SkateBoard.LifeTips.com

Transcription

1 SkateBoard.LifeTips.com

2 Category: Celebrity skateboarders Subcategory: Celebrity skateboard Tips Tip: Earnings of Celebrity Skateboarders If your parents look at your obsession with skateboarding and your desire to perfect unnatural acts against nature as a waste of time, tell them this. Professional, celebrity skateboarders make a very good living. Mid-level pros can earn $50 to $100K per year. The really famous celebrities of the industry make $500K to $1 million. Most of them started out like you, just a neighborhood boy, riding up and down the street. It was their passion and diligence that got them where they are today. Category: Finding Skate Parks Subcategory: Skate Park Tips Tip: Misperceptions of Skate Park Noise Levels One of the most common misperceptions about skate parks is that the noise created by their users will surpass code limits and upset the community. But the reality is quite different. In a recent study, it was found that peak skate park noise levels averaged 70 decibels from 50 feet away. In comparison, from the same 50 feet away a dishwasher and toilet produce comparable decibel levels. A football game produces 117 decibels, heavy traffic 85 decibels and a home refrigerator 50 decibels.. All in all, a skate park is no more noisy than similar recreation areas like a basketball court or children's playground Tip: Town Skate Parks If your town does not have a skate park, don't fret. Many avid skateboarders across the country have rallied, fund-raised and have successfully gotten their towns to install one. It's not as difficult as you might think, especially if you can get your parents involved. Towns are usually like organized, safe, and productive ways and places for kids to spend time and energy. And check out the Tony Hawk Foundation, which supports the creation of public skateboard parks. Category: How to Build A Skateboard

3 Subcategory: Building A Skateboard Tips Tip: Installing Bearings in Skateboard Wheels Perhaps the trickiest part of building your own skateboard is getting the bearings into the wheels without damaging them. The softer your wheels, the easier it is to pop the bearings into, but with harder wheels, it gets trickier to do without tools. Some brave or experienced souls use their trucks as a tool, but you might be better off using a bearing tool or bearing press. Category: Shopping for Skateboards Subcategory: Skateboard Shopping Tips Tip: Enjoi Wheels for Science Enthusiasts Do you love science and skateboarding too? The two are an interesting combination since the whole point of skateboarding is to push the limits of the laws of physics. But if science is your thing too, Enjoi Skateboard has a great wheel for you. It's called the Smartie' and comes complete with a picture of Einstein on the wheels. Is there any better way to show off your intelligence and athletic prowess at the same time? Tip: Skateboarding Backpacks Whether you are using them for skateboarding expeditions, or going to school, backpacks made by your favorite skateboard companies like Element, Baker Skateboard and Girl give you a little something most regular backpacks don't. In addition to coming equipped with skateboard carrying straps and tail pouches, most have audio holders with headphone outlets. And of course, they all have your favorite logo embroidered right where everyone can see. Category: Skate Shoes Subcategory: Skate Shoe Tips Tip: Getting the Right Skate Shoe Fit Are you a flat footed skateboarder? Do you have high arches? You need different shoes for different feet. Emerica shoes offer the feature of a removable arch support. This means you can take theirs out and insert one that is custom designed for your foot, whether you have a high arch or no arch at all. That kind of customization is hard to beat and with the solid brand name of Emerica shoes behind you, you should be all set.

