HEYDAY
SKATEBOARDING

A quick note before you dive into this article. There are prices listed in the FAQ section. This article is kind of old and the prices may be out of date. Adding $5-$10 to all prices will probably give you a more accurate price range.

Buying something for the first time is often a difficult task. You never really know what is available, what is good, what is bad, and most importantly, what is right for you. The same rules apply for buying your first few skateboards. But fear not, for Heyday has gone out, done the dirty work, and returned with the results, ready for you to scan through in preparation for your trip to the skateshop. Here is an overview of what you should consider before buying your skateboard followed by a list of frequently asked questions to help you out.

Choosing A Deck
The most important part of choosing a deck is choosing one that you feel comfortable on, and in most cases this will be determined by the type of riding that you are going to be doing.

Street/Technical
This is the most common type of skateboarding. It involves doing flip tricks, grinds, rails, gaps, ledges, and so on. For street skating decks from 7.5 to 7.75 inches are usually good because it is easier to flip a thinner deck.

Transitions
Transition skating is riding ramps like halfpipes and parks, as well as things like pools and bowls. Transition skaters should look for something around 7.75 inches, possibly wider (depends on the size of your feet). It will be easier to balance and control a deck with a bit more width.

All Around
If you’re going to be doing a mix of street skating and transition skating, look for something right around the 7.75 inches mark. It’ll be wide enough for tranny, but won’t be so wide that you have a hard time flipping it.

When you are choosing your deck, try placing it on the ground and standing on it to get a feel for it. It will help you see how steep the nose, tail, and concave are. It will also help you decide if it is wide enough. The appearance of a board can be deceiving
until you are actually on it, so don’t be afraid to check it out before you buy.

Choosing The Trucks
Like decks, trucks come in different sizes. When choosing a set of trucks, you’ll want to make sure that they are as close as possible to the width of the deck you chose. If they are too thin you’ll have a wobbly, unstable ride. If they are too wide your deck will be less responsive during turns.

Some trucks are available in highs and lows, and to lesser extent, mids. A high truck will allow for large wheels, and has more area to distribute pressure over when you are doing big tricks. Low trucks have slightly increased stability and will be more suitable for technical skating. Mids are your choice for all around skating.

If you are planning on doing any grinding, you’ll want to make sure that the hangar sticks out further then the kingpin. If the kingpin sticks out too far, it will catch on the obstacle when you try to grind.

Choosing Wheels And Bearings
Now that you have your deck and trucks picked out you’ll want to choose a suitable set of wheels to go along with them. The size (measured in millimeters) and durometer (hardness) of the wheels are the important points here.

Smaller, hard wheels (51mm-55m, 97a-100a) will keep your setup a bit lighter and lower to the ground. This is suitable for street and technical skating. If the streets or spots your ride are kind of rough, go for something towards the higher end of the scale (54mm-56mm) and you should be fine.

Choose a set of larger wheels (56mm-60mm, 97a-100a) to allow you to get to higher speeds and maintain them more easily. Faster means you won’t have to pump as hard on transitions, but if you do anyway, then you’ll go even bigger.

If you just want to cruise around then you should try some big soft wheels for the smoothest ride possible. Something over 60mm with a durometer under 90a should do you nicely.

Having the best wheels though will get you nowhere unless you have some decent bearings. Many bearings come with and ABEC rating which people tend to think relates to the speed and quality of the bearing. The ABEC rating is actually a measure of how precise the measurements of the bearing are. A higher rating means it is more precise, but it is also less durable. For this reason most skateboard bearings are usually rated 3 or 5, instead of the highest rating, 9. Because bearings are all the same size and generally look the same, it can be tough to pick out the good brands. Start out on a mid-priced bearing and see what you think. After that, try out some other brands, and after a few boards you will have your personal favorite.

The Little Things
While they are “the little things”, these parts are still important. I’m talking about griptape and hardware, as well as the optional pair of riser pads.

Griptape helps you to avoid slipping off the board while riding and landing tricks, and it provides some extra friction to get the tricks in motion in the first place. Most griptape is black but colored and graphic griptape are also available in some shops. I suggest sticking with the black griptape as it is usually higher quality.

