Skateboards: Features, Model Review, Selection Tips

To ride through the streets of the city, an ordinary longboard or penny is enough. For those who want to conquer the ramps in the park and surprise the acrobatics around with miracles, a stunt skate has been created - a board with which you can perform the most dizzying jumps without losing control of the deck. Such models do not differ in particularly impressive characteristics for riding, but have a lot of advantages that allow you to cope with the movement of obstacles.

It is stunt skating that makes it possible to become a master in skateboarding, turning children's entertainment into a professional sport for people with good physical fitness.

The stunt skateboard has a number of differences from conventional skateboards. Among its mandatory characteristics can be noted:

• shorter deck for ease of maneuvering;
• bulged nose and tail for clicks;
• narrow and stiff suspension;
• small wheels with minimal cushioning.

The best stunt skateboards are boards glued from thin layers of maple. - they are quite resistant to loads in the horizontal and vertical planes, rarely break.

Depending on the choice of place and style of skiing, stunt skateboard can be used for different directions.

1. The park. This style involves performing tricks on a special ramp that allows you to do the most technically complex elements in the air.
2. Werth. The style that marked the beginning of stunt skating. It requires a ramp, is spectacular performance.
3. Freestyle. A style rarely used now, implying the performance of all tricks in 1 plane.
4. Straight. A style involving the use of terrain and obstacles to perform spectacular stunts. The most popular option that allows you to turn everything into sports equipment - from the railing to the bumpers.
5. Flatland. A style in which all executable elements are made on asphalt or other flat surface.

The debate about how much a good stunt skateboard weighs did not arise from scratch. For this category of boards, maximizing the weight of the deck is very important. The lower it is, the higher the jump will be, accordingly, it is easier to perform stunt elements on light skateboards.

Perhaps the only skateboards that are really unsuitable for tricks are longboards and freeboards. They do not have bent tail and noose, so it’s unlikely that they can jump on such boards. For beginners, one can begin to master tricks on the classic - boards, in which the width and length of the platform practically do not differ from each other. They are not focused on flanching along the streets of the asphalt jungle, but they have good jumping potential and good stability.

Another trick option is a snakeboard or streetboard with movable bow and tail. It is well suited for street-style riding, more maneuverable than classic, oriented to experienced skaters and provides much more opportunities for performing spectacular stunts.

Ripstick with independent platforms for each leg and a narrow jumper in the middle. Due to the peculiarities of its structure, this design is well suited for skiing. It is maneuverable, accelerates well, compact, and does not lose speed potential in motion. When riding on ripsticks, you don’t need to push with your foot - they are balanced on them, like on gyroboards.

The ranking of popular stunt skate models will help you find the answer to the question which are the best.

• HelloWood Hipster 7.75. A product of Russian manufacture, characterized by versatility and good quality. Canadian maple deck has 7 layers; the surface is equipped with a non-slip coating. The dimensions of the foot platform are 79 × 19.7 cm. The wheels have a diameter of 53 mm and a width of 31 mm.

• Union 28 Screed. Universal model equally suitable for riding in the park and in the city. The model is designed for weight up to 95 kg, the deck is made of plastic, has a length of 71.2 × 19.05 cm. Compact wheels reach 59 mm in diameter. Skate is suitable for beginners.

• Playshion Gun FS-WS002-3. Model with a 31.5-inch Canadian Maple deck. Very durable skateboard with 52 × 32 mm polyurethane wheels, aluminum suspension and ABEC-9 bearings. This is a good choice for both a beginner and an experienced athlete.

• Tech Team Switch. A good stunt skate for beginners and professionals. Maple deck has 7 layers, length 79 cm with a width of 20 cm, coated with abrasive material. The tracks are aluminum, the wheels are rigid, polyurethane, with a diameter of 52 mm.

When deciding to choose a professional skateboard for stunts, it is worth paying attention to the parameters of the board.

1. The material of manufacture. Canadian maple is considered the best, the material is durable and quite expensive. Cheaper boards are made from Chinese maple. The most budget models from a mixture of hardwood.Such a board is quite unpredictable in riding and does not withstand serious loads.
2. Deck structure. In professional models, the number of layers reaches 9 pieces, inside there is a fiberglass core. In basic versions there should be at least 7 layers - this is enough to provide elasticity to the board.
3. Deck length. The standard size of the skateboard for stunts is 31 inches. It is considered universal, suitable for children and adult riders. This board can be chosen for students from 8 years of age and older.
4. Wheels. They should not have a large diameter or soft coating. For effective tricks, you need small in diameter, hard wheels with a polyurethane coating.
5. Riding style. For a tougher and more aggressive straight, it is better to choose boards with a movable tail and a noose.

Among the most popular tricks on skateboards, one can distinguish a kick-turn, accessible even to beginners. It involves raising the front wheels, with the board turning 180 degrees - a good workout for a turn with a minimum radius, and the base for more complex exercises. Having mastered the kick-torn, you can go to olly. This hopping element is very spectacular; it allows you to control the board at the time you take it off the ground. The higher and longer the ollies performed by the skater will be, the more tricks he can master.

Simple and easy skate tricks for beginners are presented below.