4 Tip: Nike Skate Shoes Nike is always a name you can trust in any sport shoe because they appreciate the importance of customization for various sports. Although they are huge, they still commit to making high quality products. In skateboarding, Nike has developed a huge variety of skateboarding shoes in tons of colors and styles with the benefits of light design that still retains sturdy stability. Tip: Skateboard Shoe Choices If you've gone into a sports shop lately to look at skateboarding shoes, you've probably noticed how many brands, colors and different price points there are to choose from. Confused? How different can they possibly be? Aside from the basic attributes of skateboard shoes, you'll find ones that work well in snow and slush, ones that have loops to protect laces while doing heel flips, thick, padded tongues, thermo-plastic toe caps and much more. Try them on for size. Comfort is key. Choose those features that have a specific benefit for the way you skate. And of course, they have to look good. Tip: The Features of Fallen Rival Shoes Jamie Thomas is a professional skateboarder and entrepreneur who develops amazing skate gear and Fallen skate shoes. Because of his own personal experience, Fallen has created premium skate shoes that have small but important features that create some of the best skateboarding shoes around. For instance, the Rival is a great shoe and has a ton of important features: Leather upper or Synthetic suede Under toe cap with an extra thin layer of rubber for extra durability Padded tongue and ankle collar for extra support and comfort Extra stability through Internal tongue straps A Double lacing system on the toe capa specially designed heel bag shock absorber and an insole with gel heel pad for impact Sticky rubber sole with a herring bone pattern for grip and flex Available in 4 color themes - black, charcoal, dark brown and white Tip: Tricks with Fallen Relapse Shoes If you want to get better at skateboarding tricks, the Fallen Relapse may be the right version of Fallen Skate shoes for you. The reason being that they not only carry all the signature features of Fallen shoes like: Leather or Heavy Duty Suede Upper Foam Padded Tongue with extra Stabilizer Strapping Extra Padded Heel Collar Double stitched Eyelets that add extra strength and protect your laces Gel heel Padding for impact cushioning Triple stitching in the Toe CapSpecial insole and Full Length

5 MidsoleSticky Rubber for added traction The reason these Fallen skate shoes are especially good for tricks is that they have rubber strips (hidden of course!) up the sides of the shoes for tricks. The rubber strips add grip and extra protection. Category: Skateboard Activities Subcategory: Skateboard Activity Tips Tip: Skateboard Video & Internet Games The chances are great that if you are a skateboarder, you also play skateboard games, simply because too much skateboard is still not enough. Tony Hawk dominates the skateboard video game industry, where you can try to compete your way to the top by matching your skills against his. There are also a growing number of internet games that are gaining popularity like Skate or Die' and G-Max, a free game that is supposedly quite addicting. Category: Skateboard Clothes Subcategory: Skateboard Clothes Tips Tip: Logos on Clothes Logos are an important part of skateboard culture. If you have a favorite brand, wear it with pride. Most manufacturers offer products that range from t-shirts sunglasses, watches, key chains and much more. Category: Skateboard Parts Tips Subcategory: Grip Tape Tip: Grip Tape Grip tape is the sand paper-like substance that is applied to the top of a skateboard deck. And, applying grip tape is the first step in skateboard assembly. It is sold by the sheet, and one sheet is all you need. There are lots of choices, when it comes to grip tape, but most skateboarders agree that there's not much difference between them.

6 Subcategory: Skateboard Decks Tip: Skateboard Deck The deck is the flat part of the skateboard the part you stand on. So naturally it is the most important part of your set up. Different decks are best for different types of skateboarding, so the one that's best is the one that accomplishes what gives you the most pleasure. Ask around to find which one ollies the highest or slides the best. Durability is also an important issue. You don't want to be replacing that deck too often. Tip: Skateboard Shape Your deck's shape is highly personalized. Each manufacturer has their own philosophy, and it's largely based on feel. But the two basic shapes of your board are its concave and its plan form. The concaves are the curves that are in the board itself, and the plan form is its outline shape. A good shape is what feels good to your foot. Subcategory: Skateboard Maintenance Tips Tip: Maintaining Your Skateboard Wheels If you've been riding on your wheels for some time, take a good look at them. You might find that one side has become more worn than the others. This is a result of regular wear and tear. Just rotate your wheels. The more often you rotate, the longer they will last. It's the same principle as for a car. Tip: Shielded Bearings vs. Sealed Bearings Lots of people get confused over the difference between sealed bearings and shielded bearings. All skateboard bearings have shields on at least one side. Some are double-shielded. Sealed bearings have a shield made of metal and a coating over them. The seal protects the bearings from dirt, moisture and road salt. While shielded bearings have the benefit of producing no friction, there is a tiny amount of open space where dirt and moisture can enter. The choice is yours. Subcategory: Skateboard Wheels Tip: Quality Skateboard Wheels Go into any skate shop and you'll turn green with envy at the array of wheels to choose from. The colors and graphics are astounding, but don't let them distract you from thinking about what's best for your ride. Skateboard wheels are made out of urethane,