Hardware is a set of eight nuts and bolts that hold the trucks onto the deck. They are available in either Phillips head or Allen head bolts. Some hardware has little extras like different colors on certain bolts so you can tell the nose of your board from the tail.
Sets of hardware come in different lengths, so make sure you get hardware that will be long enough if you decide to use riser pads on your setup.

Riser pads are thin plastic pieces that fit between the baseplate of the truck and the deck. They are meant to make a little bit more room between the wheels and the deck to help prevent the wheels from pressing too hard against the board while turning. Unlike all the other parts of the setup, riser pads really aren’t needed, but may make your setup that much better to you. If you are going to be getting riser pads, make sure that your hardware will be long enough to put them on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Decks

• What is a deck?
• What brand of board is the best?
• How much should a new board cost?
• Does the size of the board matter?
• How is shape important?

Trucks

• What are trucks?
• How much should trucks cost?
• What size trucks should I get?

Wheels

• How much should wheels cost?
• What size of wheels should I get?>

What brand of board is the best?
It’s not fair to say that there is really a best brand of skateboard, but it is easy to pick out the worst. Stay away from any board that does not come from an actual skateboard shop. That means anything you spot at Walmart or any other large store of that type is something to avoid. They may be inexpensive, but they are also poor quality, and you’ll find them to be more hassle then they are worth.

How much should a new board cost?
A deck with a graphic should cost between $75-$90 Canadian ($45-$55 US) before tax. If you are paying more then that you should look into decks from somewhere else. Blank decks (no graphic on the bottom) are about half that price, but only come from a few companies.

Does the size of the board matter?
When buying a board one of the main things to take into consideration is the size of the board. It may even be more important then the brand you choose. First look at the width. A thinner board may flip faster, while a wider board gives you more surface to land on, and to disperse your weight. You will also want a wider board if you are a big person or have big feet. If you want to ride transitions (ramps) a larger board will also give you more stability. Make sure that the width of the deck matches up with the width of your trucks. If the deck is wider then the trucks, you will have a tippy feeling ride. The length of a deck doesn’t seem to have as big as an impact as the width does. You may want to go longer if you are a taller person, or a shorter deck if you are short. Some riders also check the wheelbase of their decks. The wheelbase is the distance between the trucks, measured from the inside. The average wheelbase is between 13.75 and 14.5 inches.

How is shape important?
The shape of a board deeply affects how functional it will be. If it is your first time buying a board, you probably won’t be able to really notice a difference between the shape of board A and board B. Luckily, for your first board, you also don’t have any preferences, so you should do alright. Besides, most decks are generally the same shape. Some aspects of the shape that will affect your riding at the concave (how much the sides of the board are curved), the steepness of the nose and tail, and the form of the nose and tail. When in the shop you can try placing a deck on the ground and standing on it to get a feel for it. This will also help you determine if the size is good. If the shop owner has a problem with you standing on the board, maybe you are buying from the wrong store…

How much should trucks cost?
A pair of trucks should cost between $60-$70 Canadian ($30-$40), before tax. If you are paying more then that, find yourself a new place to shop. Avoid buying blank trucks, or Mack trucks. While blank decks are generally the same as brand name decks, blank trucks are cheap quality, and are more likely to break.

What size trucks should I get?
The width of your trucks should be the same as the width of your deck. That means if you are buying a new deck that is wider then you old trucks, you might want to replace your old trucks, otherwise your board will feel wobbly and unstable when you ride. Some trucks come in high, low, and medium heights. Low trucks are more suitable for technical tricks because they keep your center of gravity slightly lower, allowing you to balance easier. If you are using bigger wheels, you’ll want medium to high trucks to help avoid wheel bite. Personally, I would go with medium height trucks.

How much should wheels cost?
A set of four wheels will run you between $40 and $55 Canadian ($20-$35 US) before tax.

What size of wheels should I get?
Smaller wheels (51-55mm) are more suitable for technical skating, while larger wheels (56-58mm) are better for ramps, pools, etc. I am one to choose something in between (54-56mm) so that I am ready to ride anything.

That’s everything. Hope you found this article helpful.

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