How to choose a skateboard for children from 5 years old?

Skateboard is an excellent sports equipment for adults, teenagers and children from 4-5 years old. Learning to ride it is better since childhood. This article is devoted to how to choose a children's skate for beginners girls or boys of 6 and 7 years old.

Skating is a sport. Like any discipline, it has undeniable advantages:

• training the muscles of the legs and back;
• development of coordination and body balance;
• the dimensionlessness of the board - it does not have to be changed every year;
• lack of means of fixing the legs - you can quickly jump, if that;
• availability and a wide range of models.

But at the same time, the skate also has disadvantages:

• high risk of injury - Falls are not rare even in experienced athletes;
• learning difficulty - It is advisable to use the services of a trainer, especially for children;
• infrastructure - special ramps and tracks are desirable;
• danger of buying low-quality products.

It is worth highlighting the abundance of skate designs. On the one hand, this is good, since different riding styles require different boards. On the other hand, you need to immediately determine the operating conditions so as not to use the skate for other purposes. It is better for beginners to buy the usual classic version, and after mastering it, and experiment with riding styles.

Let's talk about the risk of injury. For this reason, some doctors do not recommend mastering a skate for children up to 7-8 years old. This is due to the fact that a sense of balance is not yet developed, and bone strength is low. Partly they are right, it all depends on the child himself. If the baby is active and will study under the supervision of adults, then you can start from 4 years old.

The design of adult and children's skateboards is exactly the same. The difference is only in size and sometimes in the materials of manufacture. If the sizes of adult skateboards are standard, then for children they need to be selected according to foot size or age.

The easiest indicator to select, which has almost no effect on driving performance. You just don’t have to take too short or too long.

There are already differences.

• From 6 inches (15.2 cm) - microdeck. Suitable for children under 5 years old.
• From 7 inches (17.8 cm) - mini deck. For children aged 6-8 years.
• 7.125 (17.8 cm) to 7.3 (18.5 cm) inches - middle deck. The age of the child is 9-19 years.
• From 7.5 inches (19 cm) - full-sized soundboard. For riders over 13 years old.

It is allowed that the foot length of the child slightly exceeds the width of the board. But if the wheels protrude beyond the width of the deck, then this is not very good.

They come in plastic and wood.

• Plastic - for very young children, as it is more beautiful and cheaper, but less durable and durable. It is great for checking if a skate is needed at all. In addition, a bright and colorful board will attract the attention of a little athlete and inspire him to further sports exploits.
• Wood or glued from several layers of maple veneer (These are thin sheets of wood in the manner of plywood), the deck turns out to be strong and durable, all adult models are just that. For children, 6-7 layers are enough, for adults you need 7-9. If you need weight savings - a lightweight version of 5 layers is suitable.

Experienced drivers say tires are half the car. For skates, this statement is also relevant, because it is also a vehicle. But there are fewer criteria for selection.

The main thing is to consider the diameter when choosing wheels. It’s standard here - the smaller it is, the better maneuverability and lower speed. Wheel diameter is best chosen from the operating conditions.

• 54-56 mm. Suitable for uneven surfaces, asphalt and special ramps.
• 51-53 mm. The scope is asphalt.
• 45-50 mm. The area of ​​use is absolutely flat surfaces.

The width of the wheels lies between 30-42 mm. Wide wheels need to be selected for asphalt, narrow wheels for tracks and special coatings. No less important is the stiffness of the wheels. She is in the range of 78-102A. Wheels need soft wheels for tracks, hard wheels (the larger the number in front of A, the stiffer the wheel).

Suspension is an element connecting the wheels and the deck. It is made of steel or aluminum. Steel is stronger, aluminum is lighter. Sometimes shock absorbers are built into the suspension.

And a few more tips.

• When choosing a wooden deck, pay attention to the date of manufacture. If a tree lies in a warehouse for a long time, it is deformed.
• Pay attention to the bend of the board - concave. It facilitates skate management, but requires certain skills. For beginners, it is better to take a flat board or with the smallest bend.
• The deck should have a special coating - griptape. It will allow the feet not to slip and looks like sandpaper.

The classic version of the skate appeared in the distant 1950s in California. Since then, the industry has stepped forward - today there are several types of this sports equipment.

• Cruiser Designed for urban conditions and smooth roads. The back is slightly raised. Great as a first skate for children from 5 years old.
• Stowboard. Instead of a classic deck, it is equipped with a metal foot basket. Suitable for girls as a daily transport. Performing tricks on it is problematic.
• Freeboard. It has not 4, but 6 wheels, while the inside can rotate 360 ​​degrees.Thanks to the foot mounts, it is suitable for performing acrobatic stunts and freestyle. Mounts, by the way, do not interfere with jumping from a skateboard at any time. It is bought for children and adolescents who already know how to ride well.
• Longboard. The name speaks for itself. Designed for high-speed driving, usually with slopes. Distinctive features are a sharp nose, a raised tail and large soft wheels. Not used to perform tricks.
• Mountainboard. It is designed for off-road driving. Equipped with large 20-centimeter wheels. Suitable for children over 12 years old.
• Flowboard. It has 14 wheels that greatly increase maneuverability. Great for performing tricks.
• Streetboard, snakeboard or scooter. Despite the abundance of names, it has only 2 wheels on turntables. You can ride it without pushing your foot off the ground. Designed to perform professional acrobatic stunts. There is no such skate for children.

For ease of choosing a skate, we will present a small rating.

• MaxCity MC-PB23 (RF). This is a longboard that is made of plastic. Equipped with soft wheels. The disadvantage is the large mass, which is 2.5 kg.
• Jd Bug RT 03 (RF - PRC). It is made of veneer, has a mass of 2 kg. It is close to adult models.

After choosing a skateboard, picking up ammunition will not be difficult.

• Clothing should be comfortable. It is desirable from natural materials.
• Footwear should be athletic and fit tightly on the leg.
• Knee and elbow pads required. Gloves will not be superfluous either.
• The main element of protection is the helmet. Its use is required.

Learning to ride a skateboard is not a quick process. Patience is important here.

Before training, a beginner should simply stand on the board without movement. This is necessary to train a sense of balance. It is desirable to stand on grass or a sports mat - it will fall softer this way.

The learner usually falls forward. The teacher must be in front of the skateboard or hold the student by the hand.

See how to choose a skateboard for your child in the next video.