7 and each company has a different urethane formula, giving them a different ride or wear. For best consistency, stick with a reputable company for wheels. Tip: Skateboard Wheel size The size of your skateboard wheels are an important consideration. The bigger the wheel, the faster you will go, however it will add weight to your board. Wider wheels tend to have more grip. So, your first determinations should be usage and experience. Category: Skateboard Tips Subcategory: Skateboard Tips Tip: A Complete Skateboard If you're a beginner, it's not always easy to figure out how to buy components to configure your own skateboard. But have no fear, many companies make complete skateboards specifically designed for beginners. And until you figure out a bit more about the sport and about what you like, a complete skateboard makes a lot of good sense. Tip: New Skateboard Materials Innovations in materials and technology have made skateboards better and better over the years. The first skateboard wheels were made of clay. The introduction of polyurethane made it possible to move faster and smoother. Some trucks are now being made using the alloy titanium which is strong and lighter than many other alloys. Tip: Replacing Your Skateboard Skateboards get a lot of rough treatment, so its important to stay on top of its condition. How do you know when it's time to replace your skateboard? Certainly, if it breaks or cracks. But how about if your board develops a razortail? Razortail is the sharp edge caused by skidding the nose or tail a lot. It causes your board to chip easily, so when you begin to see this happening, you know a new board will be in order soon. Tip: Wet Skateboard Getting your skateboard wet is probably inevitable, but if it gets wet a lot, it could crack. In any event, getting your board wet will take away from the strength or the pop you get out of it a definite decrease in the quality of your tricks and moves.

8 Category: Skateboard Video Tips Subcategory: Skateboard Video Tips Tip: Skateboard videos of Record-breaking Moves & Tricks Have you watched any skateboard videos lately. Maybe it's the advances in technology or the incredible advances in skateboard techniques and athletic ability, but if you watch recent videos of the pros and of some of the record-breaking tricks and moves you'll experience first hand the intensity and exhilaration of their skateboarding up close and personal. Tip: Skateboarding Women It's unfortunate, but when we picture a skate board enthusiast, its usually a guy. But for those girls out there who are interested in the sport, get a hold of some of the skateboard videos of Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins, Vanessa Torres, Lauren Perkins or Amy Caron to name a few. These women are a inspiration to any girl who drawn to freedom and exhilaration of skateboarding. Category: Skateboarding Subcategory: Trick Tips Tip: 360 Flips First, you need to learn 360 shove-its, 360 pop shove-its and kick-flips. Then you might be able to throw down a 360 flip. Most importantly you need to practice pop shove-its and learn how to snap the tail on just regular 180 pop shove-its. When you get that trick down, try to learn pop shove-it kick-flips. Once you get that trick down start shoving the board a little harder, to get it to rotate 360 and flip it a little slower than the pop shove-it kick-flips and then you should have your self a tre flip. Remember practice makes perfect. Tip: How to Ollie - Version 2 Well this is going to be a bit hard to explain only because I'm not there to actually show you physically. However, I will try my best. Here it goes. First, you want to make sure you feel comfortable on your board and not all off balance. Second you want to get in a good stance, your back foot should be half way on the tail, the heel end of your foot should be hanging off and that should be the only part of your foot hanging off. Your

9 front foot should be about 2 inches above the middle of your board with about 2/3 inches of your heel hanging off the side of the board. Ok, now that we have your stance down, you can Ollie. This is how you're going to do just that. First, you have to think light you have to think you're a feather. Then you want to crunch down by bending your knees you want to bend you back leg more than your front leg and make sure your upper body is leaning towards the front. Then snap the tail with your body already wanting to take off into the air. As soon as you feel and hear the tail snap, lift up your whole body with your front foot dragging up the front of the board towards your front truck. Look down and keep your eye on the top of your board and wait to land. Category: Skateboarding Safety Subcategory: Skateboarding Safety Tips Tip: A Properly Fitted Helmet How do you know when your helmet is fitting properly? When it sits squarely on your head with the front on your brow. The padding should be firm against your skin so when you turn the helmet, your skin moves as well. The front and rear straps should form a Y just below and forward of your ears, and there should be no slack when your chin strap is fastened Tip: Learning How To Fall Whether you are about to get on a skateboard for the first time or are a pro, falling is an inevitable part of the sport. And, its where injuries can occur. Trying to prevent injury is not only good safety but can save you from having to sit out from skateboarding for a season because your leg is in a cast. One smart trick to learn is how to fall without injuring yourself. Always try to land on a fleshy part of your body, and try to roll with it. Try not to use your hands, wrists or arms to break your fall. It will take practice because its natural to put your hands out, but breaking that reflex could save you a lot of pain in the long run. Tip: Safe Skateboarding Means Better Skateboarding Using the proper safety equipment like a helmet ad pads not only protects you against harm, but could improve your performance. It has been proven that wearing safety gear gives skateboarders more confidence and comfort while performing. The less one is concerned that injury might occur, the better you're able to focus on building your skills. So free yourself from the worry and tension of injury and don the pads.

