK here are the 5 main groupings, in no particular order mind.
1. Fliptricks. These are all based around the ollie and comprise of various types of aerial flips without using your hands. The feet remain on the board throughout the trick. Some fliptricks include a fakie ollie, an ollie 180, the kickflip, the heelflip, and the hardflpi etc. In many fliptricks the board is flipped upside down.
2. Freestyle tricks. Freestyle skateboarding tricks involve balancing on either one wheel or two, and sometimes just the front or back of the board, or even the edges. Freestyle has been popular for many years as it is a great way to improvise and have fun on the board, and you can get in to some cool flips.
3. Aerials. Similar to the fliptricks, and as the name implies they are tricks involving flipping your skateboard into the air, but with an aerial trick you use your hand or hands to control the board.
4. Slides and grinds. These skateboarding tricks involve the use of a rail or ledge that the skateboard slides or grinds along. The skateboarder jumps onto the rail or ledge with his board and either slides along it with the edge of the board, or grinds along it with the truck. You dont have to use just rails or ledges either, you can use whatever you got available and improvise, such as with the edges of pavements or pools. The great thing about skateboarding as far as I see it is we can all improvise and use our own imagination.
5. Liptricks. These are mainly done on a skateboard ramp. Half pipes, quarter pipes and mini ramps are all used for liptricks, which again as the name implies uses the lip of the ramp to perform various tricks, such as axle stalls, bean plants, boardstalls and inverts etc.
If ya want to learn to skateboard like a champ in the space of 2 months just take a look at the guide here by clicking on SkateboardSecrets
OK here are the 5 main groupings, in no particular order mind.
1. Fliptricks. These are all based around the ollie and comprise of various types of aerial flips without using your hands. The feet remain on the board throughout the trick. Some fliptricks include a fakie ollie, an ollie 180, the kickflip, the heelflip, and the hardflpi etc. In many fliptricks the board is flipped upside down.
2. Freestyle tricks. Freestyle skateboarding tricks involve balancing on either one wheel or two, and sometimes just the front or back of the board, or even the edges. Freestyle has been popular for many years as it is a great way to improvise and have fun on the board, and you can get in to some cool flips.
3. Aerials. Similar to the fliptricks, and as the name implies they are tricks involving flipping your skateboard into the air, but with an aerial trick you use your hand or hands to control the board.
4. Slides and grinds. These skateboarding tricks involve the use of a rail or ledge that the skateboard slides or grinds along. The skateboarder jumps onto the rail or ledge with his board and either slides along it with the edge of the board, or grinds along it with the truck. You dont have to use just rails or ledges either, you can use whatever you got available and improvise, such as with the edges of pavements or pools. The great thing about skateboarding as far as I see it is we can all improvise and use our own imagination.
5. Liptricks. These are mainly done on a skateboard ramp. Half pipes, quarter pipes and mini ramps are all used for liptricks, which again as the name implies uses the lip of the ramp to perform various tricks, such as axle stalls, bean plants, boardstalls and inverts etc.
If ya want to learn to skateboard like a champ in the space of 2 months just take a look at the guide here by clicking on SkateboardSecrets
Thursday 4 June 2009
5 Skateboarding Tips
Here are 5 skateboarding tips to help you start off your skateboarding life in the fast lane. And when I say fast lane, I mean in the fast lane while taking all due care and attention and with all the neccesary gear and equipment, if ya know what I mean!
1. Starting off you need to look at what sort of board to use. What you need is a reasonably thick and heavy skateboard, with quite a flat surface.
A thick and heavy board will make it easier for you to keep your balance when you start out and will be easier for you to control. And you dont want too much curvature on the board either, as again it may be difficult for you to progress with one in the early stages. You can always change to a lighter, more flexible model as your competence increases.
2. Make sure you wear all the right equipment and it fits correctly, including wrist, brace, arm and knee pads. A bad accident early on can really knock your confidence, but if you are properly protected you just dust yourself down and go again.
3. Concentrate on learning how to gain your balance on the board in a stationery position at first. Balance is everything when you are skateboarding. Get to feel the best position for your feet to be in that gives you the maximum control. Practice bending your knees. Practice jumping onto the slateboard and keeping your balance. This is all crucial stuff.