10 Tip: Skateboarding Safety Skateboarding is a cool sport. But never think that part of the cool is casting aside safety. Always wear proper safety equipment like knee pads, elbow pads, wrist guards, gloves, hip pads, helmet and shin guards when skateboarding. The consequences are dire. Category: Skateboarding Tricks Subcategory: Skateboard Trick Tips Tip: Beginning Skateboarding Any beginner must learn to ride on their skateboard before attempting any tricks. So its important to practice moving for a while. Here's how place your front foot on the board over the front truck bolts. Push yourself forward with your back foot placing most of your weight over your front foot. Then place your back foot on the board near the tail and coast. While pushing you should be facing forward, but while coasting you can turn both your body and feet to the side for stability. Tip: Building Focus and Concentration for Skateboarding Sometimes, to maximize and sharpen your skateboarding skills, you have to look not down at your feet, but inside your own mind. Athletes of many different sports have great success improving their skills by merging their bodies and minds, learning exercises that help develop focus, goals, and self-belief. There are many books on the market designed to teach athletes these skills. You never know. Tip: Community Perceptions of Skateboarding In many communities, skateboarding is seen in a negative light. It's close relationship to hip hop music, baggy clothes, and images of skulls has made it misunderstood. Skateboarding is, in fact, a multi-faceted activity that is all at once a sport, a hobby, a form of transportation, and a lifestyle. And unfortunately, it often seems that whenever teens gather in groups, adults tend to get suspicious of whatever activity is taking place. Tip: Dirt Surfing Dirt surfing is a hybrid skateboard sport. A dirtsurfer is a two-wheeled vehicle that part skateboard and part bicycle. Just over five feet long, the dirtsurfer has two BMX wheels

11 and no handlebars. They can be ridden on paved roads and mountain trails. If you love speed, dirt surfing may be just the thing for you. They can move up to 70 miles per hour. Tip: Do You Speak Skateboard? Skateboarding culture has not only influenced fashion and music, but has a language that is all its own. Its vernacular includes words like ollie, nollie, goofy, primo, fakie, k-grind and poser to name just a few. And, if you're going to do the sport, you better get the language down. Or you might be labeled a poser yourself. There are several skateboard dictionaries online to help you feel stoked. Tip: Doing A Nollie A Nollie is an Ollie done off the nose, hence the N' at the beginning of the word. To do one, place the ball of your foot in the middle of the nose. Your back foot should be in the middle of the board between the front and back bolts. Push down with your front leg as hard and fast as you can. After the nose snaps down, jump off your front foot as you suck up the board with your back foot by dragging it toward the tail. Even out your board. Your knees should be tucked up, then come back down. Tip: Getting Over An Obstacle When trying to get over obstacles, many experienced skateboarders recommend turning your body 90 degrees on the way up. Doing this would position you with your hips facing the direction in which you are traveling. While coming back down, you should return to your original position. Tip: Keeping Your Eye on the Skateboard While Performing A Trick One very simple, but overlooked tip is to make sure your eyes are focused on your skateboard while executing a trick. If you have enough speed and pop to clear your obstacle, your concentration is better placed on your trick itself. Use your peripheral vision to keep your landing spot in place. Tip: Learning a Heelflip You start a heelflip by setting up your back foot on the tip of the tail and your front foot just behind the front truck bolts, your toes hanging off the edge of the board. Hold your body straight. Squat down, then pop your ollie. Jump with it, but don't lean, try to stay straight. Immediately after your tail touches the ground, kick your front foot forward and in the direction in which you are rolling with your heel in a diagonal position. The hardest part of this trick is to not lean back or push forward. Keep your body straight and upright. When you catch the board, push it down and keep on moving.