4. Once you have your balance you need to spend a few hours working on your turns. If you cant turn on your board you ain`t going to be able to do too much! Practice and practice turning on your board, feel the best position for your body to be in as you turn. Work on the position of your feet and how far you are leaning.
5. The first tricks you should learn are the ollie, followed by the pop shove it, followed by the F/S 180.
If you want the best guide on the net to make you an expert skateboarder within a couple of months time click on SkateboardSecrets
1. Starting off you need to look at what sort of board to use. What you need is a reasonably thick and heavy skateboard, with quite a flat surface.
A thick and heavy board will make it easier for you to keep your balance when you start out and will be easier for you to control. And you dont want too much curvature on the board either, as again it may be difficult for you to progress with one in the early stages. You can always change to a lighter, more flexible model as your competence increases.
2. Make sure you wear all the right equipment and it fits correctly, including wrist, brace, arm and knee pads. A bad accident early on can really knock your confidence, but if you are properly protected you just dust yourself down and go again.
3. Concentrate on learning how to gain your balance on the board in a stationery position at first. Balance is everything when you are skateboarding. Get to feel the best position for your feet to be in that gives you the maximum control. Practice bending your knees. Practice jumping onto the slateboard and keeping your balance. This is all crucial stuff.
4. Once you have your balance you need to spend a few hours working on your turns. If you cant turn on your board you ain`t going to be able to do too much! Practice and practice turning on your board, feel the best position for your body to be in as you turn. Work on the position of your feet and how far you are leaning.
5. The first tricks you should learn are the ollie, followed by the pop shove it, followed by the F/S 180.
If you want the best guide on the net to make you an expert skateboarder within a couple of months time click on SkateboardSecrets
Wednesday 3 June 2009
Skateboard Tips
Here are some skateboard tips for learning the pop shove it. This is a neat trick to learn early on in your skateboard life, as it does not require you to ollie and is a fairly straight forward trick, although you still gotta master it.
OK, here we go with our skateboard tips for the pop shove it. It is so named my friend because you are popping your skateboard, and then spinning the tail of your board right or left, whichever takes your fancy.
Now you need your back foot positioned on the tail of your board so that you can shove the back down with your foot, but still have enough control to spin it as you are pushing down to the ground.
The trick is to spin it at the right time as the board is popping down, so that the board stays under control and does not angle to one side or the other. You also push to the side with your front foot so you are getting a good clean spin. What you are aiming for is to spin the board 180 degrees so that it lands back under your feet.
Once it has rotated a full 180 degrees you need to catch it with your back foot, and with bended knees get your front foot back onto the board again. Voila!! You have mastered the pop shove it.
You will find that you need to go at a reasonably fast pace to pull this off, otherwise it will be impossible to keep your balance. When you get the hang of it you will get more juice from the trick by popping the board up as high as you can and spinning faster. Great fun!
These skateboard tips will take time to get the hang of and learn but will feel second nature after a bit of work on the rough edges.
OK, here we go with our skateboard tips for the pop shove it. It is so named my friend because you are popping your skateboard, and then spinning the tail of your board right or left, whichever takes your fancy.
Now you need your back foot positioned on the tail of your board so that you can shove the back down with your foot, but still have enough control to spin it as you are pushing down to the ground.
The trick is to spin it at the right time as the board is popping down, so that the board stays under control and does not angle to one side or the other. You also push to the side with your front foot so you are getting a good clean spin. What you are aiming for is to spin the board 180 degrees so that it lands back under your feet.
Once it has rotated a full 180 degrees you need to catch it with your back foot, and with bended knees get your front foot back onto the board again. Voila!! You have mastered the pop shove it.
You will find that you need to go at a reasonably fast pace to pull this off, otherwise it will be impossible to keep your balance. When you get the hang of it you will get more juice from the trick by popping the board up as high as you can and spinning faster. Great fun!
These skateboard tips will take time to get the hang of and learn but will feel second nature after a bit of work on the rough edges.
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