12 Tip: Ollie Blocks There's a new product out that makes it easier to practice learning Ollies. Its called Ollie Blocks and it was specifically made as an Ollie trainer. Made of hard, durable plastic that are mounted to your deck in the same way you mount your trucks, Ollie Blocks are suitable for indoor use as well. So now, even if you know your Ollies but are stuck inside for the day, you can still practice some moves. Attaching Ollie Blocks to your old skateboard is a great way to repurpose and get longer use. Tip: Optimum Timing For Skateboard Tricks To get the best results from doing tricks on a ramp, always pop the trick before you reach the lip of the ramp. The key is to do your trick while you still have some speed and are still going up. For popping a trick on a bank, if you ollie before you reach the top, the impact of the landing should make you stop at that precise spot so you can descend gradually. Category: Skateboards Subcategory: Deck Size Tip: Skateboard Size Deck width and length are determined by personal preference. It also is determined by the type of skating you plan to do. Wider decks (over 8 wide) are normally used for vert / ramp skating. Narrower decks ( ) tend to be used for street skating. However, there are pros, for example Andrew Reynolds, who use a wider deck for street skating. Andrew skates an 8.25 wide skateboard. Once again, it's all personal preference. Subcategory: How to Build a Skateboard Tip: How to attach skateboard trucks to a complete skateboard TRUCK INSTALLATION - STEP 3 Trucks come with either two or four washers per truck. Washers are used to create a good seat between your wheel bearings and axle nuts. Washers also reduce friction, which helps your wheels to spin faster. If your trucks come with two washers these washers should be installed between the axle nut and the wheel. If your trucks come with four washers the installation order is as follows: Tighten all axle nuts with a 1/2 inch socket wrench. Skate tools are available at Tighten the axle nuts until the wheel is snug then back off about a 1/4 to 1/2 a turn until the wheel spins feely without any play from side to side. Now it's time to attach your trucks. First, place your deck grip side down on your work

13 area. Find the mounting holes and punch holes through the grip tape with one of the bolts from your mounting hardware. Once holes have been punched through your grip tape flip your deck over and push your mounting hardware through the holes. If you use riser pads on your board install them sliding them onto your mounting hardware. Now, slide your trucks onto your mounting hardware; be sure the bushings are facing each other. Install all the truck mounting nuts onto all the truck-mounting bolts and finger tighten them. Finally, tighten the truck mounting hardware using a 10/32" wrench or nut driver and a Phillips screwdriver or Allen wrench. Skate tools are available at: Your skateboard is now assembled. Subcategory: Skateboard Maintenance Tip: Removing Old Grip Tape from a Skateboard First, you want to remove your old grip tape. It's pretty tricky and takes a bit of patience. You'll need to use a blow dryer to heat up your grip tape. The heat helps soften the grip tape adhesive. Work a corner of the grip tape up once it's been heated up enough. Keep applying heat to the top of the board with the blow dryer while pulling up the grip tape. Once the old grip tape is removed you can apply a sheet of new grip tape. Category: Using and Building Skate Ramps Subcategory: Skateboard Ramp Tips Tip: A Home Made Skate Ramp A simple skateboard ramp or rail can take as little as a couple of hours to build, and halfpipe or quarterpipe just a few weeks with the proper tools and guidance. It all starts with a plan though, and a little bit of money. If you're under age, talk to your parents. You may find them much more receptive to the idea of you skating in your own backyard that out in the streets. Tip: Skateboard Ramp Frames Building a solid frame is key to creating a ramp surface that lasts. That's because if your frame can flex the surface will stress. So the bottom line is that this is one area where you shouldn't try to save money or time. Keep your joists no more than 6 apart. Tip: Skateboard Ramp Seams Here's a small, but important tip on building a ramp: Never line up the seams between the different layers. Your top layer should be staggered. The essence is that you never want to have two seams line up in the same place. You'll get kinks, and water will get

14 through those seams, greatly diminishing the life of your ramp. Category: What is Street Skating? Subcategory: Street Skating Tips Tip: The Popularity Of Street Skating Street skating is almost exactly what it sounds like skating in the street. Street skaters use elements of the street curbs, ramps, benches, planters, and other structures to perform maneuvers on. And because every town has miles of streets, street skateboarding is a dominant form of the sport with millions of skateboarders across the country.